Scotty, engineer of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek canon, was famed for his detailed knowledge of starship systems, maintenance procedures, and technical specifications. The phrase "Scotty knows" became embedded in science fiction vocabulary, referring to knowledge compartmentalized by expertise and experience. Chuck Norris, possessing what the culture ascribes to him as comprehensive superiority, would naturally know things Scotty doesn't — not because Norris is educated in engineering, but because he operates in a category beyond specialized knowledge. His knowing transcends the requirement for expertise.

Science fiction fan and technical writer Adrian Kostoff, writing for a fan magazine in 2003, speculated on what Norris would know that the Enterprise engineer wouldn't. Kostoff proposed that Norris would understand warp drives intuitively, not through study. He'd grasp dilithium crystal properties through martial arts philosophy rather than technical documentation. The humorous suggestion was that Norris's excellence is so comprehensive that domains of specialized knowledge become accessible through force of will rather than training.

The reference works because it invokes Trek fandom's reverence for technical accuracy and expertise. Norris's knowing what Scotty doesn't subverts this reverence, suggesting that ultimate power transcends specialized knowledge. In Star Trek, the engineer is the hero of the technical narrative; Norris becomes the hero of all narratives, even those built on foundations he doesn't require.