Babylon 5

[Asbo Zaprudder]

We can edit DNA now but we can't do it all that well. And without the Hyach-do around it'll be very difficult for them to isolate which genes are missing, especially since it's probably a host of genes.

We'll probably have much better gene editing in 240 years time using nanotech with better targetting that required less or no error correction on the part of thd cell. Perhaps the Hyach kept a few "trophies" that still have enough intact DNA fragments that a whole genome could be reconstructed. Of course, as you state, if they erased every last trace of the Hyach-do, they've probably stuffed themselves.

Maybe computer simulation could work out the likely configuration of missing proteins and DNA sequences based on other lifeforms from the Hyach homeworld.

Actually, why am I playing "Let's save the Hyach"? Screw 'em. I never took the Hippocratic oath.

 

[David cgc]

Though, speaking of medical advances, they'd probably have to rewrite "Believers" a little to explain why they'd have to open up the kid's chest rather than do whatever it was that they needed to do endoscopically or with nanomachines or something.

 

[DonIago]

Ugh, that episode pisses me off.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Though, speaking of medical advances, they'd probably have to rewrite "Believers" a little to explain why they'd have to open up the kid's chest rather than do whatever it was that they needed to do endoscopically or with nanomachines or something.

As I've opined previously, robotics and AI seem to have almost vanished in the B5 universe. There are lots of maintenance and cargo handling people running around whose jobs would likely have disappeared long before 2258. Even many security functions would probably have become automated. Heck, the Star Furies could probably be piloted remotely in the vicinity of the station or drones used instead.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Not the modern Hyach’s fault their ancestors did what they did, probably only a minority of their ancestors participated.

I’m not convinced DNA manipulation will get that advanced that we can rewrite any genome at will and perfectly predict their outcome. At best, we will be able to cure genetic conditions with well identified sequences like Huntington’s and Tay Sachs.

Even if they have intact DNA samples they have no information about those individuals lives. Maybe they can compare DNA of fertile Hyach against infertile ones.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I totally forgot about the Book of G'Kar.

Lesson 1. Do not put your face in the book.

 

[DonIago]

Not the modern Hyach’s fault their ancestors did what they did, probably only a minority of their ancestors participated.

That the modern Hyach would rather deny all knowledge of what their ancestors did than own their unfortunate history, however, is their fault.

To be sure, I don't know whether or how you would punish a civiliation for that, but there it is.


Then again, there really isn't any civilization in B5 that comes off as especially better than any other, which is probably one of the points.

 

[Gov Kodos]

As I've opined previously, robotics and AI seem to have almost vanished in the B5 universe. There are lots of maintenance and cargo handling people running around whose jobs would likely have disappeared long before 2258. Even many security functions would probably have become automated. Heck, the Star Furies could probably be piloted remotely in the vicinity of the station or drones used instead.

They understood the value of seat belts in B5.

Tech should have's and fails don't bother me so much because there are are too many to count in every TV show and movie. A personal favorite for film is 'Catwomen of the Moon' where one of the astronauts insists on bringing a pack of cigarettes with her when the go exploring on the moon.

 

[The Lensman]

As I've opined previously, robotics and AI seem to have almost vanished in the B5 universe. There are lots of maintenance and cargo handling people running around whose jobs would likely have disappeared long before 2258. Even many security functions would probably have become automated. Heck, the Star Furies could probably be piloted remotely in the vicinity of the station or drones used instead.

Well the same could be said for Star Trek. They have sensors and scanners that can detect things light years ahead of a ship moving at super luminal speeds. Just send out small unmanned probes with the best warp and scanner tech. Of course there'd be no show, but it'd make more sense.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

That the modern Hyach would rather deny all knowledge of what their ancestors did than own their unfortunate history, however, is their fault.

To be sure, I don't know whether or how you would punish a civiliation for that, but there it is.


Then again, there really isn't any civilization in B5 that comes off as especially better than any other, which is probably one of the points.

All we know is a few individual Hyachs in charge covered it up.

If a German child wandered into a doctor's office, should the doctor say "Sorry, your ancestors were monsters" and turn him away?

 

[DonIago]

As I said, I don't know whether or how you would punish the Hyach as a civilization, but it most certainly wouldn't be the first time children suffered due to the actions of "a few individuals in charge".

 

[Reverend]

As I've opined previously, robotics and AI seem to have almost vanished in the B5 universe. There are lots of maintenance and cargo handling people running around whose jobs would likely have disappeared long before 2258. Even many security functions would probably have become automated. Heck, the Star Furies could probably be piloted remotely in the vicinity of the station or drones used instead.

Remotely controlling combat space ships is a *terrible* idea, especially of they're expected to engage in dog fighting manoeuvres. A light-lag of even a fraction of a second would be a lethal disadvantage. One assumes tachyon transceivers are expensive enough that it's just not practical to outfit them for FTL comms.

Anyway from what I gather JMS made a conscious choice to avoid robots & AI as it's something that would logically impact every level of a society and that's a rabbit hole he just didn't want to go down.
There's mention here and there of some sort of AI test-ban treaty, so the in-universe explanation seems to be that there were some early experiments, bit for one reason or another the whole concept was scrapped and written off as a bad idea.

That said, we do see a lot of semi-autonomous maintenance and security bots outside the station on a fairly regular basis, plus there was that bit about an AI personality being loaded onto the station's main computer when the station came online...but they shut it off for being too annoying. So there's some elements present, but not much and not trusted with anything vital.

 

[Forbin]

"No cute kids, and no robots."
---JMS

 

[matthunter]

"No cute kids, and no robots."
---JMS

Yeah JMS hates cute. That toy bear that Sheridan spaces in the merchandising ep (with the knitted sweater saying Babearlon Five) was actually a gift from one of the production team's wives. JMS put it (and its horrific fate) in the ep to emphasise how much he despises cute.

The guy got him back by having the bear recovered in an ep of his own series Space Cases, where the crew ask what kind of monster it would take to space a teddy bear.

 

[Doom Shepherd]

Yeah JMS hates cute. That toy bear that Sheridan spaces in the merchandising ep (with the knitted sweater saying Babearlon Five) was actually a gift from one of the production team's wives. JMS put it (and its horrific fate) in the ep to emphasise how much he despises cute.

The guy got him back by having the bear recovered in an ep of his own series Space Cases, where the crew ask what kind of monster it would take to space a teddy bear.

Peter David's wife, it was, and the story gets better.

It turned out the bear had been a fiendish plan courtesy of a race called the Straczyn. The Straczyn wanted to conquer the galaxy, you see, but it was short on funds and didn’t have the money to mount a conquering army.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

As I said, I don't know whether or how you would punish the Hyach as a civilization, but it most certainly wouldn't be the first time children suffered due to the actions of "a few individuals in charge".

But not at the hands of a man like Stephen Franklin. Or any reasonable person who treats people as individuals and not just avatars of their group.

Babylon 5's name credits are weird. The whole Warren Keffer thing in season 2. But Vir is given name credit all of season 5, I don't think he appeared once until the episode I'm watching now. I don't think there's any other show where there's a bigger discrepancy between the names that appear in the credits and the characters who appear on screen.

 

[DonIago]

I can't figure out whether you're suggesting that the United States doesn't withhold aid to countries because of their governments, or whether you're suggesting that the United States isn't led by reasonable people.

 

[Jan]

Babylon 5's name credits are weird. The whole Warren Keffer thing in season 2. But Vir is given name credit all of season 5, I don't think he appeared once until the episode I'm watching now. I don't think there's any other show where there's a bigger discrepancy between the names that appear in the credits and the characters who appear on screen.

You mean beside the fact that Furst was prominent in the second episode shown of the fifth season, "The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari"?

The credits aren't weird, they're a matter of contract. As I recall, if somebody was contracted for X number of episodes back then (13? I think that's it), they were shown in the opening credits or it could be negotiated even if there weren't a set number of episodes as was the case with Katsulas and Jurasik who didn't have a guarantee of episodes in the first season and possibly the second.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Yeah, and that's strange, that the rules were such that name credits weren't always consistent with actual story presence.

It's weird that Sheridan doesn't seem to be taking into account this season what he saw when he went to the future. Does he not already have an idea how this ends up for Centauri?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Though, speaking of medical advances, they'd probably have to rewrite "Believers" a little to explain why they'd have to open up the kid's chest rather than do whatever it was that they needed to do endoscopically or with nanomachines or something.

Yeah, Franklin should have simply lied to the kid's parents and said that there wasn't any need to open him up. (I'm just assuming that any scars resulting from the operation could be healed or hidden.)