Emergancy Medical Hologram
- Thread starter Quinnjs9
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The doctor is made of "forcefields", a fictional technology that allows for the creation of three-dimensional volumes of pure force (perhaps electromagnetic, the very same force that holds our bodies together and allows us to pick up and use things, or then something more exotic like controlled gravity). He's not a mere trick of light.
Indeed, it would be more or less impossible to create a three-dimensional trick of light unless there was a physical "canvas" onto which the light show could be projected. What we understad by "holograms" today could not even theoretically result in an illusion that would withstand scrutiny from all directions simultaneously.
As for how the porta-projector works, it could either float around independently using a built-in gravity manipulation thing and then erect the doctor around itself - or then first erect the very solid doctor and then simply be carried by him. The emitter probably has to do the former when the doctor projection is adjusted for "permeable", i.e. when he's
so "thin" fists and swords pass through him.
Timo Saloniemi
Indeed, it would be more or less impossible to create a three-dimensional trick of light unless there was a physical "canvas" onto which the light show could be projected. What we understad by "holograms" today could not even theoretically result in an illusion that would withstand scrutiny from all directions simultaneously.
As for how the porta-projector works, it could either float around independently using a built-in gravity manipulation thing and then erect the doctor around itself - or then first erect the very solid doctor and then simply be carried by him. The emitter probably has to do the former when the doctor projection is adjusted for "permeable", i.e. when he's
so "thin" fists and swords pass through him.
Timo Saloniemi
There's a scene that episode where Neelix's lungs are stolen and the Doctor uses a set of holographic lungs as a stopgap. When Paris asks how that could possibly work, the Doctor tells Paris to slap him. He does, and his hand passes through the Doctor's head. The Doctor then slaps Paris, making contact, and then explains the the forcefield aspect of 24th century holography.
I thought it was amusing.
I thought it was amusing.
Maybe they redefined the properties of a hologram by the 23d-24th century?
Of course, the word "hologram" simply means "the whole picture", without any reference as to how that picture is arrived at. For example, a statue is a hologram in the sense that it shows a pretty good 3D representation of an object (even if it isn't actually that object, like a statue of a horse isn't a horse as such).
Today's optical holograms work by the interference of multiple/split light sources being recorded and then being "read" by one of the original component light sources, at which stage the other component sources are reproduced as a scattering effect of the interference recording. Naturally, TNG-style holography uses some other technology altogether, as today's variants all have great limitations that cannot even theoretically be overcome. Given the existence of forcefields as a means of stopping/hindering/bouncing EM radiation, the TNG holograms probably use forcefields as three-dimensional canvases on which various light shows can be projected. Essentially, then, the doctor is a painted statue, although no doubt with additional optical effects superimposed.
Timo Saloniemi
Today's optical holograms work by the interference of multiple/split light sources being recorded and then being "read" by one of the original component light sources, at which stage the other component sources are reproduced as a scattering effect of the interference recording. Naturally, TNG-style holography uses some other technology altogether, as today's variants all have great limitations that cannot even theoretically be overcome. Given the existence of forcefields as a means of stopping/hindering/bouncing EM radiation, the TNG holograms probably use forcefields as three-dimensional canvases on which various light shows can be projected. Essentially, then, the doctor is a painted statue, although no doubt with additional optical effects superimposed.
Timo Saloniemi
Probably the main argument for a holobody was that he'd take up very little room when stowed (that is, most of the time), and that he would not experience physical wear and tear but could be kept trim with abstract software-based maintenance.
Another upside, although not exploited, would be his ability to flexibly surpass the limits of a physical body - say, grow multiple hands or even multiple copies of his body, or push through skin, etc. A downside would be that he'd go down if the computer crashed. But then again, any catastrophe severe enough to damage the main computer would probably already spell doom for everybody, including any physical medical personnel (be they flesh or steel). And I gather the EMH was geared more towards dealing with "patient overflow and CMO exhaustion" type emergencies than "ship is falling apart and Borg are coming" type ones anyway.
Anyway, energy efficacy is probably at the very bottom of Starfleet list of things to mind. The starships always have a staggering amount of surplus power, as their power generation is scaled for warp travel or even warp combat. If the choice is between saving Belgium's 2008 consumption's worth of energy and saving a cubic centimeter of onboard volume, the cubic centimeter wins out every time...
Timo Saloniemi
Another upside, although not exploited, would be his ability to flexibly surpass the limits of a physical body - say, grow multiple hands or even multiple copies of his body, or push through skin, etc. A downside would be that he'd go down if the computer crashed. But then again, any catastrophe severe enough to damage the main computer would probably already spell doom for everybody, including any physical medical personnel (be they flesh or steel). And I gather the EMH was geared more towards dealing with "patient overflow and CMO exhaustion" type emergencies than "ship is falling apart and Borg are coming" type ones anyway.
Anyway, energy efficacy is probably at the very bottom of Starfleet list of things to mind. The starships always have a staggering amount of surplus power, as their power generation is scaled for warp travel or even warp combat. If the choice is between saving Belgium's 2008 consumption's worth of energy and saving a cubic centimeter of onboard volume, the cubic centimeter wins out every time...
Timo Saloniemi
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