Why didn't Data ever adopt a more human look?

[TheSubCommander]

Narrative speaking, why didn't Data ever adopt a more human look? One would think that if Data's quest was to become as human as possible, one of the first things he would do, would be to adopt a more human look. This would allow for him to interact with humans a lot easier, as he would more easily pass as human, at least in appearance.

First off, it was clearly within his ability, as he did this for Lal. If anything, Lal was even more difficult to retrofit, considering her prototype look. So, Data should have been able to do the same for himself.

Next, in Unification, Data was altered to appear Romulan. In future episodes, he could have done the same to appear human. SO even if there were a canon explanation why he could not retrofit himself ( a big stretch, bit for sake of argument), he could use makeup .

Then there is the argument that Data could age gracefully. One of the main reasons Brent Spiner asked to kill off Data in Nemesis was that he felt that he could no longer play the role of an ageless android, when he was aging in real life. I don't know that I buy that, because we see that there is an example of Soong-Type android, Juliana Tainer, not only aging, but looking human. Data could more easily blend in and age with those close to him, and experience how the world reacts to him as he ages, which is something an android who could live the equivalent of many human lifetimes would need to help him understand the process of aging, which is essential to understanding humanity's finite time.

Finally, in First Contact, the Borg successfully grafted living skin on Data. Why didn't Data continue with this? Human feeling and sensation with living tissue would only serve to help Data understand human emotion by the sensation of feeling as humans do. Data may become more vulnerable through sensation. Feeling pleasure, pain, and even sensuality would serve to help him understand emotions, especially after having the emotion chip installed.

 

[Timo]

Data actually seems uncomfortable with the concept of becoming human - he fully realizes he speaks abnormally formally, yet makes zero effort to steer away from that. To the contrary, when he catches himself indulging in play-acting freeform speech and easygoing body language (something he can do very well), he looks downright embarrassed. Probably because his friends and colleagues look at him askance for the unusual behavior, but still.

We know from "Datalore" that Data was built and programmed specifically to fight the Frankenstein Complex (as Asimov puts it): he's solidly on the machine side of the uncanny valley, so that he would look less threatening. Lore already had the physical bits of that, the white face, the yellow eyes, the silly hair - but his programming did not yet feature the full set of inhibitions against too humanlike behavior. Lore might very well decide to alter his looks to blend in; it's a different issue that his personality probably would balk at the idea, as he finds great pride in being superior to the humans he so despises, and looking different is a good reminder of that superiority for both parties. Data just wouldn't do that: deep down, he wants to remain unthreatening, noncompetitive, whatever. Which is why he steers clear of contractions or "more colorful metaphors".

Timo Saloniemi

 

[at Quark's]

Then there is the argument that Data could age gracefully. One of the main reasons Brent Spiner asked to kill off Data in Nemesis was that he felt that he could no longer play the role of an ageless android, when he was aging in real life. I don't know that I buy that, because we see that there is an example of Soong-Type android, Juliana Tainer, not only aging, but looking human. Data could more easily blend in and age with those close to him, and experience how the world reacts to him as he ages, which is something an android who could live the equivalent of many human lifetimes would need to help him understand the process of aging, which is essential to understanding humanity's finite time.
.

In fact, the 'Inheritance' script states that Data is supposed to age:

Geordi (speaking about Juliana):

It's tied in with her aging program -- she not only ages in appearance, like Data, her vital signs change too.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Data's philosophy echoed the Shakespearian proverb: "To thyne own self, be true." Even when Riker was given the power of Q and he tried to turn Data into a Human, he refused. When Q hinted that he would do the same for Data in another episode, as a "thank you," Data refused. He accepted what he was and what his purpose in Life was supposed to be. He knew why he was put on this Earth, if you will. And in that sense, that's where he really had the edge over most Humans.

 

[HIjol]

There are times when I am presented with clear and certain Reason why I have been "...put on this Earth"

There are other times when even Gaia questions my presence.

Both States of Being end up pretty cool, sometimes.

I agree with 'Frakes. Data knew that, no matter what else, he had to stay true to his "physical" essence...

 

[somebuddyX]

I always wondered whether Data from Q-Squared, the one who had a positronic brain in a human body, would just look like mid-90s, makeup-free Brent Spiner.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Because an android is only safe among humans when the human is disarmed.

 

[Vandervecken]

It isn't much, but future Data grays his hair in All Good Things.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Data probably thought changing his appearance so drastically, would be disrespectful to Dr. Soong's legacy. Soong built Data a certain way, so that's the way Data believes he should look.

 

[TheSeeker]

I think he was just comfortable with who he was and how he looked. He didn't see any reason to change who he was just so he could fit in.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Data's android mannerisms are intentional.

It gets to why the villagers liked Data more than Lore. Like Soong said, their programming is nearly identical. Lore is not more humanlike than Data. The problem is he acted less like an android. The idea of an android that can act like a human makes people uncomfortable, but Data's charming android mannerisms disarm people and make them feel in control.

Come to think of it, that's probably why Data doesn't use contractions. It's not a bug, it's a feature. Contractions are far less complicated than the syntactical ambiguities he has no problems with. They make him sound more charmingly robotic and make people around him less uncomfortable.

 

[TheSubCommander]

Data's philosophy echoed the Shakespearian proverb: "To thyne own self, be true." Even when Riker was given the power of Q and he tried to turn Data into a Human, he refused. When Q hinted that he would do the same for Data in another episode, as a "thank you," Data refused. He accepted what he was and what his purpose in Life was supposed to be. He knew why he was put on this Earth, if you will. And in that sense, that's where he really had the edge over most Humans.

And yet Data aspires to be human in other respects. Seems a contradiction to me. He especially aspires to understand emotion, going as far as to incorporate the emotion chip into his positronic brain. Something that went beyond his original programming, and something even Soong wasn't sure Data would ever be capable of being ready for. At least from my perspective, adding a more human skin, especially one that feels, only serves to further advance his evolution, and is not that different than adding the emotion chip.

Data's android mannerisms are intentional.

It gets to why the villagers liked Data more than Lore. Like Soong said, their programming is nearly identical. Lore is not more humanlike than Data. The problem is he acted less like an android. The idea of an android that can act like a human makes people uncomfortable, but Data's charming android mannerisms disarm people and make them feel in control.

Come to think of it, that's probably why Data doesn't use contractions. It's not a bug, it's a feature. Contractions are far less complicated than the syntactical ambiguities he has no problems with. They make him sound more charmingly robotic and make people around him less uncomfortable.

So, you would argue that Dr. Soong intentionally designed Data and Lore to not look exactly human, due to the phenomenon of the uncanny valley? If so, interesting. I had not considered it, but that does make sense!

 

[Shat Happens]

then we have this:

 

[Nebusj]

then we have this:

Hipster Data ran level three diagnostics back before everyone was running level three diagnostics.

 

[TheSubCommander]

He actually should have gone with the 70s style horseshoe 'stache. That would have been all kinds of awesome.

 

[TheSubCommander]

Hipster Data ran level three diagnostics back B4
everyone was running level three diagnostics.

Fixed

 

[2takesfrakes]

And yet Data aspires to be human in other respects. Seems a contradiction to me. He especially aspires to understand emotion, going as far as to incorporate the emotion chip into his positronic brain. Something that went beyond his original programming, and something even Soong wasn't sure Data would ever be capable of being ready for. At least from my perspective, adding a more human skin, especially one that feels, only serves to further advance his evolution, and is not that different than adding the emotion chip.

Brent Spiner would've been overjoyed at the prospect of giving Data a Human complexion, there's no doubt of it. As to Data's aspirations, it's in keeping with the very STAR TREKKIAN theme that you can't always get what you want, but if you try ... sometimes ... you get what you need. It's the carrot dangling over the horse's head that keeps the cart moving. If he actually gets the carrot, then the cart's at a dead stop.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Everybody wants to know what it's like to be Riker!

 

[JirinPanthosa]

So, you would argue that Dr. Soong intentionally designed Data and Lore to not look exactly human, due to the phenomenon of the uncanny valley? If so, interesting. I had not considered it, but that does make sense!

Not quite uncanny valley I'm thinking of, more like what Quark is talking about in Chimera when he tells Odo that people are uncomfortable around changelings. The Cardassians warmed up to him because he could do a funny neck trick, Bajorans because they know he saved Bajoran lives during the Occupation. But his inability to completely mimic a human face was necessary for him to keep that good will without making people uncomfortable. If he had walked in just looking like a Bajoran, looking like someone's best friend, looking like fog, looking like fire, they would have felt threatened. His flat identifiably changeling face disarms people, makes them feel less threatened and gives him the opportunity to gain their trust. It's the same with Data. His head twitching, lack of contractions and yellow pallor disarms people and stops them from feeling threatened.

The villagers were threatened by Lore because he was not programmed to disarm anyone, so Dr Soong made sure Data flew his android flag a little more prominently.

 

[Shat Happens]

The "thusly" gets me every time.