City on the Edge of Tomorrow: Overrated

[Ssosmcin]

Let's not forget how much data the Guardian was providing. Spock mentioned how quickly it was coming in. "My tricorder is capable of recording even at this speed." He missed "centuries of living history" unspooled in a manner of minutes. Spock had to take the information, slow it down and unpack it so he could read indiviudal events. The tricorder probably wasn't made to handle that. Even Nomad burnt out stuff because he sent it too quickly and that was to the main computer on the Enterprise.

So considering how much data was sent at that high speed, not to mention that it was provided by an alien being/machine (plus Rod only knows what time travel can do to their tech), I find zero issues with Spock's need to tie into the ships computer or an equivilent.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

The tricorder was a self-contained, standalone device. It could record, store and play back data without needing to be plugged into anything else. Why now, all of a sudden, does Spock need to tie the tricorder into the ship's computers to play back what he recorded?

Of course, the "constructing a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins" thing was a story device to delay Spock's discovery of the alternate future timeline. But it could have been handled by giving Spock a line to the effect that some of the tricorder's circuits were fried when it went through the Time Bagel. That would have been more consistent with the tricorder's established capabilities.

Where exactly had the tricorder's abilities been so established? In which episode?

 

[scotpens]

Where exactly had the tricorder's abilities been so established? In which episode?

According to TMOST, the tricorder is "a combination portable sensor-recorder-computer device that resembles many of today's smaller portable tape recorders but includes a tiny viewscreen. The tricorder can measure, analyze, and keep records on almost any required subject."

There are any number of episodes where McCoy makes a medical determination or diagnosis using his tricorder, with no indication that the device is in contact with the Enterprise's computers.

In "Shore Leave," Spock uses his tricorder to ascertain that the white knight is "a mechanical contrivance" with "the same basic cell structure as the plants here, even the trees, the grass." At this point in the story, all contact with the Enterprise has been lost.

I'm sure there are other examples but I don't feel like plowing through all 79 episodes!

 

[CorporalCaptain]

According to TMOST, the tricorder is "a combination portable sensor-recorder-computer device that resembles many of today's smaller portable tape recorders but includes a tiny viewscreen. The tricorder can measure, analyze, and keep records on almost any required subject."

There are any number of episodes where McCoy makes a medical determination or diagnosis using his tricorder, with no indication that the device is in contact with the Enterprise's computers.

In "Shore Leave," Spock uses his tricorder to ascertain that the white knight is a robot. At this point in the story, all contact with the Enterprise has been lost.

I'm sure there are other examples but I don't feel like plowing through all 79 episodes!

I seem to recall that in "Miri," tricorders whether medical or otherwise were insufficient to perform all the analysis required. McCoy needed a "biocomputer" beamed down from the ship.

In "Shore Leave," it wasn't necessary to search through an enormous amount of recorded data. (edit - It's important to note that in "City"the search was for unknown data that had a bearing on their situation, which made the search much more complex than a search for specific data would have been. On top of that, it seemed like a lot of data had been recorded.)

The quote from TMoST doesn't list the limitations of tricorders, regardless of when the passage was written (before or after "City" aired).

I'm fine with it.

 

[Henoch]

During Wink Of An Eye, they tied McCoy's tricorder into the ship's computer to review the disappearance of Crewman Compton. I'm surprised that the tricorder data couldn't be slowed down enough to see the Scalosians moving around the landing party. Must be that mechanical limitation called "plot device".

 

[Ssosmcin]

During Wink Of An Eye, they tied McCoy's tricorder into the ship's computer to review the disappearance of Crewman Compton. I'm surprised that the tricorder data couldn't be slowed down enough to see the Scalosians moving around the landing party. Must be that mechanical limitation called "plot device".

The entire episode suffered from that. Deela side stepped a phased beam for goodness shape.

 

[Henoch]

The entire episode suffered from that. Deela side stepped a phased beam for goodness shape.

Apparently, a packet of phase energy is no faster than a chemical reaction that can propel a supersonic bullet.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Well the wages come weekly surely or every couple of days and Kirk would have needed to save his money to pay for Spock to buy the materials needed for his work as I doubt he would have been payed that much plus Kirk's romance with Edith wouldn't have taken off do quickly nor from her stand point anyways!
JB

Maybe Edith isn't a saint.

She might like sex.

Keeler chooses to get her sex from the dregs of society, so she doesn't have to hand over all her money and onus to some sexist asshole on her own societal level who railroads her into a marriage.

It's about power.

When she gets bored of how some sailor is treating her, Edith tells the police that he stole a lamp, so sailorboy is in jail for 15 years, and then Edith moves on to the next trouser bulge that take's her fancy.

Kirk was doe eyed prey.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Maybe Edith isn't a saint.

She might like sex.

Keeler chooses to get her sex from the dregs of society, so she doesn't have to hand over all her money and onus to some sexist asshole on her own societal level who railroads her into a marriage.

It's about power.

When she gets bored of how some sailor is treating her, Edith tells the police that he stole a lamp, so sailorboy is in jail for 15 years, and then Edith moves on to the next trouser bulge that take's her fancy.

Kirk was doe eyed prey.

That's fanciful but entirely contrary to the spirit of the episode.

 

[Guy Gardener]

So, Edith was a 34 year old virgin, holding it in, till she got married like a good girl?

Except that by 1930 standards, she was nearly 15 years past her prime marrying years.

A woman of money, living outside of high society, means that she ran away from a scandal.

So I'm thinking, that she killed her husband, and got away with it, or she was divorced, which is worse, or she went through a gay phase.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

So, Edith was a 34 year old virgin, holding it in, till she got married like a good girl?

Except that by 1930 standards, she was nearly 15 years past her prime marrying years.

A woman of money, living outside of high society, means that she ran away from a scandal.

So I'm thinking, that she killed her husband, and got away with it, or she was divorced, which is worse, or she went through a gay phase.

So Edith was the mother of Alexis Carrington.

 

[johnnybear]

Kirk and Spock were day laborers. They had their jobs as opportunity (Edith) presented them. So nah, no weekly paydays.

Knowing the employers I'll bet Kirk's wages weren't very much and not enough to pay for food let alone the copper wire that Spock needed after a few days hard graft!
JB

 

[johnnybear]

The tricorder was a self-contained, standalone device. It could record, store and play back data without needing to be plugged into anything else. Why now, all of a sudden, does Spock need to tie the tricorder into the ship's computers to play back what he recorded?

Of course, the "constructing a mnemonic memory circuit using stone knives and bearskins" thing was a story device to delay Spock's discovery of the alternate future timeline. But it could have been handled by giving Spock a line to the effect that some of the tricorder's circuits were fried when it went through the Time Bagel. That would have been more consistent with the tricorder's established capabilities.

I was having trouble with that theory too plus if the Enterprise was never built in this timeline because of McCoy's interference then how could they connect with the computers on the ship? Plus even if it did exist in the future how could you link up with something not yet created?
JB

 

[scotpens]

I was having trouble with that theory too plus if the Enterprise was never built in this timeline because of McCoy's interference then how could they connect with the computers on the ship? Plus even if it did exist in the future how could you link up with something not yet created?

That was the whole point of Spock having to build a memory circuit using primitive 1930 electronic gear -- because he couldn't tie his tricorder in with the ship's computers.

 

[Guy Gardener]

If Spock had sent out a subspace distress signal... Gary Seven's predecessors, not that Kirk knew who they were, should have been the first to arrive, since they lived in New York.

Their beta 5 computer might not have noticed the Guardian dropping people off in the City, but it probably would have identified the exotic radiation bursts from the phaser fire, so they would have been monitoring the situation.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

If Spock had sent out a subspace distress signal... Gary Seven's predecessors, not that Kirk knew who they were, should have been the first to arrive, since they lived in New York.

Their beta 5 computer might not have noticed the Guardian dropping people off in the City, but it probably would have identified the exotic radiation bursts from the phaser fire, so they would have been monitoring the situation.

Assuming the goal of Gary Seven's people was to keep the timeline the way it was "supposed" to be, they could easily have been "hands off" with respect to the whole incident.

 

[Henoch]

If Spock had sent out a subspace distress signal... Gary Seven's predecessors, not that Kirk knew who they were, should have been the first to arrive, since they lived in New York.

Their beta 5 computer might not have noticed the Guardian dropping people off in the City, but it probably would have identified the exotic radiation bursts from the phaser fire, so they would have been monitoring the situation.

Kirk and Spock are unaware of the existence of Gary Seven's people on Earth (COTEOF was about one year before A:E, so, why would they even try to communicate with people that don't exist to them. Also, do we know whether Gary Seven's people were even on Earth at this time, or did they only arrive in the 1950's or 1960's to monitor the nuclear arms race and interdict themselves to save the human race.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Kirk and Spock are unaware of the existence of Gary Seven's people on Earth (COTEOF was about one year before A:E, so, why would they even try to communicate with people that don't exist to them. Also, do we know whether Gary Seven's people were even on Earth at this time, or did they only arrive in the 1950's or 1960's to monitor the nuclear arms race and interdict themselves to save the human race.

Gary 7 is a caveman. His masters have been involved in Earths progress for thousands of years. A general distress call is to no one specific, becuase there was no one specific they should have been trying to call out to, and any one could have been doing a flyby, making things better or worse, which is probably why Spock didn't send a flare up when it might have attracted the Klingons or Romulans too.