Melora struggles with DS9's artifical gravity, coming from a world with much lower gravity than Earths, and so consequently Dr Bashir gives her a device to turn off/reduce the gravity in her quarters - which he experiences and seems to regard as something amazing and totally new to him - I can't help but think surely the first thing anyone would want do in space is enjoy the inconvinient novelty of having the gravity "off" rather than "on"?!
gravity "off" is a novelty?["melora" s2e6]
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As it happens, my husband and I watched this episode last night. Seeing as Melora was given a special device to deactivate the gravity in her quarters I assume that deactivating gravity in one's personal quarters is very much an exception, otherwise, as you say, crew members would be doing it regularly for fun (I know I would!). In the case of Bashir, I'm assuming that he must have had some antigrav training at the Academy, but seeing as he's a doctor he wouldn't be called to work in low-gravity situations much, if ever, so it may not be part of any ongoing training he needs to do.
Don't forget that DS9 is a Cardassian station, not a Federation built facility. The Cardassians may not have built it to allow for gravity customization in individual quarters. Federation stations, though, may allow for tweaking gravity to taste.
As for the novelty of the situation for Bashir, I can only ascribe it to the ubiquity of artificial gravity. He rarely considered shutting it off, or lowering it, I guess.
As for the novelty of the situation for Bashir, I can only ascribe it to the ubiquity of artificial gravity. He rarely considered shutting it off, or lowering it, I guess.
Did Bashir go to the Academy?
We've heard mention of Starfleet Medical Academy before, which rather seems like a separate institution, probably with close links, but mainly focussing on medical training. Certainly Starfleet clinicians seem to have some operations training, but Bashir may not have been as extensively trained in things like zero-G operations as his officer counterparts.
So it may have been a genuine novelty for him - I suspect that people in the 24thC take gravity for granted and wouldn't consider switching it off, in much the same way as people rarely decide to turn off their heating and spend the night in the cold just for kicks...
It does surprise me that humans of the era aren't more used to variable gravity, one imagines the standard M class world might vary somewhat (for example Quo'nos, Vulcan and Ferenginar may be a heavy gravity worlds explaining their higher strength and/or short statures).
As for the Elaysians, I find it doubtful that the humanoid form would have evolved on such a world, surely four arms and hands would be more useful than two legs and two arms in such an environment? I know the whole 'Chase' thing explained the common form, but why would the proto-humanoids seed a world with such low gravity given it's not prime real estate for them either? Perhaps they immigrated to their world after they evolved elsewhere and have some basic adaptions to living in low gravity...
Yeah I did think it strange when Bashir was all giddy with the gravity effects. He's in Star Fleet, isn't he a trained astronaut? He should have null-grav experience.
Similarly, it was even worse in "Broken Bow" when Trip found Mayweather's sweet spot and floated up to the top. Trip was also giddy and "Oh wow!" as he tumbled and floated towards Travis.
Come on! ENT was even MORE like astronauts of today. And a senior officer like Tucker acting like a little kid in his first zero-gravity experience, I don't buy it. He should have LOTS of EVA experience, he shouldn't be freaking out in null-grav.
Similarly, it was even worse in "Broken Bow" when Trip found Mayweather's sweet spot and floated up to the top. Trip was also giddy and "Oh wow!" as he tumbled and floated towards Travis.
Come on! ENT was even MORE like astronauts of today. And a senior officer like Tucker acting like a little kid in his first zero-gravity experience, I don't buy it. He should have LOTS of EVA experience, he shouldn't be freaking out in null-grav.
In various novels and fan-fiction, Mr.Spock's quarters on the Enterprise had the gravity plating turned up, to Vulcan standard. The first time Kirk entered Spock's quarters, he supposedly stumbled coming in on the "gravity step."
Variable gravity (well it not really "gravity") would be useful to a Starfleet doctor, certain injuries like burns would be easier to treat in a lower or zero gee environment.
And if the crew in general could adjust the gravity in their individual quarters, it would be great for sex.
Variable gravity (well it not really "gravity") would be useful to a Starfleet doctor, certain injuries like burns would be easier to treat in a lower or zero gee environment.
And if the crew in general could adjust the gravity in their individual quarters, it would be great for sex.
In various novels and fan-fiction, Mr.Spock's quarters on the Enterprise had the gravity plating turned up, to Vulcan standard. The first time Kirk entered Spock's quarters, he supposedly stumbled coming in on the "gravity step."
Variable gravity (well it not really "gravity") would be useful to a Starfleet doctor, certain injuries like burns would be easier to treat in a lower or zero gee environment.
And if the crew in general could adjust the gravity in their individual quarters, it would be great for sex.
I seem to recall that gravity control aboard a starship was necessary because of the tremendous accelerations the ships underwent. You might be able to turn off the gravity on a stationary space station without any trouble, but if you turned it off on the Enterprise, unless the ship was coasting, you'd be smashed against the back wall instantly.
The Inertial Dampers absorb forces on the crew perpendicular to the floor (most of the time), and have nothing to say about how strong the standard gravity is on the ship. Even when the ship is accelerating in the Z access, it should be able to cancel out the force and still provide whatever level of gravity someone needs or wants.
Sure, the gravity deck plating might be a part of this system - if it is, turning them off entirely on a Starship would be inadvisable, but you ought to be able to turn them down, or calibrate them so the net force on someone is zero (i.e. no gravity but still protected from external forces) without any problems.
I don't recall any mention of Melora's people being from a zero gravity environment anyway, it was just very low - and still apparently high enough to hold a standard M class atmosphere her people could breathe (which is an odd concept in itself...)
Maybe you should check out the Treklit books involving the Neyel? I think their design might be more to your liking...
Being in gravity that you're not used to, you're equilibrium will be off and you get dizzy and maybe vomit (The Vomit Comet).
So while Starfleet officers and crewmen (either Earth or Federation) may have had zero-g training. Being in a ship where gravity rarely gives out even when ALL other systems stop functioning (Like say in a battle with the Breen and all your ship's systems go out.) officers may just keep their rooms to their planetary norm and forget their training.
You know, gravity settings may be why the Starfleet ships we see are not very diverse, with mostly human crews. The crews could be divided by gravity. A heavy gravity should also mean greater air pressure, lighter gravity should mean less air pressure. If you're too far out of your norm, you'd have trouble breathing and like Melora, have trouble moving around.
So while Starfleet officers and crewmen (either Earth or Federation) may have had zero-g training. Being in a ship where gravity rarely gives out even when ALL other systems stop functioning (Like say in a battle with the Breen and all your ship's systems go out.) officers may just keep their rooms to their planetary norm and forget their training.
You know, gravity settings may be why the Starfleet ships we see are not very diverse, with mostly human crews. The crews could be divided by gravity. A heavy gravity should also mean greater air pressure, lighter gravity should mean less air pressure. If you're too far out of your norm, you'd have trouble breathing and like Melora, have trouble moving around.
In various novels and fan-fiction, Mr.Spock's quarters on the Enterprise had the gravity plating turned up, to Vulcan standard. The first time Kirk entered Spock's quarters, he supposedly stumbled coming in on the "gravity step."
Variable gravity (well it not really "gravity") would be useful to a Starfleet doctor, certain injuries like burns would be easier to treat in a lower or zero gee environment.
And if the crew in general could adjust the gravity in their individual quarters, it would be great for sex.
Maybe .5g, since it would double the effective strength of each partner in relation to the other(s). But everything I've read about zero-g implies it's just a stupid, awkward mess, and I'd be right back where I started.
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