How was it possible for Enterprise in orbit in Civilization to hear what was going on in the streets far below the ship. The video footage I can get as they probably have external cameras on the ship but how did they get the audio?
The very short entry at Memory Alpha calls the acoustic relay "a sensor device that can detect sounds in the atmosphere of a planet from orbit." The device probably works by using lasers (or futuristic equivalent) to measure localised vibration, either in the air or of nearby resonant materials (as advanced eavesdropping tech does now). Hoshi is using the device to pick up a broad range of vocalisations, but the same tech should be able to focus on specific speakers (provided their planetary location is known).
OK I'll cut them some slack on that. Listening to audio from orbit. Hey that's an idea for NASA to try on the ISS with some lasers. We have laser microphones which are a similar idea. Would be interesting to see if this could work in real life..
Oh and I love Carbon Creek! "Moe" LOLOL A sweet and interesting story at a very different pace than most back in time eps.
I always thought that "Jack" from Carbon Creek is Jackson Roykirk, who will one day build and launch the Nomad probe.
Re the "acoustic relay", we could theorise that while Hoshi does it manually, in later centuries starships in orbit around a planet automatically hoover up language, codify it, and update the universal translator.
Yeah but that planet had no form or radio or EM communications in the episode she just tuned into what people were saying in the streets... If it does work via lasers or something like that I'd love to see them try this on the ISS and see if it really would work.
I have to say ... I've been re-watching Season 3, and I watched "Chosen Realm" the other day and just found it riveting. It totally holds up, provides an interesting intellectual debate about the state of religion and fanaticism, faith and science... and then switches to a great "let's take back the ship" action arc, and ends on an ultimately stunning conclusion (if predictable). Forgot this one, honestly over the years and am so glad I re-watched it.
I usually don't like preachy episodes, but Chosen Realm is just done so well. It's also a great way of developing the culture of the Expanse.