Only a few know the name John Zabruckybut many of us have already seen his work. As a prop designer and founder of Modern Props, Inc., he has worked on numerous films and series. Without his work, many sets would be extremely barren. Connoisseurs of his works are particularly familiar with a Star Trek and sci-fi prop, which has the informal name the most important device in the universe was given.
The sci-fi device from Star Trek was originally created for another series
In a 2020 interview with the LA Times, Zabrucky spoke about his company Modern Props closing down. His most important and famous work was also discussed. This is a device that has… two long glass tubes that glow red, orange and yellowas well as a control panel with buttons and rotary controls.
We did this in the late ’70s for the original Incredible Hulk television series.
The machine was then used in several Star Trek films and series – from The Wrath of Khan to Starship Voyager. Zabrucky was very proud of this prop. It became similarly popular among some filmmakers and fans who noticed the device Running gag like the eternally recurring Wilhelm scream.
Here is a video with several appearances of the mystery machine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phPp5oYnps0&ab_channel=MajorGrin
Although the most important device in the universe appears so frequently different enterprise models appeared, its function remains a secret to this day. Of course, this led to a lot of speculation and jokes among fans. At the same time, most of them agree that the USS Enterprise simply would not function without it. You can find exciting theories about it in the comments on the video.
This device separates the different sci-fi universes from each other. Without it, all the franchises would merge into one big sci-fi mush.
Such a feature would undoubtedly make the enigmatic glowing machine the most important device in the universe.