Explain It To Data

[JirinPanthosa]

Thought I'd try to start a fun game. One person mentions a thing, and the next person explains that subject to Data and raises a new subject.

For example:

Poster #1: Body paint at sports games.

Poster #2: By covering one's self with the colors representing the sports team that everybody is rooting for, one conveys his enthusiasm for that sports team, and thus expresses his status of membership in the group.

First topic: MMORPGs.

 

[Green Shirt]

First topic: MMORPGs.

Explain it to me, first.

 

[T'Girl]

What the hell is a " MMORPG?"

 

[Kor]

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game. For example, Star Trek Online.

Thousands of individuals engage in an online simulated environment in which they take the role of a character, interact with the other users, and participate in an evolving story. It is a form of entertainment and diversion, while providing a sense of belonging to a community.

Next topic: recreational drugs.

Kor

 

[T'Girl]

Ahh, just like drinking alcohol, but in another form.

Next topic, football hooigans

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Some people have long, fruitful careers after graduating high school. Others will flourish in high school and be popular due to their place on the football team, after which their lives will fizzle. These people will sometimes only feel good about themselves when they
remember their high school days, and thus will obsess over football with a bully mentality long after they are in any physical shape to play football themselves.

Presidential primaries.

 

[T'Girl]

Where the people of a nation inform the news media that the news media doesn't know what they (and their polls) are talking about.

Next topic: the infield fly rule.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Professional sports have always attempted to adhere to the principal of fair play, so create rules exist that prevent teams from manipulating events to gain an advantage from a situation that would normally place them at a disadvantage.

Next up... engagement rings.

 

[YJAGG]

Is a formal representation of an intent to marry, indicating a person is engaged to be married when worn. Traditionally engagement rings feature diamonds or other precious gemstones and rare metals.

Parallel parking

 

[Jedi_Master]

The central areas of many cities and towns in the 20th century were designed before the advent of cheap motorized transportation. That mean their streets were too narrow to accommodate motor vehicles parked at a safer 45 degree angle, and those vehicles instead had to be parked in straight lines directly against the boundaries of the street, or curb.

Next up: Eulogies

 

[HIjol]

As iron filings will line up parallel to a magnetic field, humans frequently maneuver their internal combustion engine vehicles in a similar arrangement, referring to the outcome as "Parallel Parking". In the case of iron filings, the process is a simple matter. Humans "parallel Parking" however, can eclipse a Warp Core replacement for degree of complexity.


Next subject: Posting comments and questions on The Trek BBS:

 

[HIjol]

The central areas of many cities and towns in the 20th century were designed before the advent of cheap motorized transportation. That mean their streets were too narrow to accommodate motor vehicles parked at a safer 45 degree angle, and those vehicles instead had to be parked in straight lines directly against the boundaries of the street, or curb.

Next up: Eulogies

I'll do yours if you do mine!

An example of Humans honoring their deceased is the practice of voicing exemplares and amusing anecdotes regarding a deceased's life to a group of friends and intimates. This was sometimes compared to "The Christmas Letter" (a curious and inexplicable form of written communication common in the 20th, and, sadly, first decades of the 21st Centuries) for length and banality.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Some humans prefer fictional worlds to the real world, similar to how some humans spend a lot of time in the holodeck. Discussing and personally expanding the scope of this world to some makes them feel closer and more connected to this fantasy world.

Muscle cars.

 

[HIjol]

In the mid-20th to mid-21st Centuries, some humans equated exotic automobile chassis design and over large internal combustion engines to real power and appeal. Many examples from the time are available for viewing and study in the Ship's computer. The term "Muscle Car" referred to the Automobile so described above, as anthropomorphized to posess muscles because of its perceived power and influence (to some) on the senses.

Next topic: Presidential Elections on Earth during the Dark Times (c. 1800-2150, PFC; Pre-First Contact)

 

[at Quark's]

Next topic: Presidential Elections on Earth during the Dark Times (c. 1800-2150, PFC; Pre-First Contact)

The 19th to 22nd century was a transitory period in human history. Several developments were taking place, democratization, and multiplication of information supply being the most predominant of these within the context of this subject.

The process of democratization didn't go as smoothly as its propagandists of the day pictured it. In fact, there was not much of what actually would be called a 'democracy' in modern Federation parlance. It was mainly the popular perception of who should hold power that shifted during this time; from a general approval of autocracy or aristocracy to what they termed "democracy".

The popular media espoused the image that the people could elect their leaders, who would then act as representatives for them, and act in their general best interests. However, de facto most decisions were either made or heavily influenced by the groups that wielded major economic power in each state. What human societies actually achieved during this period therefore was not the transfer of power to a truly democratic government, but hiding better who ultimately held said power, and presenting the results of any actual decisions taken in such a way that popular opinion would perceive the decision to be taken according to the principles of their aforementioned "democracy".

Take for example presidential elections as held in different nation-states on earth during this period. Alledgedly, anyone could become a candidate. In practice, however, those candidates almost invariable came from an elitary background, with families, social circles and education that had thoroughly prepared them for just such a function. And even if not, they had to work their way up, first. Of course, said background was duly suppressed during the "campaigns" which tended to stress the everyman, congenial character of the candidate, notwithstanding the fact that one usually had to have considerable monetary means at his disposal (either private or funded) to succesfully wage said 'campaign'.

This also led to attempts to curry favour by brandishing void political statements, and, in general, to confuse form with content. Whenever such a person became president, he (or she) usually had to renege on "campaign promises".

Of course today the entire societal structure would be considered hypocritical, yet contemporary historians still view this phase as an indispensible stepping stone toward true democracy, as people at least got used to thinking about 'democratic' principles, and, precisely because it was mislabeled 'democracy', gradually gained insight in the deficiencies of their political system.


Next topic: Explain the fun of the game "explain it to Data", to Data.

 

[LadyT'Anna]

Next topic: Explain the fun of the game "explain it to Data", to Data.

Condensing subjects to their essence in order to define them via exposition constitutes not only a salutary and enjoyable exercise in critical thinking, but also an opportunity to indulge the peculiarly human trait of humor in the treatment of topics that otherwise might not warrant it.

Next topic: Define humor.

 

[publiusr]

the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. A way of generating positive emotions.

Explain the appeal of NASCAR...something to do with Pakleds, no doubt.

 

[T'Girl]

Vehicles engineered to identical specifications (to render them equal) are driven to their design limits by highly skilled operators in a contest of skill, daring and endurance.

******

Domestic feline kitten's ability to vertically jump to heights ten times their body length.

 

[HIjol]

Data, there is a propensity for humans to often default to humor in many different situation. You have seen, in your observations of humans, that words, phrases and sentences will be uttered in a seemingly illogical or inappropriate way, and the reaction among humans will be one of amusement. The game that is being played now, is an example of just such a situation. Humans are offering topics of interest or event, and attempting to explain them in a way that you would understand. However, Data, there is an enjoyment and kind amusement involved for them, as they must try to craft their responses to make sense to a being like yourself, that does not understand emotion and illogic. This is challenging and fun (for some) as the humans do not normally speak with such precision and directness, and, again, to some, the sound of the language as written for you is amusing and elicits feelings of mirth and utterances of laughter, in a related way to how your Emotion Chip affects the neural nets in your positronic brain.

Next Topic:

"Social Inequality" in the 19th-early 22nd Century; Earth

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Base human instincts are designed around making one appealing to potential mates. In the 19th through 22nd centuries, the primary strategy males used to make themselves attractive to females was to demonstrate social status, which in turn implied wealth and the ability to protect and provide for potential offspring. Thus a social order formed where those with greater money and resources insisted on their superiority to others in order to maintain their greater sexual desirability, and thus treated them more harshly.

Kanye West