That, and the potential for damage to space-time in general, were explored in Start Trek TNG. That's one of the things I liked about the series: the things that

That, and the potential for damage to space-time in general, were explored in Start Trek TNG. That's one of the things I liked about the series: the things that were invented as plot conveniences often had implications that themselves later became plot drivers. (Not always, of course. It was entertainment, not science. But often enough.)