Engineering fete!

[RobertScorpio]

Our STAR TREK engineers are an incredible crop, aren't they? In a fix they can fix the impulse engines, or get those phasers charged, or make the holosuite work...

What 'engineering fete' by one of our regular engineers truly seemed incredible, even if it was 'over the top'. Was it Scotty getting the Constellation up and running so as to save the E from the big planet muncher?

Was it all those tricks O'brien came up with? Or maybe some of the other engineers of Trek?

What was a great engineering fete on Star Trek(s)?

Rob
Scorpio

 

[Forbin]

Isn't a fete a tribute party?

Do you mean feat?

 

[RobertScorpio]

Isn't a fete a tribute party?

Do you mean feat?

yeah...I caught that too...little too much Captain Morgan last night. wink wink...

Robert Scorscio..burp...I mean Robert sconisasagnzxxxxv...(yawn) I mean Robert Scorpio...

 

[SilentP]

How about when O'Brien turned a phaser and comm badge into a remote controlled IED? Considering the fact that phasers presumably have no reason to have external or remote controls to them, it's pretty good repurposing of equipment.

 

[EEE]

Any character that can power a starship using a woman's necklace, has to out shine any other engineering character's feats. But I have no idea if there would be any correlation between ability and the size of their feet.

 

[barnaclelapse]

My problem with DS9 when I was a kid was that it seemed like they tried too hard to explain O'brien's various engineering miracles, whereas on TOS we just had to assume Scotty was a damn genius.

I'm not sure which method I prefer more.

 

[RobertScorpio]

My problem with DS9 when I was a kid was that it seemed like they tried too hard to explain O'brien's various engineering miracles, whereas on TOS we just had to assume Scotty was a damn genius.

I'm not sure which method I prefer more.

TECHNOBABBLE was a problem that ALL modern-treks suffered from..and part of the reason, I think, the show became 'gooberish' to the rest of the world...

Rob

 

[Luckyflux]

Two things off the top of my coffee starved head would be in BoBW when they hooked up to the Borg Cube, I just didn't think the Fed had the technology to "handshake" with the Borg technology.

And the second is when Seven transported the Doctor all the way across that network of Hirogen stations. She was able to keep the matter stream or data stream whatever in tact all the way across a huge patch of space by linking alien technologies together. That just seemed alittle much, but since it was Voyager my grain of salt was at the ready.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Two things off the top of my coffee starved head would be in BoBW when they hooked up to the Borg Cube, I just didn't think the Fed had the technology to "handshake" with the Borg technology.

And the second is when Seven transported the Doctor all the way across that network of Hirogen stations. She was able to keep the matter stream or data stream whatever in tact all the way across a huge patch of space by linking alien technologies together. That just seemed alittle much, but since it was Voyager my grain of salt was at the ready.

two great examples...

Another incredible feat? Roger Corby being able to spin a wad of clay at super speed, and then....poof...a perfectly made Android is created, even with the memories of the human it was based on...THAT was some ability!!!

Rob
Scorpio

 

[Anticitizen]

The most outrageous example to me comes not from an engineer at all, but our resident Klingon... Worf is somehow able to turn his commbadge into a personal force field in 'A Fistful of Datas'. Without sophisticated tools.

 

[RobertScorpio]

The most outrageous example to me comes not from an engineer at all, but our resident Klingon... Worf is somehow able to turn his commbadge into a personal force field in 'A Fistful of Datas'. Without sophisticated tools.

Oh yeah..I remember that!!! good one

Rob

 

[barnaclelapse]

My problem with DS9 when I was a kid was that it seemed like they tried too hard to explain O'brien's various engineering miracles, whereas on TOS we just had to assume Scotty was a damn genius.

I'm not sure which method I prefer more.

TECHNOBABBLE was a problem that ALL modern-treks suffered from..and part of the reason, I think, the show became 'gooberish' to the rest of the world...

Rob

Exactly.

It gets kind of old watching an episode of DS9, TNG or any of those with a non-fan and having them think it's funny to mock the sheer nonsense that is used to explain the latest engineering miracle.

It's not that it offends me. It's just not that funny.

 

[Plecostomus]

Really any of it. Any engineer knows they are part of a team, no "chief engineer" is going to have the ability to do everything. What the do have is the ability to problem-solve and apply the talents of the entire team to the problem.


My skills revolve around sheetmetal, bending and laser-cutting. I also have extensive training and experience with mills and lathes, and stuff of that nature.

That means when there is a sheetmetal question they come talk to me, but if it involves paint not sticking they talk to the finishing engineer.

They consult me when we get a new design (can we make this?) but I'm not involved in calculating gear ratios, designing pivot assemblies or programming PLCs even though I have some experience in all of these things.


I would have to assume the engineers on ships are the same way. They may have extensive knowledge of the entire ship but they aren't absolute experts on everything. That's why they have electricians, reactor/boiler operators, welders, computer techs and countless others at their command.

 

[SilentP]

True, for the most part, the other engineers looked like their purpose was to just do the chief's bidding, since he can't be in more than one place (though O'Brien seemed to be plagued with lack of help in early DS9). The only time I think it seemed like there was any team effort going on was the TNG episodes where Barclay was involved. Am I misremembering?

 

[Captrek]

The most ridiculous may be Scotty and Kirk beaming onto the Enterprise, which was light years away and moving at warp speed in the opposite direction, in XI.

If you want something that didn’t make me want to cause physical harm to the writers, Spock constructing a mnemonic memory circuit out of stone knives and bearskins.

 

[Deks]

The most ridiculous may be Scotty and Kirk beaming onto the Enterprise, which was light years away and moving at warp speed in the opposite direction, in XI.

If you want something that didn’t make me want to cause physical harm to the writers, Spock constructing a mnemonic memory circuit out of stone knives and bearskins.

Transwarp = faster than Warp ... or surpassing Warp (in Trek terms).

Explained in later Trek shows, and pretty much self-explanatory by the term.

 

[Forbin]

Speaking of DS9 and miracles - when Dr Bashir replaced part of Vedec (Bariel?)'s injured brain with a positronic network. Miracle techno-surgery that was never before hinted at, especially considering that we've always been told no one quite understood how Data's positronic brain worked.

I was watching that ep with a friend and follow fan who said, "They can do that? "

 

[Captrek]

The most ridiculous may be Scotty and Kirk beaming onto the Enterprise, which was light years away and moving at warp speed in the opposite direction, in XI.

Transwarp = faster than Warp ... or surpassing Warp (in Trek terms).

Yes, I realize that “transwarp” means “faster than warp.” Throwing that word in there doesn’t make the plot development any less ridiculous.

Nowhere else in Trek (including TNG, DS9, and VOY) has it ever been hinted that it was possible to transport across such vast distances or for a transporter beam to overtake a vessel traveling at high warp speed. There are certainly occasions in which such an ability would be useful, so the fact that it’s never contemplated strongly suggests that it’s not possible even in the 24th century. But when the plot of XI requires it, not only is it possible, but it doesn’t even require advanced machinery; just a pre-TOS transporter with a software change so trivial that Spock Prime has it memorized and can program it in just a few minutes.

 

[RobertScorpio]

The most ridiculous may be Scotty and Kirk beaming onto the Enterprise, which was light years away and moving at warp speed in the opposite direction, in XI.

Transwarp = faster than Warp ... or surpassing Warp (in Trek terms).

Yes, I realize that “transwarp” means “faster than warp.” Throwing that word in there doesn’t make the plot development any less ridiculous.

Nowhere else in Trek (including TNG, DS9, and VOY) has it ever been hinted that it was possible to transport across such vast distances or for a transporter beam to overtake a vessel traveling at high warp speed. There are certainly occasions in which such an ability would be useful, so the fact that it’s never contemplated strongly suggests that it’s not possible even in the 24th century. But when the plot of XI requires it, not only is it possible, but it doesn’t even require advanced machinery; just a pre-TOS transporter with a software change so trivial that Spock Prime has it memorized and can program it in just a few minutes.

(Sppppppp...it was just a movie..and it made LOTS of money and non-TREK fans like it...)

Rob