Kobayashi Maru - where did it come from???

[smarsh]

Hi,

I'm a fan of the original series but admittedly not an addict. Friends and I have often referred to the Kobayashi Maru as meaning "if the rules don't fit, change the rules." We've always believed it came from the original series. I can just picture Kirk telling Spock (in the room with the 3 level chess board) about the Kobayashi Maru or something to the effect of "if the rules don't fit, change the rules."

Am I wrong about this? Everything I found on-line credits it to The Wrath of Khan. Please... don't tell me I'm wrong....

 

[Neopeius]

The Kobayashi Maru is solely a TWOK invention. There was a "psycho-simulator" test which one had to pass to stay in "space academy". This was mentioned in the episode Bread and Circuses. It could be interpreted from the dialogue that it was one of many such tests.

There is no mention that Kirk cheated to pass the test, and it would kind of defeat the sentiment of the episode if he had. Again, they may not be related at all.

 

[smarsh]

Thanks Neopeius. I stand corrected. For curiosity, are there scripts or dialogue from Bread and Circuses anywhere, so that I can see if that's the influence on my brain?

 

[Neopeius]

Thanks Neopeius. I stand corrected. For curiosity, are there scripts or dialogue from Bread and Circuses anywhere, so that I can see if that's the influence on my brain?

Ask and he shall receive:

http://www.voyager.cz/tos/epizody/44breadandcircusestrans.htm

Good reading.

 

[Timo]

From the fact that Merrick failed due to hesitating for a split second, one might assume that the psycho-probe referred to in "Bread and Circuses" was something like a quick series of questions on this vein: "Would you refuse to fire phasers at Klingons? Would you sacrifice your ship to defend Earth? Would you defend your outpost to the last? Would you sacrifice your crew to protect your own neck? Would you reverse the polarity of the navigational deflector?" and Merrick was indecisive on item number four for a split second too long. That is, the test couldn't really be analogous to TWoK's no-win scenario test where a series of decisions made across a time period of several minutes is the thing being assessed.

Starfleet isn't too choosy with the mental stability of its personnel, that much is evident from all the TV shows and movies. So Merrick seems to have had a personality flaw that was glaringly obvious in a special test but not necessarily as obvious in everyday affairs. Perhaps Starfleet always held doubts, which is why they gave Merrick a fifth year until deciding that something was so wrong with his psyche that he needed this special test?

Timo Saloniemi