Aside from developing Earth's first warp engine, why is Cochrane hailed as the inventor of warp drive when other Federation member races had warp engines long before Earth did?
What's so special about Cochrane and his engine?
- Thread starter C.E. Evans
- Start date
The first thing that comes to mind is the possibility that the particular design (and the related math) that he developed lent itself to innovation much better than those of the Tellarites, Vulcans, etc - so much so that by the time engines capable of Warp 8 and above came along, they were developed out of Cochrane's concepts rather than any of the others. Plus, it is admittedly apochryphal (my source here is DC Comics' "Who's Who in Star Trek"), but it is suggested that the transwarp technology used in Excelsior which, once refined, was the basis for the upscaled warp in TNG was developed in large part by Cochrane while he was stranded with The Companion.
Well one could argue that Kirk in "Metamorphosis" was specifically referring to the creation of Earth's warp drive when he made that comment.
It is quite possible that Cochrane's "linear" design proved to be best, since it echoes the design theme of nacelles used by the majority of star-faring powers while the "ring" design the Vulcans used in "Enterprise" fell out of favor later on. At least one early Earth ship (the "starliner" Enterprise) used the ring, but they might very well have been a Vulcan system (perhaps because it was a civilian craft).
It is quite possible that Cochrane's "linear" design proved to be best, since it echoes the design theme of nacelles used by the majority of star-faring powers while the "ring" design the Vulcans used in "Enterprise" fell out of favor later on. At least one early Earth ship (the "starliner" Enterprise) used the ring, but they might very well have been a Vulcan system (perhaps because it was a civilian craft).
Also it could be the politics of it. After all it was Chochrane's warp drive that caught the eyes of the Vulcans which lead to a first contact that the Vulcans had planned to avoid. So he wasn't the first ever, but, rather, the first on Earth which happened to be the event which sparked the tinder which grew into the UFP. It seems like that sort of alliance had never been tried before, certainly not with the scope and success that the Federation ended up with. I think his importance is as much the impact of his technology as well as the impact on the history of the Alpha Quadrent.
--Alex
--Alex
To be sure, everything supports Tigger's take on it as well: the only people ever to "hail" Cochrane for his achievements have been humans from Earth. (Or at least humans, since I'm callously assuming that McCoy, LaForge and Barclay also were born on that planet, even though there is no canon proof for it.)
True, Spock says "The name of Zefram Cochrane is revered throughout the known galaxy. Planets were named after him; great universities, cities...". But that would be factually true anyway, because humans permeate the "known galaxy" by definition. And they would be the ones doing the naming. As Kirk subsequently says, "We're on a thousand planets and spreading out. We cross fantastic distances and everything's alive, Cochrane. Life everywhere. We estimate there are millions of planets with intelligent life. We haven't begun to map them. Interesting?". He's clearly speaking to a fellow human interested in mankind's expansion, and he and mankind definitely have this fellow human to thank for said expansion.
It's just a coincidence that we have never heard of the inventor of Andorian warp, or of Klingon warp, or of Ferengi warp. Or have we? Perhaps this Zee-Magnees guy we keep hearing about invented warp for Andoria. And perhaps Klingons stole theirs, thus having no person to hail for the invention, but perhaps Kahless himself to hail for the daring theft. And the Ferengi no doubt bought theirs; the buyer would be revered all right (assuming he didn't pay way too much), but would not come up in discussions where other species such as humans brag about their inventors and scientists.
As for Cochrane's nacelles being the common basis for Starfleet ones, I'd argue that everybody's nacelles look more or less like that anyway. Klingons and Romulans apparently had such nacelles (paired, glowing forward ends, glowing sides) in the 2150s already, and we have no specific reason to think they stole the design from Earth. The Dominion seems to have independently come up with the design half a galaxy away, too. Cochrane just stumbled upon one of the standard ways of building a warp drive - the "screw" drive as opposed to the Vulcan "paddlewheel", perhaps, thus the one with greater growth potential in the future, but still nothing unique in the galactic scheme.
Timo Saloniemi
True, Spock says "The name of Zefram Cochrane is revered throughout the known galaxy. Planets were named after him; great universities, cities...". But that would be factually true anyway, because humans permeate the "known galaxy" by definition. And they would be the ones doing the naming. As Kirk subsequently says, "We're on a thousand planets and spreading out. We cross fantastic distances and everything's alive, Cochrane. Life everywhere. We estimate there are millions of planets with intelligent life. We haven't begun to map them. Interesting?". He's clearly speaking to a fellow human interested in mankind's expansion, and he and mankind definitely have this fellow human to thank for said expansion.
It's just a coincidence that we have never heard of the inventor of Andorian warp, or of Klingon warp, or of Ferengi warp. Or have we? Perhaps this Zee-Magnees guy we keep hearing about invented warp for Andoria. And perhaps Klingons stole theirs, thus having no person to hail for the invention, but perhaps Kahless himself to hail for the daring theft. And the Ferengi no doubt bought theirs; the buyer would be revered all right (assuming he didn't pay way too much), but would not come up in discussions where other species such as humans brag about their inventors and scientists.
As for Cochrane's nacelles being the common basis for Starfleet ones, I'd argue that everybody's nacelles look more or less like that anyway. Klingons and Romulans apparently had such nacelles (paired, glowing forward ends, glowing sides) in the 2150s already, and we have no specific reason to think they stole the design from Earth. The Dominion seems to have independently come up with the design half a galaxy away, too. Cochrane just stumbled upon one of the standard ways of building a warp drive - the "screw" drive as opposed to the Vulcan "paddlewheel", perhaps, thus the one with greater growth potential in the future, but still nothing unique in the galactic scheme.
Timo Saloniemi
Plecostomus
Commodore
First to market, great PR and superior after-sale service is what made Cochrane and his engine famous. None of the reviled Vulcan "Logic dictates you pay extra for that" nonsense or the Andorian "I dunno you tell ME" rigmarole.
So it is not the superior design, but the weight of human in the Federation and Starfleet?
That might explain why it's the design used by Star Fleet vessels and many non-Star Fleet, but as Timo noted, it would not have influenced the Klingons, Romulans or other galactic powers who employ similar design philosophies.
While Vulcan ships could do warp seven in Archer's time, that might have been their conceptual maximum. No matter what improvements the Vulcans made, that design philosophy could never go faster. Cochrane's creation could conceivably have no top speed short of infinite speed.
Kirk's ship made warp fourteen point one, I've always felt what was holding the TOS Enterprise back wasn't the engines, it was the structural integrity field of the day. The Romulan warp engines in Balance of Terror didn't seem very Vulcan like at all.
Kirk's ship made warp fourteen point one, I've always felt what was holding the TOS Enterprise back wasn't the engines, it was the structural integrity field of the day. The Romulan warp engines in Balance of Terror didn't seem very Vulcan like at all.
Of course the Vulcans Klingons and Romulans have much longer lifespans which could be a factor is the perceived need for a faster FTL drive.
Cochrane was the first because the other races lived long enough to cross interstellar space with slower "impulse-powered" drives (in the implied TOS version of things, anyway.)
Cochrane was the first because the other races lived long enough to cross interstellar space with slower "impulse-powered" drives (in the implied TOS version of things, anyway.)
To take a different tack on this, we know that virtually every piece of Starfleet hardware that goes to warp also has a pair of nacelles (or sometimes a single nacelle, or three). Are there examples of Starfleet ships or craft that do this without nacelles (or prominent side cowlings like on the Defiant and her shuttles, which basically amount to the same thing)?
We also see numerous Vulcan warp designs that feature the now-iconic ring drive: three sorts of ENT era capital ship (with an auxiliary ringship nested within the tilting-ring capital ship), one ENT transport (with partial ring, later also seen in military use) one ENT shuttle (with partially obscured ring), one TNG transport (with non-circular ring) and its DS9 variant. In contrast, there is just one Vulcan warp design that has nacelles - the TMP shuttle.
What should we make of those Vulcan ships that lack the ring in the ENT era? We have the small craft from ST:FC (with three glowing lumps for engines), and two small craft from ENT "Carbon Creek" (one with two, one with three glowing lumps), plus fighters from the "Kir'Shara" arc which are perfectly identical to the three-engined "Carbon Creek" craft as far as I can tell. None have rings, or even clear portions thereof. Should we assume that any of these have warp drive?
The ST:FC thing could clearly be a mere lander for a mothership - the size alone suggests it isn't an interstellar vessel. And the Vulcan fighters could be limited to sublight, as could their "Carbon Creek" sister which could have been a shuttle from a larger rescue ship. The craft that took T'Pol's granny to Earth is also very small, and lacks rings, but the storyline sort of suggests it should have been an independent interstellar survey ship rather than an auxiliary. Yet for all we know, she was routinely left behind by a warp-capable mothership to monitor the Sputnik I launch and other events, and was expected to be picked up in a few years' time...
Timo Saloniemi
We also see numerous Vulcan warp designs that feature the now-iconic ring drive: three sorts of ENT era capital ship (with an auxiliary ringship nested within the tilting-ring capital ship), one ENT transport (with partial ring, later also seen in military use) one ENT shuttle (with partially obscured ring), one TNG transport (with non-circular ring) and its DS9 variant. In contrast, there is just one Vulcan warp design that has nacelles - the TMP shuttle.
What should we make of those Vulcan ships that lack the ring in the ENT era? We have the small craft from ST:FC (with three glowing lumps for engines), and two small craft from ENT "Carbon Creek" (one with two, one with three glowing lumps), plus fighters from the "Kir'Shara" arc which are perfectly identical to the three-engined "Carbon Creek" craft as far as I can tell. None have rings, or even clear portions thereof. Should we assume that any of these have warp drive?
The ST:FC thing could clearly be a mere lander for a mothership - the size alone suggests it isn't an interstellar vessel. And the Vulcan fighters could be limited to sublight, as could their "Carbon Creek" sister which could have been a shuttle from a larger rescue ship. The craft that took T'Pol's granny to Earth is also very small, and lacks rings, but the storyline sort of suggests it should have been an independent interstellar survey ship rather than an auxiliary. Yet for all we know, she was routinely left behind by a warp-capable mothership to monitor the Sputnik I launch and other events, and was expected to be picked up in a few years' time...
Timo Saloniemi
Wouldn't Klingons and Romulans spies learn the tech secrets of Federation warp drive and maybe use parts of it in their drives.
Is there any canonical answer as to who had the first warp drives in this part of the Galaxy within a millenium of the 24th century?
Is there any canonical answer as to who had the first warp drives in this part of the Galaxy within a millenium of the 24th century?
Not canonical, but the pre Romulans left in sublight generational ships.
Aside from developing Earth's first warp engine, why is Cochrane hailed as the inventor of warp drive when other Federation member races had warp engines long before Earth did?
I hadn't thought of this, but it's a very good question. I suspect that there is no good answer to this beyond "Nobody wants to see a film about how Klaatu invented the warp drive".
The premise behind the question appears false, though. Only humans hail Cochrane as "the inventor of warp", and from their viewpoint it's certainly true.
Cochrane did invent warp all on his own (unless we consider all implications of ST:FC), so he's the inventor of warp. One out of millions, perhaps, but still. Humans appreciate him for that. Nothing indicates they wouldn't appreciate other inventors of warp, too, like the Vulcan one. They just like their own one better.
Timo Saloniemi
Cochrane did invent warp all on his own (unless we consider all implications of ST:FC), so he's the inventor of warp. One out of millions, perhaps, but still. Humans appreciate him for that. Nothing indicates they wouldn't appreciate other inventors of warp, too, like the Vulcan one. They just like their own one better.
Timo Saloniemi
Um, no it's not. It's perfectly valid within the confines of onscreen material and the question still stands.
And apprently it's the viewpoint of the rest of the Federation too since Cochrane's engine appears to be the standard model. Warp field strength is even measured in milicochranes, cochranes, and teracochranes in various episodes--all no doubt named after Cochrane.
That's a nice theory, but no more valid than the other ideas presented here, of course. Personally I'm favoring a combination of two ideas--that part of it had to do with the influence Humans have in the Federation, and that Cochrane's engine may had had something special that the other warp drive systems by the Federation charter members didn't have...
Pray tell, where in the material is it stated that Cochrane is hailed Federation-wide? AFAIK, the issue only arises on two occasions, total: "Metamorphosis" and ST:FC. And in both, the praise is of extremely limited scope, only involving Earthpeople. The original question thus appears to be a complete straw man.
I doubt anybody in the Federation even says "milli", let alone "millicochrane", unless he's an Earthling. And probably not even all the Earthlings say this; the Americans might still be using the Imperial system and be speaking of something like "teradynes" instead (cf. VOY). When Worf seemingly tells Picard that the enemy spacecraft is two thousand kilometers away, he's probably saying "four thousand two hundred kellicams" in Klingonese instead... The unity of language in the UFP is an illusion, an artifact of the UT, so the unity of units is probably even more illusory.
As for Cochrane's engine being the standard model, that cuts two ways. Apparently, this model was standard even before Cochrane, as virtually everybody except the Vulcans has it in the 2150s. Cochrane may have invented it, but the standardization is just more proof that he invented nothing new.
Timo Saloniemi
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