Sfdebris.net

AndrewGPaul wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:51 pm While I agree that there are more aliens in Starfleet than the makeup budget allows us to see, I still think the Federation is human-dominated. The very idea seems to be a human one, and when we hear where a Vulcan, Andorian or Betazed is from, it’s usually Vulcan, Andor or Batazed, whereas humans tend to come from Gobbledygook Five. They usually only come from Earth if the Enterprise is actually at Earth.

AndrewGPaul wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 12:12 am Was Code of Honor the one full of black actors playing dodgy stereotypes?

Zatman wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 12:50 am I guess I'm spoiled from reading the Genesis Wave book series, but even that aside, I wouldn't think Genesis would be something the Federation would readily pursue. McCoy's immediate reaction as to use it in a hostile manner proves the point perfectly. It's a weapon that leaves behind a custom-tailored ecosystem. It's like a neutron bomb, but with replacement of the infrastructure too. In fact, if something as complex as a tree can be programmed, then buildings, roads, even entire automated factories could be easily programmed in to the Genesis matrix too.

Link8909 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:47 pm

Zatman wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 12:50 am I guess I'm spoiled from reading the Genesis Wave book series, but even that aside, I wouldn't think Genesis would be something the Federation would readily pursue. McCoy's immediate reaction as to use it in a hostile manner proves the point perfectly. It's a weapon that leaves behind a custom-tailored ecosystem. It's like a neutron bomb, but with replacement of the infrastructure too. In fact, if something as complex as a tree can be programmed, then buildings, roads, even entire automated factories could be easily programmed in to the Genesis matrix too.

I personally do find it surprising and interesting that something like Genesis made it so far into development considering the destructive potential of it, it's also interesting that later on we will find out that other potentially dangerous things like Genetic Engineering and the Omega Molecules will have strict bans on them, but the one thing I've always found interesting is that this potential doomsday weapon was all the work of the United "we come in peace" Federation of Planets, and not some outside force like the Klingons or Romulans, and it's easy to see why Kruge and the Klingons in the next films were so mistrustful of the Federation, they say they're peaceful yet build such destructive weapons.

Link8909 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:47 pmI personally do find it surprising and interesting that something like Genesis made it so far into development considering the destructive potential of it, it's also interesting that later on we will find out that other potentially dangerous things like Genetic Engineering and the Omega Molecules will have strict bans on them, but the one thing I've always found interesting is that this potential doomsday weapon was all the work of the United "we come in peace" Federation of Planets, and not some outside force like the Klingons or Romulans, and it's easy to see why Kruge and the Klingons in the next films were so mistrustful of the Federation, they say they're peaceful yet build such destructive weapons.

Zatman wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 2:31 pm Again, I'm a bit spoiled with the Genesis Wave books, but the initial research team was private, only going to the Federation when they needed the Regula Station and the asteroid hollowed out. I can imagine that the advantages were heavily touted, and perhaps the scientists didn't even think about the destructive implications only seeing the good. Then when it made it to the council, it wasn't treated any differently than any other terraforming or technology proposal and probably skimmed over and given no more scrutiny than anything else working through the bureaucracy. In the books, there's a rather impressive Genesis technology report that is completely consistent with the technology we see in Star Trek. In it, it makes it clear that the technology was considered highly classified and any attempts to access or use it by Federation citizens would result in mandatory life imprisonment.

Madner Kami wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 2:40 pm You can use a kitchen knife as a weapon. I can McGuver you a quite destructive gun from nothing but some pressurized air, a pipe and a potato. One man's fertilizer is another man's basis for improvised explosives. It's perfectly possible, that the actually peace-loving Federation never even thought about the implementation of that device as a weapon. Naturally a person who grew up in a society of martial prowess and constant conflict sees the issue from the other end of the table though.