I have caught several old episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (which, in some ways is still the “new” Trek in my mind) and have noted an interesting phenomenon that is clearly an artifact of mid-1980s thinking and writing. (TiVo is a wonderful thing).
On several occasions (the first I noted was in Darmok and then in The Naked Now ) the idea of a computer search for some nugget of information is considered to be some sort of huge deal. In Darmok it seems like at one point the computer had found several hundreds references, and it was considered to be a multi-hour problem not worth pursuing because it would be too arduous to undertake the full search (and that was with Data doing it). I’m thinking a) that isn’t that many hits and b) don’t that have “search within results” in the 24th Century?
In fact, what seems commonplace now, really wasn’t so common place in the 1980s (indeed, didn’t exist), so it is no shock that the writers didn’t think like the Googlefied persons we have all become. (And a quick search of Google indicates that “Googlefied” is not a new word–something that it might have taken Data hours to figure out on TNG).
I will note that Data found what he needed in the Naked Now with far less info to go on than he had in Darmok. Granted, a lot of this is TV Show Script Logic, but still.
Sphere: Related Content
And yet Data himself was often portrayed as a walking, talking Google search engine. I remember one episode where Picard didn’t know what “QE2″ meant and Data was able to “self-Google” it instantly. Another episode has him giving a detailed history of the “dead” French language (much to Picard’s consternation); Data also spoke fluent French.
I also remember Data giving a recited-from-memory briefing on baseball (including a reference to a World Series win by the “London Kings”). And another episode had him mentally retrieving, in real time, another officer’s complete service record.
Comment by KipEsquire — Saturday, October 8, 2024 @ 1:26 pm
True.
Just more “TV Show Script Logic”.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Saturday, October 8, 2024 @ 1:29 pm
Sunday Funnies
We didn’t get to adopt Cranky Neocon, but he did agree to help with our Sunday Funnies. Here’s the pic he submitted.
Rightwing Nuthouse has the Carnival of the Clueless
The Political Teen points us to a Chickens and France Subway adver…
Trackback by Stop The ACLU — Saturday, October 8, 2024 @ 11:05 pm
[…] G! This one had me rolling….Hardball, the Back To School Addition. Poliblogger is a trekkie TMH’s Bacon Bits are looking forward to a movie. The Nose on Your Face has the top 9 fabulous gi […]
Pingback by Stop The ACLU » Blog Archive » Sunday Funnies — Sunday, October 9, 2024 @ 12:35 pm
Sometimes you scare me.
Comment by Scott Gosnell — Monday, October 10, 2024 @ 7:05 am