It takes an enormous amount of energy to disintegrate a planet. That's pretty out there.
Balance of Terror Questions
- Thread starter Gotham Central
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This is Trek we're talking about, being out there is a fundamental part of the fun !
^Yes, yes, my point is that the Vulcans shouldn't have the ability 2000 years before TOS. It's perfectly alright that the nameless creators of the Doomsday Cornucopia or the Vorl--or Species 8472 can have such technology--planetkillers are physically ridiculous, but so is impulse drive, so that's no big deal--but the Federation, or at least one of the Federation's members' ancestors, probably ought not.
I assumed it was whatever conflict that Surak finally mediated which caused the split. Vulcans were already colonizing at a time when they were savage and brutal according to Spock - that would seem to be pre-Surak.
In fact, like many, I have my own theory as to what went to wrong to drive an industrial culture to that type of destruction and change.
To answer the original post, his grandfather probably got killed, or had close family killed. This could have forced his mother/father to have a difficult childhood and life, etc..It's the only explanation.
Another question from (I think) "Balance of Terror" is, who conquored the Vulcans? I'm sure this has been talked to death. Refering to the scene with McCoy and Spock in the mess hall. McCoy, sparring with Spock, refers to the Vulcans being conquored due to their adherence to logic. Spock doesn't respond.
Denial isn't just a river in Egypt.
Humans. Metaphorically speaking.
Tikkun said:
Hey, according to Trek, we're no better.
We blew up our own planet at least once, and probably twice if you literally read the dates of the Eugenics War and World War III, and understand them as different conflicts.Maybe the buttheads and the smoothheads were the market liberals and communists of Vulcan's great cold war went hot.
Regarding the war creating the desert environment of Vulcan: If we are to operate under the assumption that the war somehow involved the teachings of Surak, as seems to be popular, although just fanon, and we take into account the claim that Surak was around at about the same time as Jesus, I don't think it's possible. Vulcans have many evolutionary adaptations to their desert environment, such as the double eyelid, stronger muscles, the ability to breathe low-oxygen air, adaptations to protect against solar radiation and time without water (I assume), and many others that have been mentioned, I'm sure (TOS seemed to give Spock powers randomly to solve the problem of the week in season one, by my limited recollection). T'Pol stated that they "evolved for life on this planet", even, referring to a Vulcan's aptitude for the desert. Using the "Jesus Christ" dating, we'll be generous and assume that Surak lived 2500 to 3000 years ago. This does not seem like adequate time for all the said evolutionary adaptations to take effect, especially in a space-travel capable culture (which means medicene, means of obtaining and distributing food, and general lack of "survival of the fittest" by means of the community). Humans have been relatively unchanged for over 20,000 years (I'm pulling that number from the time of the last ice age), and that's comparing our life spans to those of Vulcans.
There just doesn't seem to be enough time.
There just doesn't seem to be enough time.
Well said.
I'm gonna go ahead and say it.I kind of figured my statement would attract you specifically, Brutal
Anywho, I watched ENT again and I still don't get the "Vulcans were jerks" thing about ENT. I mean seriously it's not like we didn't see jerky Vulcans in TOS+.
I personally never liked the way Vulcans were portrayed in any Star Trek series, beyond Mr. Spock and Sarek. It never made any sense to me that a race totally devoted to logic would be so devoted to the ornate ceremony and near-religious pagentry we saw in Amok Time and Star Trek III. The enigmatic elder Vulcans with their King James English seems totally at odds with the idea of a purely logical race. Archaic rituals don't seem very logical.
I have to agree with that. I remember the birth of Spock in the movie - amazed and appalled that after finally creating a viable hybrid, the super logical Vulcans went and dragged Amanda off to a cave to give birth. I assume that the midwives are sure handed, you don't want to drop an unexpected twin on those birthing rocks.
Ponn far was a sensory overload - I can see some sort of ritual. But childbirth is a medical event. Seems a med center is more useful - and if there is one hidden behind the rocks then we have reached the level of asinine.
I live in the desert - AZ - lots of birds here.
Yeah, I assumed it was the painted warship - it a beautiful turn of phrase, though.
