RDM says technobabble was gibberish

[Mach5]

Like we didn't know that already.

But, some seriously funny stuff here:
http://scifiwire.com/2009/10/ron-moore-calls-star-trek.php

...
Moore then went on to describe how a typical script might read before the science consultants did their thing:


La Forge: "Captain, the tech is overteching."


Picard: "Well, route the auxiliary tech to the tech, Mr. La Forge."


La Forge: "No, Captain. Captain, I've tried to tech the tech, and it won't work."


Picard: "Well, then we're doomed."


"And then Data pops up and says, 'Captain, there is a theory that if you tech the other tech ... '"

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

more enlightened insight from Ron Moore

 

[SFRabid]

I watched the science of ST extra on the Voyager Season 1 set last night. What I got out of it was their goal to make up science that did not conflict with current science. Making up a new type of radiation was a common solution for the writers. So were special anomalies. I would like to be a tech writer for ST.

"Sir. When the rogue black hole intersected with the temporal rift it created a tear in space. That is allowing bomagranniade radiation from another universe to flood the system. That is keeping the warp field from forming. If I cross the conduit leading to the warp drives with life support we may be able to use the main deflector dish to project an image created in the holosuite that will act as a shield."

 

[Myasishchev]

Yeah, and a broken clock is right twice a day. Moore is no one to talk about technobabble being crap. Sure, he eschewed explanations--in everything--but that doesn't make him better than Brannon Braga or anyone else famed for their technobabble, who at least tried to explain their bullshit, only with more bullshit.

"Mitochondrial Eve" is still technobabble if you don't know what it means. "Silica relays" is still technobabble if it doesn't make sense.

And I'd like to ask Moore if theobabble is any better.

 

[Bertie]

He says this same sort of thing (quotes like "Captain, we have to tech the tech") on one of the movie commentaries; I think it was the new one he did for the TSFS Blu-Ray. Even better from that same TSFS commentary (during the Excelsior chase scene, I think) was when he and Taylor rip the whole Impulse/Warp scale which made them have to write silly sounding things like "Warp nine point nine nine five" and such.

On the other hand, I happen to be one of those who think that BSG actually erred in paying too little attention to "tech" in one key area — Cylon internals and how Cylons function/think generally. It was inconsistent enough throughout the show's run as to be distracting. (Like most people, I didn't care that they didn't bother explaining FTL or how much of anything on the ship worked, because that didn't really matter to the show, but the Cylons and their purported Plan certainly were.)

 

[Mysterion]

This also in: Water is wet.

 

[Michael]

Oh great, another opportunity for all the Ron Moore haters to show up.

He's right with what he says, of course. Technobabble isn't a problem in itself. It just becomes annoying when it is used to resolve entire plot points. And I can also imagine how frustrating it might be for a writer if you constantly have to insert that non-sensical gibberish.

And I'd like to ask Moore if theobabble is any better.

This, however, is hilarious (and true).

 

[SFRabid]

Oh great, another opportunity for all the Ron Moore haters to show up.

RON MORE!?!

I thought we were talking bout Michael Moore.

 

[Myasishchev]

Oh great, another opportunity for all the Ron Moore haters to show up.

He's right with what he says, of course. Technobabble isn't a problem in itself. It just becomes annoying when it is used to resolve entire plot points. And I can also imagine how frustrating it might be for a writer if you constantly have to insert that non-sensical gibberish.

And I'd like to ask Moore if theobabble is any better.

This, however, is hilarious (and true).

I think I went too far when I said he wasn't better than Brannon Braga. I feel bad about that.

 

[PhasersOnStun]

I'm going to bet that his opinions on "technobabble" changed between working on ST and BSG.

 

[Kegg]

This is nothing new. When Ron Moore left Star Trek: Voyager and had a long interview explaining everything he felt was wrong with that show, the issue about technobabble - and I'm pretty sure exactly how Trek writers write technobabble - came up. Anyway, this was definitely something I knew.

On the other hand, I happen to be one of those who think that BSG actually erred in paying too little attention to "tech" in one key area — Cylon internals and how Cylons function/think generally. It was inconsistent enough throughout the show's run as to be distracting.

Yeah, I get making semi-exact human replications (who apparently can hook into computers and glow red when boning people... or something, but despite this only synthetic skin samples or whatever tell them apart from us) but what's the deal with organic parts for the raiders? My head, not wrap around. Does that mean Centurions have organic bits too? And if the humanoid Cylons came later, where are the earlier Cylons who were smart enough to make them?*

And I'd like to ask Moore if theobabble is any better.

Oh, please. Of course it is. When writing technobabble for Star Trek, Moore and his compatriots consulted scientific experts to make it sound plausible. He didn't bother to consult theologians for his theobabble, so you know it's good.

*I haven't finished this series. Just watching it, started third season, so questions are hypothetical and such.

 

[Ziz]

Technobabble was never supposed to be taken seriously. It's not supposed to be scientifically correct, it just has to sound like it is. It's like the icing on a cake - it's just there to give it flavor, not nutrition.

 

[The Wormhole]

Brannon Braga admits something similar on the commentary he did for the TNG episode Parallels. Which, by the way, is actually a pretty good and insightful commentary.

 

[Michael]

Brannon Braga admits something similar on the commentary he did for the TNG episode Parallels. Which, by the way, is actually a pretty good and insightful commentary.

On which release would I find that commentary?

 

[GeorgeKirk]

The funny thing is, in the DVD commentary for GEN and FC, Braga is the one pointing out that they used too much technobabble, or how silly it is that they have pictures of space scenes hanging on the walls in their quarters. Moore is much less critical.

 

[The Wormhole]

Brannon Braga admits something similar on the commentary he did for the TNG episode Parallels. Which, by the way, is actually a pretty good and insightful commentary.

On which release would I find that commentary?

Crap, I knew I was forgetting something. It's on the Alternate Realities Fan Collective set.

 

[Michael]

Crap, I knew I was forgetting something. It's on the Alternate Realities Fan Collective set.

Ah, cool. I didn't know they made commentaries for those sets. I might have to look for them after all. Thanks.

 

[TheGodBen]

While some of the criticisms labelled against Moore are certainly true, and they are right, he is a bit of a hypocrite on this issue, but I love the comments on that site where people are defending technobabble and saying they love it as a form of plot resolution. I know some people are angry at Moore for BSG seasons 3 & 4, but they're letting it override rational thought.

 

[I am not Spock]

Yeah, I always considered technobabble lazy writing, especially when the plot of the episode revolved around a tech solution.

I prefer it when Trek does away, mostly, with tech jargon. TNG and VOY were probably the worst offenders. TOS, DS9, and ENT didn't have much tech speak, if I recall correctly.

 

[T'Girl]

On the other hand, I happen to be one of those who think that BSG actually erred in paying too little attention to "tech" in one key area — Cylon internals and how Cylons function/think generally. It was inconsistent enough throughout the show's run as to be distracting. (Like most people, I didn't care that they didn't bother explaining FTL or how much of anything on the ship worked, because that didn't really matter to the show, but the Cylons and their purported Plan certainly were.)

Maybe not more technobabble, but some more exposition on the process of resurrection. I still wonder how it works, is the complete consciousness of the dead cylon transferred, or simply the memories while the ego, the sentient self died? Does resurrection happen for the pilot/beast cylons? And how sentient were the mechanical cylons?

I did miss several episodes, never saw a explaination to my questions.