Human Telepathy?

[maryh]

Then you clearly haven't payed attention to the episode, especially the parts about Miranda's life and background. Also her relationship with Kollos and how that colors her interactions with Spock.

Are these things only possible if she is a human? How so?

Being a telepath is hard on her. Its not normal for humans and it nearly drove her mad. ( Thats why her being human is important. Being an alien makes her being a telepath less "difficult") Training on Vulcan saved her life and her sanity. But she is still on edge. Spock being a Vulcan, a "normally" telepathic species, is a threat to her. She feels that he can more readily communicate with Kollos and that Kollos might prefer Spock to her. ( Spock was actually offered the job but turned it down). The episode is built around jealousy. Miranda and Spock. Marvick and Kollos.

She doesn't need to be human to feel jealousy. Most species, other than the Vulcans, show emotions like jealousy. She could be an alien telepath and still be jealous of Spock's ability and better qualifications for the assignment. It would be more believable and consistent for me. She only needs to be human to be a human. She doesn't need it to be telepathic, jealous, insecure or blind.

It certainly is "not normal" for her to be a telepathic human (not at the level she displayed). It is also never encountered, unheard of, unexplained and inessential to the plot.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Are these things only possible if she is a human? How so?

Being a telepath is hard on her. Its not normal for humans and it nearly drove her mad. ( Thats why her being human is important. Being an alien makes her being a telepath less "difficult") Training on Vulcan saved her life and her sanity. But she is still on edge. Spock being a Vulcan, a "normally" telepathic species, is a threat to her. She feels that he can more readily communicate with Kollos and that Kollos might prefer Spock to her. ( Spock was actually offered the job but turned it down). The episode is built around jealousy. Miranda and Spock. Marvick and Kollos.

She doesn't need to be human to feel jealousy. Most species, other than the Vulcans, show emotions like jealousy. She could be an alien telepath and still be jealous of Spock's ability and better qualifications for the assignment. It would be more believable and consistent for me. She only needs to be human to be a human. She doesn't need it to be telepathic, jealous, insecure or blind.

It certainly is "not normal" for her to be a telepathic human (not at the level she displayed). It is also never encountered, unheard of, unexplained and inessential to the plot.

What motivates her jealousy is important to her character.

Miranda's entire character is buillt on her not being normal. She's not a normal human, she's a telepath (and blind). She had to be sent to Vulcan to learn how to cope. But now she's found something special in her relationship with Kollos, where her telepathy and blindness are advantages. Spock is a threat to that specialness. Being an alien telepath just isnt as special or isolating as being a human telepath.

As I and others have said, humans in the Trek universe do some pretty wild things. Both Garth and Charlie Evans were trained by aliens to use their minds to manipulate matter. ( a much harder trick than being a mutant human telepath) Gary Mitchell and Elizabeth Denner became "gods" and had high ESPer ratings before their "accensions". And yet a single human telepath ( that we know of) is unbeilievable?

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

A far worse sin is Captain Garth's ability to shape change, which he just 'learned'. It isn't even spelled out that it is the shape-changing talent that has driven him mad, although I think most people have drafted that in as an excuse to prevent it being used as a plot device again. We can assume that the aliens altered his DNA as part of the healing process with unintended consequences but none of that comes from the episode itself.

Garth is from Izar, not Earth. IMO, he was driven mad by his injuries (who knows what damage his brain suffered), paranoia (he's afraid of what the Antosians' power could do) and suddenly having absolute power (he has their ability).

 

[maryh]

What motivates her jealousy is important to her character.

Miranda's entire character is buillt on her not being normal. She's not a normal human, she's a telepath (and blind). She had to be sent to Vulcan to learn how to cope. But now she's found something special in her relationship with Kollos, where her telepathy and blindness are advantages. Spock is a threat to that specialness. Being an alien telepath just isnt as special or isolating as being a human telepath.

As I and others have said, humans in the Trek universe do some pretty wild things. Both Garth and Charlie Evans where trained by aliens to use their minds to manipulate matter. ( a much harder trick than being a mutant human telepath) Gary Mitchell and Elizabeth Denner became "gods" and had high ESPer ratings before their "accensions". And yet a single human telepath ( that we know of) is unbeilievable?

I don't think that what was written as the reason for her jealousy is essential to the plot. Numerous reasons could have been written for her motivations which didn't involve making a human into a telepathic mind-reader. The plot device and explanation are awkward as it is written, and feel like a hodge-podge of excuses for her motivations anyhow. If I were writing it, I'd make simple, more believable reasons. Perhaps a non-human telepathic alien who is threatened by the Vulcans' known superior ability to mind-link but, wants the job. Throw in the usual jealous lover as you wish. Nothing nearly so contrived or forced.

Yes, there were other humans who were morphed into having powers of this nature, but it wasn't natural. They were given them by some unexplained superior entity. Perhaps the writer could have used that route too, though it might have made it overused.

 

[Nerys Myk]

What motivates her jealousy is important to her character.

Miranda's entire character is buillt on her not being normal. She's not a normal human, she's a telepath (and blind). She had to be sent to Vulcan to learn how to cope. But now she's found something special in her relationship with Kollos, where her telepathy and blindness are advantages. Spock is a threat to that specialness. Being an alien telepath just isnt as special or isolating as being a human telepath.

As I and others have said, humans in the Trek universe do some pretty wild things. Both Garth and Charlie Evans where trained by aliens to use their minds to manipulate matter. ( a much harder trick than being a mutant human telepath) Gary Mitchell and Elizabeth Denner became "gods" and had high ESPer ratings before their "accensions". And yet a single human telepath ( that we know of) is unbeilievable?

I don't think that what was written as the reason for her jealousy is essential to the plot. Numerous reasons could have been written for her motivations which didn't involve making a human into a telepathic mind-reader. The plot device and explanation are awkward as it is written, and feel like a hodge-podge of excuses for her motivations anyhow. If I were writing it, I'd make simple, more believable reasons. Perhaps a non-human telepathic alien who is threatened by the Vulcans' known superior ability to mind-link but, wants the job. Throw in the usual jealous lover as you wish. Nothing nearly so contrived or forced.

Yes, there were other humans who were morphed into having powers of this nature, but it wasn't natural. They were given them by some unexplained superior entity. Perhaps the writer could have used that route too, though it might have made it overused.

Whats awkward about it? We meet the character. We get her background through conversations between Miranda and the crew. Relationships are established. There is a bit of a mystery as to why Miranda and Kollos can work together and the nature of their relatioinship. Then a greater mystery when Miranda senses murder in someone thoughts.

I still dont understand your objection is a human telepath. Its been a common trope in SF for decades. And as I said before ( and you have ignored), the fact Starfleet tests for ESPer abilities in all its members indicates that while rare, humans with various extra sensory powers are not unknown. Frankly a human who had to struggle with being a telepath and to find a place in the world is much more interesting than a telepath from a society of telepaths.

Mitchell and Denner had the ESPer potential all the barrier did was heighten it. IIRC Charlie and Garth were taught their abilites. So their had to be potential there too. You can't learn to breath underwater unless you have the innate equipment.

 

[maryh]

Whats awkward about it? We meet the character. We get her background through conversations between Miranda and the crew. Relationships are established. There is a bit of a mystery as to why Miranda and Kollos can work together and the nature of their relatioinship. Then a greater mystery when Miranda senses murder in someone thoughts.

I still dont understand your objection is a human telepath. Its been a common trope in SF for decades. And as I said before ( and you have ignored), the fact Starfleet tests for ESPer abilities in all its members indicates that while rare, humans with various extra sensory powers are not unknown. Frankly a human who had to struggle with being a telepath and to find a place in the world is much more interesting than a telepath from a society of telepaths.

Mitchell and Denner had the ESPer potential all the barrier did was heighten it. IIRC Charlie and Garth were taught their abilites. So their had to be potential there too. You can't learn to breath underwater unless you have the innate equipment.

Perhaps I just don't like the idea of vampire and zombies entering into Trek though some would find that interesting as well. You can push possibilities too far:

Telepathy is one kind of extrasensory perception which, along with psychokinesis, forms the main topics of parapsychological research. Many studies seeking to detect, understand, and utilize telepathy have been done within this field. This research has neither produced a replicable demonstration of telepathy, nor an accepted mechanism by which it might work. Hence the scientific community does not regard telepathy as a real phenomenon. It is hard to unambiguously distinguish telepathy from a number of other parapsychological hypotheses such as clairvoyance.[4] Telepathy is a common theme in modern fiction and science fiction, with many superheroes and supervillains having telepathic abilities.


When we change humans into superhumans without a believable explanation, it enters the realm of too unbelievable and unscientific. Telepathy is one of those things people want to believe in but, never holds up under scrutiny.

Nonetheless, I DO accept it in Sci-Fi - until they show it in a mere human. Placing it into an extra-terrestial helps me "suspend disbelief". Using it in a human in a minor form, like a premonition perhaps, helps me "suspend belief". Creating a human walking mind-reader puts it beyond my ability to suspend disbelief. And luckily, it was not seen again . It pushed too far for my acceptance.

For me all would have been avoided by making her alien and creating the soap-opera motivations and drama through other plot devices.

 

[Wingsley]

I finished watching the re-mastered version of "Is There In Truth No Beauty?" last night, courtesy the CBS web-site. I was actually semi-pleased with the new CGI FX. There are some things I would've done differently, (and CBS' streaming leaves a little to be desired) but it worked for me.

It is confirmed: Kirk does directly refer to Miranda during the toast as a "human". It's pretty clear from Kirk's remark and others throughout the episode that while Miranda is indeed from another planet (having never been to Earth) but she is also clearly referred to to as a "human" meaning she must be of terrestrial descent.

As for the notion that humans of today's Earth are not known for telepathic powers, one of the canon cornerstones of the TOS Universe seems to be that Earth of the future would engage in "Eugenics Wars" resulting in "supermen" and probably other mutations. Who's to say that one of the developments of 21st century genetic engineering wouldn't turn out to be the beginnings of telepathy, and maybe Miranda would be the first generation to experience the full fruition of this mutation?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Sorry but a lot of the science in Trek isn't all that believable in the first place. Human Alien hybrids and transporters. Even Warp drive is just handwaving. Telepathy has been part of Trek since day one. (Both pilots) Its inside Trek and nothings going to push is out.

So only aliens can have telepathy? An energy barrier is a more believable cause of telepathy in humans than mutation? Seriously?????

 

[Myasishchev]

^Neither are particularly believable. Which doesn't make those episodes bad or anything, but it undercuts them slightly. The machinery for telepathy would be ridiculously hard to imagine, and harder to evolve, even if possible in theory. You wouldn't get it with one mutation, let alone being exposed to gamma rays or whatever happened to Mitchell.

But then I've got Max freakin' Lord in my avatar. So maybe it's more a matter of context. In superhero comics, any sort of crap goes. Trek is supposed to bea little bit harder SF than Superman, isn't it?

It's always bothered me a bit--on the one hand, I'm glad they didn't ever really follow that part of the mythos up, and on the other, it really does stick out like a sore thumb the way it stands.

I'd have to watch the episode again to know for sure, but is there a line that unambiguously identifies her as human? Like, "ah, but you are human, Miranda Jones," that kind of thing?

KIRK: Yes, I think most of us are attracted by beauty and repelled by ugliness. One of the last of our prejudices. At the risk of sounding prejudiced, gentlemen, here's to beauty. To Miranda Jones, the loveliest human ever to grace a starship.

Well, there goes that idea.

Darn funny qualifier, though, isn't it, given the setting?

"Why, you're the most beautiful American I've ever seen!"

A far worse sin is Captain Garth's ability to shape change, which he just 'learned'. It isn't even spelled out that it is the shape-changing talent that has driven him mad, although I think most people have drafted that in as an excuse to prevent it being used as a plot device again. We can assume that the aliens altered his DNA as part of the healing process with unintended consequences but none of that comes from the episode itself.

Yeah, I always grokked that Garth was completely rebuilt by the Antosians, to the extent that he's some kind of shifting, crawling creature that thinks it's Garth, more than Garth himself. But then I really like body horror. Who wouldn't like to see John Carpenter or David Cronenberg direct Star Trek 2 featuring Garth of Izar?

Also, Garth of Izar--I'm almost sure he's not conclusively human.

 

[maryh]

Sorry but a lot of the science in Trek isn't all that believable in the first place. Human Alien hybrids and transporters. Even Warp drive is just handwaving. Telepathy has been part of Trek since day one. (Both pilots) Its inside Trek and nothings going to push is out.

So only aliens can have telepathy? An energy barrier is a more believable cause of telepathy in humans than mutation? Seriously?????

Yes, we all have our limits. For me, this one pushed too far on an already questionable premise.

I asked in the first posting if anyone besides me was bothered. Telling me how I am supposed to feel doesn't make any more sense than telepathy suddenly appearing in a human. The other episodes offered excuses on the level of super-human.

 

[Nerys Myk]

We are a diverse and opinonated bunch. I'm always amazed by each fans "limits".

 

[maryh]

^^^

I find it easier to suspend disbelief if there is no way around the matter and it is essential to the storyline. I think this one was easy to fix with a few minor adjustments.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I think your the first person I've encountered who finds human telepathy objectional in a SF story.

I would say being human is essential to the story for the reasons I've outlined previously. The story being told and character changes if Miranda is an alien. There's more going on than just "Wah, Spock wants my job." or "Why doesn't Miranda love me?"

Curious, do you find Flint's unexplained immortality objectional as well?

 

[Zeppster]

I still think it's funny that telepathy is the thing that suspends ones belief when it's probably actually believable compared to most other things in Trek. Isn't there evidence that some marine animals communicate with some sort of telepathy?

Trek is great because it's an adventure and the characters are great. Not because of it's believability.

 

[Albertese]

Telepathy is one kind of extrasensory perception which, along with psychokinesis, forms the main topics of parapsychological research. Many studies seeking to detect, understand, and utilize telepathy have been done within this field. This research has neither produced a replicable demonstration of telepathy, nor an accepted mechanism by which it might work. Hence the scientific community does not regard telepathy as a real phenomenon. It is hard to unambiguously distinguish telepathy from a number of other parapsychological hypotheses such as clairvoyance.[4] Telepathy is a common theme in modern fiction and science fiction, with many superheroes and supervillains having telepathic abilities.

You're forgetting that this episode was written in the 1960's. Maybe you noticed that your Wikipedia quote also mentions that, "Many studies seeking to detect, understand, and utilize telepathy have been done within this field." These studies were mainly in the 50's and 60's, which is why this sort of thing figured so prominently in mid-century science fiction. A few days ago, I decided to rewatch the whole series in air-date order (the order they are on the DVD's) and I'm watching WNMHGB as I type this. As NBC viewers would have seen the show in it's first airing, the first three episodes would have featured parapsychology: "The Mantrap" features an alien who telepathically influences people to see it differently and gains behavioral clues from it's victims; "Charlie X" features a youth who can telekinetically transmute objects (and there are hints of at least some telepathy, how else could have known what Rand's favorites were?); and then "Where No Man Has Gone Before" where an energy barrier knocks some super powers into a couple of guest stars. Watch contemporary shows (i.e. The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone) and you'll see that human telepathy was a common staple in sci-fi of that vintage. I don't think writers or audiences of the 1960's would bat an eye at the notion and, furthermore, I suggest that no retconning of the episode is in order at all.

--Alex

 

[Myasishchev]

I still think it's funny that telepathy is the thing that suspends ones belief when it's probably actually believable compared to most other things in Trek. Isn't there evidence that some marine animals communicate with some sort of telepathy?

Arthur Curry has made such claims in a recent paper, I believe, yes.

Curious, do you find Flint's unexplained immortality objectional as well?

Immortality (or highly retarded aging) is a lot more believable than telepathy. The mechanisms for cellular repair already exist; the mechanisms for telepathy would require entirely new sense organs, preposterously sensitive ones at that, and brain structures to interpret those organs' input.

 

[maryh]

You're forgetting that this episode was written in the 1960's. Maybe you noticed that your Wikipedia quote also mentions that, "Many studies seeking to detect, understand, and utilize telepathy have been done within this field." These studies were mainly in the 50's and 60's, which is why this sort of thing figured so prominently in mid-century science fiction. A few days ago, I decided to rewatch the whole series in air-date order (the order they are on the DVD's) and I'm watching WNMHGB as I type this. As NBC viewers would have seen the show in it's first airing, the first three episodes would have featured parapsychology: "The Mantrap" features an alien who telepathically influences people to see it differently and gains behavioral clues from it's victims; "Charlie X" features a youth who can telekinetically transmute objects (and there are hints of at least some telepathy, how else could have known what Rand's favorites were?); and then "Where No Man Has Gone Before" where an energy barrier knocks some super powers into a couple of guest stars. Watch contemporary shows (i.e. The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone) and you'll see that human telepathy was a common staple in sci-fi of that vintage. I don't think writers or audiences of the 1960's would bat an eye at the notion and, furthermore, I suggest that no retconning of the episode is in order at all.

--Alex

If telepathy did appear in a person it would be a BIG deal. When we found out about mutated Flint in "Requeium" it was ground-shaking. Here a human with telepathy is treated as if she is rare, but nothing unprecedented.

When Kirk is told she is a telepath he replies "Oh". And then goes on with his charms. We hear of her emotional saga, but if a human were born that way "life as we know it" would change. When looking up telepathy I found this:


One skeptic, magician James Randi, has a longstanding offer—now U.S. $1 million—“to anyone who proves a genuine psychic power under proper observing conditions” (Randi, 1999). French, Australian, and Indian groups have parallel
offers of up to 200,000 euros to anyone with demonstrable paranormal abilities (CFI, 2003). Large as these sums are, the scientific seal of approval would be worth far more to anyone whose claims could be authenticated. To refute those who say there is no ESP, one need only produce a single person who can demonstrate a single, reproducible ESP phenomenon.So far, no such person has emerged. Randi’s offer has been publicized for three decades and dozens of people have been tested, sometimes under the scrutiny of an independent panel of judges. Still, nothing. "People's desire to believe in the paranormal is stronger than all the evidence that it does not exist." Susan Blackmore, "Blackmore's first law", 2004.

Before this episode, Trek treated paranormal as it it was non-human, unless placed there by another power. This one broke that mold, which I found was unnecessary. Drama and emotional saga's aren't that difficult to write. The need to feel "fit-in" or feel jealousy can come from multiple devises which don't defy reality.

 

[Zeppster]

I agree it doesn't exist and there's probably not chance of it ever developing in humans. But still if you want to believe people can fly through space faster than the speed of light, teleport themselves almost anywhere they want. Why would it be so unique to think that telepathy is rare in that universe?

 

[maryh]

I agree it doesn't exist and there's probably not chance of it ever developing in humans. But still if you want to believe people can fly through space faster than the speed of light, teleport themselves almost anywhere they want. Why would it be so unique to think that telepathy is rare in that universe?

I made no assumptions that it would be rare in the universe. Many Trek episodes including the first, and my favorite "The Menagerie" featured telepathy. Placing the phenomena into humans is what I objected to. It took the focus from one of exploration and reaction of humans to ideas and concepts they might encounter in outer space, and changed the focus into something like that of HEROES -- how will evolved humans will deal with their super-powers.

Loved many TOS stories that had telepathic overtones. The Talosians did it, the Salt Vampire did it, Spock did it, the Organians did it, the shoreleave planet did it. But the human reaction, and hence premise of TOS changes when it becomes a phenomena encountered and existing in humans.

Changing Miranda into an alien telepath complete with whatever dramatic "issues" and supporting reasons for these issues, would have produced a better story IMO. After reading the post from Alebertese, I've concluded that the author probably thought human telepaths existed when (s)he wrote it.

 

[Zeppster]

I'm still not getting you you think telepathy is unbelievable and basically the other main things are. The second pilot of Star Trek basically explained that there was people with high sensitivity to ESP. From basically the first real show they assume there is telepathy. If you think science is the problem okay I'm fine with that but then you are basically ignoring the things I've said over and over again that are just as scientifically false.

This was a good story which had some good science fiction elements. If you can believe anything in the Trek universe like warp power and teleportation you already have suspended belief. And who knows maybe in human development in thousands of years our next step is to develop a brain big enough to have telepathy. Not in a few hundred years of course but thousands of years it's a possibility.

None of this is science non fiction. It's not supposed to be realistic. It's good as long as the people know the parameters of the fiction and don't go a little crazy on being completely crazy and Trek in it's history at times have done a terrible job of that. Star Trek 5 for example. And most of the stupid technobabble that's complete nonsense in TNG crews. But it's all supposed to be fiction not realism.