Spock and the dangers of time travel

[Trekfan12]

I was watching "City on the Edge of Forever." And "Assignment Earth." I couldn't help thinking just how dangerous it would have been for Spock if anyone found out he is an alien. Especially in either time period. If he had gotten hurt or sick there would be no one who could treat him. Even McCoy couldn't do much to help Spock with 20th century medicine.

I am just making an observation. I love Spock and the idea of him being in danger makes me cringe.

 

[sbk1234]

It definitely would have added increased risk. Of course, in "City on the Edge of Forever," they really didn't have much of a choice. An argument could be made for "Assignment Earth" that Spock should have stayed on the ship, but Nimoy WAS one of the stars of the show, after all.

 

[uniderth]

Yeah, But even if I walked up to you and showed you some guy who had pointed ears and pointed eyebrows and said, "Look here's a genuine extraterrestrial." Would you believe me?

The getting sick or injured I can see your point. But ask far as getting sick, perhaps the Vulcanian elements of Spock's blood make him immune to many earth illnesses. I learned recently that viruses are specifically designed to commandeer earth life cellular processes. So it's completely possible that an earth virus could not effect an alien cellular process and vice versa. Might not be the same story with bacteria.

 

[johnnybear]

Yes we've never thought of Spock succumbing to earthly viruses, infact we always assume he's had his shots when leaving the ship but what if Vulcans aren't resistant to the flu, bubonic plague and Johnny Mathis records? It's a scary thought indeed!
JB

 

[telerites]

Being half human may keep him resistant to Earth bound viruses.
But no doubt if he were discovered, he would have been taken to Area 51 and dissected.

 

[UnknownSample]

What science fiction usually leaves out is how dangerous it would be just to pop open the door on the ship and step into an alien ecosystem. Next Gen slightly acknowledged this by talking about biofilters in the transporter. It's the first thought I'd have about stepping onto another planet, though. When Apollo 11 came back from the Moon, the astronauts went into quarantine. It may seem ridiculous, but anything could happen. That idea about Earth bacteria going after Earth life is interesting. I'd be afraid Spock would succumb to diseases he has no resistance to, though. Maybe not Earth, but any new alien planet.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

He doesn't have to come down with chicken pox; he could be shot, or run over, or stabbed, or any number of accidents. In which case, Kirk would have to break into a doctor's office or veterinary hospital to help him.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Being half human may keep him resistant to Earth bound viruses.
But no doubt if he were discovered, he would have been taken to Area 51 and dissected.

Damn. Now I really want to visit Area 51 to see if they have any green skinned Orion slave girls.

 

[Trekfan12]

Damn. Now I really want to visit Area 51 to see if they have any green skinned Orion slave girls.

LOL I just bet you do.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

What science fiction usually leaves out is how dangerous it would be just to pop open the door on the ship and step into an alien ecosystem. Next Gen slightly acknowledged this by talking about biofilters in the transporter. It's the first thought I'd have about stepping onto another planet, though. When Apollo 11 came back from the Moon, the astronauts went into quarantine. It may seem ridiculous, but anything could happen.

That's right. A more recent example of NASA being immensely cautious occurred in 2003:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_(spacecraft)#End_of_mission_and_deorbit

Two years of Jupiter's intense radiation took its toll on the spacecraft's systems, and its fuel supply was running low in the early 2000s. Galileo had not been sterilized prior to launch and could have carried bacteria from Earth. Therefore, a plan was formulated to send the probe directly into Jupiter, in an intentional crash to eliminate the possibility of any impact with Jupiter's moons and prevent a forward contamination.

Every time Kirk and Spock beam down to a previously uncontacted planet, they bring their microbes along and risk messing up themselves or the natives, or both.

In real life, visiting an alien planet would be fraught with tremendous concerns about the medical effects on us and the environmental impacts on the planet. Even a lifeless planet might provoke philosophical arguments about our potential impact on its future development.

 

[Ronald Held]

In TOS one expects the transporter to have a biofilter, not as good as the 24th century versions.

 

[Push The Button]

The otherwise forgettable Enterprise episode A Night in Sickbay addressed this issue, when Archer's dog Porthos is infected with a pathogen while on the planet Kreetassa.

Ugh, just remembered that the decon procedure in the 2150's was for landing party members to rub some kind of slimy goo all over each other.

 

[johnnybear]

One only has to watch The Omega Glory to find out about harmful bacteria and the consequences for the rest of the crew back on the ship! But then again some of them thought they could live forever down on the surface too and that added to their megalomania!
JB

 

[uniderth]

Ugh, just remembered that the decon procedure in the 2150's was for landing party members to rub some kind of slimy goo all over each other.

Thankfully we can just ignore that series.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Why couldn't you just put it on yourself?

 

[BillJ]

What science fiction usually leaves out is how dangerous it would be just to pop open the door on the ship and step into an alien ecosystem. Next Gen slightly acknowledged this by talking about biofilters in the transporter.

TOS acknowledges this in "The Naked Time".

SPOCK: You received my signal, Mister Scott.
SCOTT: Yes, sir. Decontaminate.

 

[telerites]

Didn't they have life support belts that afforded them environmental protection that they used in TAS? I may be be mistaken as I haven't seen those episodes in a while.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Didn't they have life support belts that afforded them environmental protection that they used in TAS? I may be be mistaken as I haven't seen those episodes in a while.

In 'Spock's Brain' the landing party activates their tunic heating elements when Kirk tells them "Suit temperatures at 72". That is close to being environmental protection.

 

[Push The Button]

Why couldn't you just put it on yourself?

Because T'Pol..

 

[telerites]

In 'Spock's Brain' the landing party activates their tunic heating elements when Kirk tells them "Suit temperatures at 72". That is close to being environmental protection.

This is TAS episode I was thinking of "The Slaver Weapon."

The life support belts emitted a personal force field around its user. Here's the info on Memory Alpha,

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Life_support_belt