What's so special about Cochrane and his engine?

[Timo]

Yet in TOS already there were many "foreign aliens", such as Klingons or First Federals, who had apparently developed warp all on their own. Cochrane wouldn't get credit for inventing their warp drives - but more significantly, the logical implication would be that people other than Cochrane would be capable of inventing warp drive, and it would then become logically unbearable that no other UFP culture had come up with warp on their own but that each and every one of them had to rely on Cochrane's invention.

The only place where Cochrane is mentioned as a warp inventor in TOS is his star moment in "Metamorphosis", and that single episode is quite ambiguous on the matter. Cochrane gets some pep talk from heroes who try to pry him out of his shell, but none of this amounts to him being hailed as the sole inventor of warp in the universe.

Trek next returns to Cochrane's role as warp inventor in ST:FC, where the emphasis is specifically on increasing Earth's stature in galactic history. After this second spot in the limelights, Cochrane again recedes to the background and we gain no further information on his significance.

Thus I think it's a bit too pompous to speak of the writers having a "concept" for Cochrane either in TOS or elsewhere in Trek. He was a throwaway character in two stories, and was name-dropped in a few other places but his character not expanded through those references.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Anticitizen]

Timo, don't discount the possibility of other FTL techniques arguably enjoyed by other UFP-regionally-local civilizations before Cochrane wowed the known galaxy with his time-warp drive.

We all know that he was a throwaway character with no planned development or concept, but we gotta work it into canon somehow

If anyone wants to read a fantastic sci-fi novel that explores the ramifications of zipping around the cosmos without FTL, pick up Joe Haldeman's 'The Forever War'. Interstellar travel's not so farfetched if you don't mind the nasty side effects of time dilation.

 

[Praetor]

So, we can pretty much conclude, regardless of original intent, that Zefram Cochrane inventented Earth's warp drive, right?

I guess then the question is, is he special to the rest of the galaxy, or is he just special to Earth? Are the monuments, high schools, and units of measure specifically an Earth thing, or do other planets honor him similarly? Because, if they do, his contribution surely was greater than merely inventing Earth's warp drive. Was it because he developed the engine design that, with the help of others, evolved into the 'modern' warp drive, despite there being older engines around?

Works for me.

 

[Treker]

When I went back to watch some old TNG a while ago I noticed how they had to have a big engine blowout to prove how fast the new new enterprise is.

Warp 9.9 here comes the Q-net lol

If it was already that fast why did they need the 3rd warp nacelle in All Good Things?

Just for show I guess hehe

Anyway I think Cochrane's warp engines were possibly not that special but did allow Earth to become a power and establish the united federation of planets which ended up being a technological powerhouse focussed on building big cushy ships with fast warp drives and nearly unkillable shielding while not so much caring about weapons and cloaking like Klingons and Romulans.

 

[Ronald Held]

Perhaps his warp drive theory allowed Earth to advance more quickly with higher rated warp speed engines than other designs?

 

[Treker]

I don't like the our theory is better than your theory argument.

I think that because the vulcans and humans could form the federation it became a sort of melting pot of scientists from all the different worlds and that was what sped the development.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

The only place where Cochrane is mentioned as a warp inventor in TOS is his star moment in "Metamorphosis",

\Except that he isnt called the inventor of "warp drive" in that episode. Its said that he "discovered the space warp," which is arguably something quite different than inventing a drive system.

 

[Timo]

Good point, even if the wording does allow for Cochrane to be a Doc Brown -style practical inventor as well.

To defend the ST:FC approach where Cochrane actually flies the first warp vessel, we learn from TOS that interstellar Earth spacecraft were reality in the 21st century already, whereas Cochrane was born well into that century. He'd have to get a lot of stuff done quickly, then - so burdening the practical in addition to theoretical aspects of warp on him would make timeline sense. Or more exactly, he should already be able to reap the practical benefits, rather than merely lay the groundwork.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Saquist]

Well one could argue that Kirk in "Metamorphosis" was specifically referring to the creation of Earth's warp drive when he made that comment.

It is quite possible that Cochrane's "linear" design proved to be best, since it echoes the design theme of nacelles used by the majority of star-faring powers while the "ring" design the Vulcans used in "Enterprise" fell out of favor later on. At least one early Earth ship (the "starliner" Enterprise) used the ring, but they might very well have been a Vulcan system (perhaps because it was a civilian craft).

That's the most likely explanation.

 

[Anwar]

But didn't the Andorian ships already have an external engine nacelle thing aesthetic as well in ENT?

Klingons had them as well, meaning the tech was already available from them if anyone tried to steal it.

I think we should just say Cochrane invented Earth's Warp Drive and leave it at that. Maybe Spock wasn't in his usual "Humans are losers" mood for that episode.

 

[Timo]

Or then he was, but his subtle sarcastic was lost on our heroes when he pointed out that Earthlings everywhere in the galaxy worship Cochrane's name...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Tyberius]

Aside from developing Earth's first warp engine, why is Cochrane hailed as the inventor of warp drive when other Federation member races had warp engines long before Earth did?

Cochrane brought Earth to the table of warp capable peoples; something which, for the most part (only?), comes from the people itself, and is not bestowed by a benefactor race - the species itself must prove that it is warp capable to be viewed as anything more than backwards hicks. Cochrane and his engine did that.

Starfleet and the Federation, as they presently are, require that Earth be a founding member. Earth must be warp capable to be a founding member. Cochrane made Earth warp capable.

 

[Myasishchev]

But didn't the Andorian ships already have an external engine nacelle thing aesthetic as well in ENT?

Klingons had them as well, meaning the tech was already available from them if anyone tried to steal it.

I think we should just say Cochrane invented Earth's Warp Drive and leave it at that. Maybe Spock wasn't in his usual "Humans are losers" mood for that episode.

"Humans Are Losers" would be a good name for an episode featuring a Federation alien bitch session.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

There's also the possibility that Kirk was simply wrong/exaggerating and Spock didn't bother calling him on it. Sort of like the "male and female are universal constants in the universe" line referring to the Companion. Even in the 22nd century this is known not to be the case.

 

[Timo]

Let's also remember the function of all these statements.

Kirk and Spock state that Cochrane is a major celebrity - because they want to drive home the point that the guy implying he's Cochrane is making a fantastic and thus dubious statement. They may overstate their case a bit, too, for greater effect.

The guy doesn't backpedal, and evidence mounts to corroborate his story. So Kirk and Spock have no reason to withdraw any of their earlier statements. Cochrane himself would know the true extent of his achievements, and even if Kirk and Spock overstated their case a bit, it would be a welcome boost to the self-esteem of this hapless castaway...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[C.E. Evans]

Aside from developing Earth's first warp engine, why is Cochrane hailed as the inventor of warp drive when other Federation member races had warp engines long before Earth did?

Cochrane brought Earth to the table of warp capable peoples; something which, for the most part (only?), comes from the people itself, and is not bestowed by a benefactor race - the species itself must prove that it is warp capable to be viewed as anything more than backwards hicks. Cochrane and his engine did that.

Starfleet and the Federation, as they presently are, require that Earth be a founding member. Earth must be warp capable to be a founding member. Cochrane made Earth warp capable.

Okay, that falls into the category of either "Huh?" or "Duh!"

 

[Tyberius]

Aside from developing Earth's first warp engine, why is Cochrane hailed as the inventor of warp drive when other Federation member races had warp engines long before Earth did?

Cochrane brought Earth to the table of warp capable peoples; something which, for the most part (only?), comes from the people itself, and is not bestowed by a benefactor race - the species itself must prove that it is warp capable to be viewed as anything more than backwards hicks. Cochrane and his engine did that.

Starfleet and the Federation, as they presently are, require that Earth be a founding member. Earth must be warp capable to be a founding member. Cochrane made Earth warp capable.

Okay, that falls into the category of either "Huh?" or "Duh!"

To help with the Huh question: There is nothing special about the engine except that someone from Earth had to do it and Cochrane, with his engine, was the one that did.

Actually, when watching TOS and again FC, I was under the impression that Cochrane invented warp drive and nobody else nearby had it, not even Vulcan. I also assumed that the Vulcans that landed on Earth at the end of FC arrived in a sleeper ship or something. It was not until ENT that I found out that everybody else and their brother had warp, and then Cochrane, warp drive, and indeed humanity, wasn't so special after all.

Certain episodes of TNG, regarding first contact and the prime directive, imply that warp capability is a level of technology through which a planetary society must go to exhibit to the rest of the warp capable universe that they are ready to enter the "real" universe.

 

[C.E. Evans]

^^^
Ah, I see where you're coming from.

 

[Anwar]

So yeah, Spock wasn't in his usual "Humans are losers" mood and decided to humor Kirk and McCoy's admiration of the guy who made humanity's Warp Drive.

Or maybe inventing Warp Drive is such an accomplishment for ANY species (remember, it's implied that Klingons didn't invent most of their tech but stole it from the Hurq) that Spock was genuinely impressed.

 

[Search4]

Or perhaps, instead of being the output of a massive scientific research project, what's impressive is that its the "loner in the garage" type of thing.

Think Doc in Back to the Future.

AND it outruns quantum torpedoes.