I was disagreeing with Patty's assertion that the Captain would be "incompetent" if he didn't know how it [time warp] was done, and that I didn't think that was reasonable, as he's simply not going to necessarily have the educational background for that, and certainly not knowing the specifics of the equations involved. I wasn't addressing the Klingons' motivations and what they thought.
(Also, for all the people who want to know what life on a navy ship is REALLY like, watch the
PBS series Carrier (here). It's something I think any Star Trek fan filmmakers should watch stem to stern.)
Kirk is an unusually smart and well-rounded dude, I think, even by the standards of his service. History, literature...on the scientific front he's capable of making intuitive leaps into hypothesizing about parallel universes and the like.
That said,
Maurice is right about this. Spock has had to explain way too many things to Kirk over the years - as has McCoy, in fact, in matters of medical science and biology - to present Kirk plausibly as a real expert in any area of pure science or even advanced technologies.
So the Klingons were wrong to think that Kirk would know anything about how to travel in time?
Once again,
Maurice wasn't commenting on the Klingons and whether their motivations or thinking were wrong. He was disagreeing on the following comment from
andriech:
Emphasis mine
Personally, as someone who is competent enough in maritime history to work at the #1 museum, I disagree that the captain of the ship wouldn't know how the ship accomplishes time travel. Yes, Spock figured it out - and at a moment's notice Kirk trusted he knew what he was doing: BUT if the Captain then didn't learn how it was done he is, frankly, incompetent. (despite having sailing masters on board a captain knows how to trim a sail for the current wind and he knows how to load and fire a cannon himself.) I think Kirk has shown us that he is far from incompetent. In fact, he's shown that he's exceptional and knows his ship very well.
As
My Name is Legion (aka Dennis aka Starship Polaris) stated, Kirk is a well-rounded and well-read individual with an interest in just about everything. However, he has been shown throughout the series as having to rely on Spock and McCoy for an explanation of certain scientific concepts. What Kirk is really good out is once given information, putting together the jigsaw puzzle pieces and deriving a conclusion so he can take action.
But a captain's primary expertise, especially in the modern U.S. Navy, is to drive the ship. And, to do so, a captain be highly trained to do that while possessing a general knowledge of all other departments aboard.
In the most simplistic terms, an officer, even a captain, tends to be a generalist who depends on the enlisted rates and other trained officers to be the specialist. [which is why the whole "no enlisted in Starfleet" really grates, but that's another argument.]
So
andriech's analogy is right on one level, a ship's captain would know how to trim the sail and fire the cannon, but that's a sailing vessel not a modern vessel driven by modern propulsion.
Kirk would know how to "trim sail" and fire the phasers, but would he know how to repair the warp drive and the precise calculations needed for time travel?
Therefore,
Maurice's analogy is more apt. The captain of an aircraft carrier (and, yes, usually a former aviator) is familiar with the basics of the nuclear reactor and how it functions, but doesn't have he nitty-gritty knowledge to operate or repair one. That's why there's a reactor engineer who oversees a team of enlisted rates, who are specialized in nuclear propulsion.
Same thing with a submariner. He understand the principals behind the nuclear reactor and, perhaps, has a bit more understanding of it than an aircraft carrier captain. But, once again, the primary expertise of a submarine commander is to drive the sub while depending on trained individuals to operate the other sections of the boat.
Kirk does know his ship. He knows how to drive it. He understands the principals of warp propulsion (after all, he spent a stint in engineering on the
Farragut ... ask poor Finney). However, Kirk depends on Scotty and Spock for the theoretical and practical operation of the engines ("The Naked Time").
Kirk also depends on Spock for the calculations for time travel ("Tomorrow is Yesterday", TVH).
So Kirk may posses the basic knowledge of time travel, how it works but doesn't necessarily know the precise equations to make it happen.
That doesn't make Kirk incompetent. It makes him a good captain — having a basic understanding, but depending on the specialist to carry it out.
And whether the Klingons know this is immaterial to this particular point.
(Also I second watching
"Carrier" for those who are writing and producing fan films.)
)
