How did the Borg actually take note of humanity?

[Dryson]

One question, has anyone seen any elderly that have been assimilated? I haven't seen a single old timer who has been assimilated. Do the Borg simple discount and overlook the old people during assimilation?

I mean other than playing shuffle board, assimilated old people would be to frail to assimilate, wouldn't they?

Or do the Borg inject probes into their cells that makes them young again?

 

[Tim Thomason]

One question, has anyone seen any elderly that have been assimilated? I haven't seen a single old timer who has been assimilated. Do the Borg simple discount and overlook the old people during assimilation?

I mean other than playing shuffle board, assimilated old people would be to frail to assimilate, wouldn't they?

Or do the Borg inject probes into their cells that makes them young again?

Picard was 61 when he was assimilated. I personally believe that Star Trek's future doesn't push back senescence like many others do, just that it provides nteenth degree of medical care to aide in longevity (no sign of de-aging outside of transporter mishaps). A 24th century 61-year-old is the same as a 21st century 61-year-old with a wealthy person's medical plan and organ-regenerating drugs. So I would count Picard as elderly, albeit very fit for his age (as befits a former marathon runner).

Tuvok was 112 when he was assimilated, although he was probably close to Vulcan middle age (a decade older than Sarek in Journey to Babel, however).

We also know from Enterprise that people can be injected with a virus that turns them into super-strong augments, almost instantly. So, presumably all the Borg drones get something akin to that.

It's also possible that the Borg infants seen in TNG and Voyager were just extremely old Drayans. Sure, why not?

 

[Nerys Myk]

The Borg don't seem too picky, unless you're a Kazon.

 

[Maurice]

How did the Borg actually take note of humanity?

Via Google Keep.

 

[1001001]

How did the Borg actually take note of humanity?

Via Google Keep.

Stop that.

 

[The Wormhole]

It's also possible that the Borg infants seen in TNG and Voyager were just extremely old Drayans. Sure, why not?

So that's what happened to the Borg baby on Voyager, died of old age shortly after the episode.

 

[Nyotarules]

Picard at 61 was close to middle age in a universe where humans can live to 137 or 140, so he was not elderly as we define the term, where most folks live to 80 something, so I can see the Borg assimilating his age group and ignoring Dr. McCoy

 

[1001001]

Picard at 61 was close to middle age in a universe where humans can live to 137 or 140, so he was not elderly as we define the term, where most folks live to 80 something, so I can see the Borg assimilating his age group and ignoring Dr. McCoy

How much "repair" can assimilation nanites perform?

They might be able to fix you right up, no matter how old you are.

Of course, then you're a drone...

 

[Swedish Borg]

Picard at 61 was close to middle age in a universe where humans can live to 137 or 140, so he was not elderly as we define the term, where most folks live to 80 something, so I can see the Borg assimilating his age group and ignoring Dr. McCoy

Picard likes to think of time as a friend who's here to remind you that getting old... sucks.

 

[Deks]

How much "repair" can assimilation nanites perform?

They might be able to fix you right up, no matter how old you are.

Of course, then you're a drone...

They can seemingly repair you fairly easily and bring you back from 18 hours of being dead... but yes, the downside is that you end up a drone under conventional circumstances.
But, if you modify the nanoprobes, you COULD technically just perform all the medical procedures you need on the person and de-age them (except of course the Federation can already do that without nanoprobes) WITHOUT assimilating them (which is exactly what Voyager crew did).

 

[F. King Daniel]

How much "repair" can assimilation nanites perform?

They might be able to fix you right up, no matter how old you are.

Of course, then you're a drone...

Didn't they cure death itself in Voyager and resurrect Neelix?

 

[Swedish Borg]

Didn't they cure death itself in Voyager and resurrect Neelix?

Indeed, as long as you have nanoprobes swimming in your blood you are virtually immortal. They also have that in the gamma quadrant moon (DS9, Battle Lines) except that they use them as punishment. The people there don't even seem to realize that these nanites could be used for positive purposes.

 

[DonIago]

Death is only the beginning...

 

[Swedish Borg]

Death is only the beginning...

If that's a reference of some kind, I don't know it.

 

[USS Excelsior]

One of Seven’s multiple personalities was a Starfleet officer that was assimilated in 2362

 

[The Wormhole]

Indeed, as long as you have nanoprobes swimming in your blood you are virtually immortal. They also have that in the gamma quadrant moon (DS9, Battle Lines) except that they use them as punishment. The people there don't even seem to realize that these nanites could be used for positive purposes.

Plus, they can't actually leave that moon, if they did the nanites cease functioning and they die immediately.

 

[Swedish Borg]

Plus, they can't actually leave that moon, if they did the nanites cease functioning and they die immediately.

Yes, because the nanites have been programmed that way. BUt with nanites programmed for good (instead of for evil) you could have people remain young and healthy for many years, centuries, and even millennia... IE virtual immortality.

 

[Swedish Borg]

One of Seven’s multiple personalities was a Starfleet officer that was assimilated in 2362

Anther one was a Fenrengi.

 

[Timo]

Perhaps the reason nanites are categorically considered evil by our Trek heroes is that they absolutely need swarm intelligence to operate? It's all good and well to fear AI that operates something akin to a human: an android body, a big clumsy robot, a starship... But one should be absolutely terrified by an AI that operates something totally inhuman, and even in the best of circumstances would have to struggle mightily to understand the human viewpoint.

Nanites and the Collective would go nicely together, though. I wonder which of them was the chicken and which was the egg.

But yeah, human assimilees back in 2362 already. And nothing to preclude there having been some in AD 1358 or 23,234 BC, too.

Timo Saloniemi