Lt Cmdr Data & missing technologies

[redbert]

Now, we all agree that Doctor Noonien Soong is a freakin’ genius, and his creations had advanced the level of sentient androids well past any other in designs the whole galactic quadrant.

But where in the Star Trek universe are the prior technologies to Data, I mean robots like C3PO or R2D2?

I know we have B-4 (the idiot), Lore (the evil), Dr. Juliana Tainer (the sex toy), and even Data’s own Lal (the confused).

But are there really no other civilizations that have attempted this?
The Klingons ? (ok, no honor in battle –bots), but what about the endless list advanced civilizations that have nothing as advanced as a probe–droid or a utility robot.
Don’t the Vulcans think this would be logical to a have a cyber–helper?


Don’t get me started on how many time glass breaks..can’t they have unbreakable drinking glasses or unbreakable glass table tops?

 

[yevaud]

Now, we all agree that Doctor Noonien Soong is a freakin’ genius, and his creations had advanced the level of sentient androids well past any other in designs the whole galactic quadrant.

But where in the Star Trek universe are the prior technologies to Data, I mean robots like C3PO or R2D2?

I know we have B-4 (the idiot), Lore (the evil), Dr. Juliana Tainer (the sex toy), and even Data’s own Lal (the confused).

But are there really no other civilizations that have attempted this?
The Klingons ? (ok, no honor in battle –bots), but what about the endless list advanced civilizations that have nothing as advanced as a probe–droid or a utility robot.
Don’t the Vulcans think this would be logical to a have a cyber–helper?


Don’t get me started on how many time glass breaks..can’t they have unbreakable drinking glasses or unbreakable glass table tops?

There are multiple episodes in which artificial life was present. Take, for example, the TOS episode, "I, Mudd."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Mudd

 

[MeteorWayne]

And the one with the sexy fembots defending their dead planet.

Though I Mudd was hilarious

 

[yevaud]

"Number 500! Kirk, you can't DO this to me!"

 

[drwayne]

Not to mention:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Are_L ... Made_Of%3F

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_for_Methuselah

 

[yevaud]

Exactly. There's even the TNG episode where Wesley Crusher's science experiment using nanobots goes wrong, and they evolve into a machine race (I don't remember the episode name). Examples abound.

 

[drwayne]

The latter of which brought to us the remarkable character of "Flint" - of all the
characters I would like to meet, he might be the first....

"I... am Brahms."
"And DaVinci?"
"Yes."
"How many other names shall we call you?"
"Solomon, Alexander, Lazarus, Methuselah, Merlin, Abrahmson – a hundred other names you do not know."
"You were born?"
"In that region of Earth later called Mesopotamia in the year 3834 BC, as the millenia are now reckoned. I was (chuckle) Akharin; a soldier, a bully – and a fool. I fell in battle, pierced to the heart... and did not die."
"Instant tissue regeneration, coupled with some perfect form of biological renewal – you learned that you were immortal!"
"And to conceal it. To live some portion of a life. To pretend to age, and then move on before my nature was suspected."



"I have married a hundred times, captain; selected, loved, cherished, caressed a smoothness, inhaled a brief fragrance, then – age, death, the taste of dust. Can you understand?"


"Your report, doctor?"
"Yes – those tricorder readings on Flint are finally correlated; he's dying. You see, Flint, in leaving Earth and all of the complex fields in which he was formed, sacrificed immortality. He'll live the remainder of a normal lifespan... then, finally, die."
"On that day, I shall mourn. Does he know?"
"Yes – I told him myself. He intends to devote the remainder of his years and great abilities to the improvement of the Human condition... and who knows what he might come up with?"
"Well, that's all for now; I can tell Jim later or... you can. Considering his opponent's longevity – truly an eternal triangle. You wouldn't understand that, would you Spock? You see, I feel sorrier for you than I do for him, because you'll never know the things that love can drive a man to. The ecstasies, the miseries... the broken rules, the desperate chances, the glorious failures – and the glorious victories; all of these things you'll never know, simply because the word "love" isn't written into your book. Good night, Spock."
"Good night, doctor."

 

[drwayne]

Sorry for the tangent, even though the overall story was not that strong, the character of
Flint, and some of the more memorable lines in the series touch me.

It wasn't always this way, when I was a kid, I was not fond of this episode - age - mortality,
the deaths of loved ones make one more - receptive to it.

 

[redbert]

wow : you have humbled me with your knowledge of TOS.
I am more of a TNG and DS9 geek.

 

[drwayne]

wow : you have humbled me with your knowledge of TOS.
I am more of a TNG and DS9 geek.

Many of us have seen TOS episodes several of 10's of times. Some of us remember
them from the original run.

It's called getting older.

Wayne

p.s. I love the interactions between Kirk and Picard that occur in the books

 

[yevaud]

Ditto, especially the novel "Federation." Damn, that was a good ride!

 

[drwayne]

Ditto, especially the novel "Federation." Damn, that was a good ride!

And the Shatner novels.

And I have quoted "Ship of the Line" before, which was Picard interacting with a simulated
Kirk on a holodeck.

 

[Larryman]

Now, we all agree that Doctor Noonien Soong is a freakin’ genius, and his creations had advanced the level of sentient androids well past any other in designs the whole galactic quadrant.

But where in the Star Trek universe are the prior technologies to Data, I mean robots like C3PO or R2D2?

I know we have B-4 (the idiot), Lore (the evil), Dr. Juliana Tainer (the sex toy), and even Data’s own Lal (the confused).

But are there really no other civilizations that have attempted this?
The Klingons ? (ok, no honor in battle –bots), but what about the endless list advanced civilizations that have nothing as advanced as a probe–droid or a utility robot.
Don’t the Vulcans think this would be logical to a have a cyber–helper?


Don’t get me started on how many time glass breaks..can’t they have unbreakable drinking glasses or unbreakable glass table tops?

The technologies that you are suggesting, were (and are) BANNED from the Star Trek universe - from the beginning. I asked a similar question years ago, and was told... Gene Roddenberry forbad any inclusion of anthromorphic robots and flying saucers in his Star Trek. However, he did permit artificial intelligent computers and androids. So irregardless of unlimited number of intelligent alien civilizations encountered in Star Trek... none will ever have any anthromorphic robots and/or flying saucer spacecraft. The un-stated reason for the exclusion of these technologies is obvious... to prevent his Star Trek from appearing as a remake of the 10-year earlier "Forbidden Planet" movie. So there is no place in Star Trek for any Robby robots, or any C3PO or R2D2's robots. Even Honda's 'Asimo' robot can not qualify. And when Area 51 presents a flying saucer - it too is banned from Star Trek's human-history.