Now it can be told! Years after Star Trek: The Next Generation left the airwaves, the truth about Georgi La Forge’s visor is out. And it’s bizarre.

The special specs allowed the otherwise blind engineer character, played by LaVar Burton, to see. But the prop gizmo was based on a hair clip worn by a roommate of one of the crew. And it didn’t fit Burton well, so it actually had to be screwed onto his head in order for it to stay on.

And ironically, that made it almost impossible for the actor see anything.

“According to a BBC interview, using the VISOR was "a living hell" for LeVar Burton, as it reduced his active vision by 85-90%. He claims he bumped into just about everything, from light stands to cables. In the show, he played a blind man who could see thanks to the VISOR, but on set, he couldn't see thanks to the VISOR prop itself.”

The story of the visor is almost as strange as some of the worlds explored by the Enterprise itself.

Geordi La Forge Iconic Star Trek Visor Was Exactly What Fans Joked It Looked Like