a tiny thing about next gen that always bugged me...

[Two-Bit]

whenever Data or Geordi would go on an away mission and use those wrist flashlights. I mean they shouldn't have needed them right?

 

[F. King Daniel]

Insecurity. They don't want to remind the others that they're different.

That, or the directors were clueless.

 

[NCC-73515]

they're useful in total darkness

 

[Two-Bit]

they're useful in total darkness

so is a visor that picks up every spectrum

 

[Finn]

whenever Data or Geordi would go on an away mission and use those wrist flashlights. I mean they shouldn't have needed them right?

Why not? And we never hear about how well Data sees or hears...

 

[Tosk]

We do hear a little about how well Data hears, not that helps him here of course.

 

[Mojochi]

Geordi's visual capabilities are written almost as inconsistently as Troi's empathic ones, but if it helps you any, they usually aren't on away missions alone. So while it's arguable that some more light in any given situation could potentially be useful to either of them for whatever reason too, it's also true that they have other people around that can benefit from it even more than them

 

[NCC-73515]

so is a visor that picks up every spectrum

Was the visor ever stated to be active? If it's passive only, it's useless in darkness.

 

[ThankQ]

We do hear a little about how well Data hears, not that helps him here of course.

Shit, Data be pinging radar, bitches.

 

[amp]

so is a visor that picks up every spectrum

Would the visor be able to pick up a written note or a sign in total darkness? I wouldn't think so, although as noted its capabilities are not written consistently.

 

[Qonundrum]

They just add more light for their fellow crewmembers on the team. It's not all about Data and Geordi.

Apart from that one episode, didn't Geordi - alone on Galorden Core - wander around with the palm beacon?