Fifty years ago, Gene Roddenberry created a television show that blossomed into a sprawling multimedia empire encompassing feature films, video games, novels, and other spin-off. That show, of course, was Star Trek, a fantastical bit of sci-fi that was unlike anything else on TV at the time, both in terms of diversity and the sociopolitical messages its creators imbued into the narrative. But like any mega-popular franchise that has stood the test of time and amassed a diehard fanbase, Star Trek has its fair share of crackpot fan theories. These are the theories that lie well beyond the final frontier and exist in a mental space where people probably should not have boldly gone before. Yet, in the grand tradition of both Star Trek fans and The Dan Cave, today’s episode is devoted to digging through the wackiest, most far-out fan theories out there, overthinking them, and seeing if they actually hold water. If nothing else, it’ll make for a great way to entertain yourself while you wait in line to go see Star Trek Beyond, which hits theaters on Friday, July 22.

These are, of course, just a smattering of the supremely silly fan theories in Star Trek fandom. What are your favorite Star Trek fan theories? Let us know in the comments below, or come say hello at Camp Conival at San Diego Comic-Con and tell me in person! We’ll be there from Thursday through Sunday, and it’s absolutely free!

Sources: Looper; WarpedSpeed; Reddit