VOY: Juggernaut

[clearspira]

there is a good reason to send the hedgehog, hes expendable, since his job is to inject people and hold the med kit, he probably can only barely screw this one up and there are probably half a dozen spare hypos in that kit and i wouldn't be surprised if the doctor told him to do it more often then it was needed because he knew he would forget to do it.

In-universe I assume it was because Neelix was still being peddled as this amazing survival expert and savant in twenty different fields that no Away Team could be without. Chuck will probably disagree, but I think that they toned this down dramatically post season 4 (with the odd slip up).

[clearspira]

Seriously though, was there any reason given as to why the Doctor didn't go with them given his complete immunity to everything? I am assuming ''quantum, particle, tachyons in a rotating subspace field creating an anti-holographic bubble'' or some such nonsense, but I do not recall it being mentioned. Then again, this is one of those bland kind of episodes that I forgot existed until now.

[Zoinksberg]

You could say that the Doctor couldn't go because the radiation would mess up his mobile emitter. It is a real problem with electronics in high radiation environments, and given that the emitter is more advanced than their technology damaging it would be irreversible.

Of course, this explanation would mean that the advanced electronics in the emitter are more susceptible to radiation than Human, Klingon, and Talaxian DNA. Theta radiation is tricky like that.

[Fianna]

It occurs to me, they could've said that regular Starfleet outfits are radiation resistant, just as a general safety precaution, so the only extra covering needed would be some gloves for their hands and one of those clear glass fish bowl helmets over their heads.

'Course, if they did that, we wouldn't get Torres spending much of the episode in her tank top.

[clearspira]

It occurs to me, they could've said that regular Starfleet outfits are radiation resistant, just as a general safety precaution, so the only extra covering needed would be some gloves for their hands and one of those clear glass fish bowl helmets over their heads.

'Course, if they did that, we wouldn't get Torres spending much of the episode in her tank top.

Looking back Star Trek was sexist as hell. ''Herm, shall we get the woman to strip and be all sweaty or Chakotay, a man who has polled highly in several Star Trek sexiest men lists and thus our female demographic would love it? Lets throw this two-headed coin just to be fair.''

I cannot think of a Star Trek leading lady that did not get that treatment at least once. Seven, T'Pol, and Troi are obvious; but the likes of Hoshi, Kira and even Janeway had so much padding in their uniforms in the first few seasons that they noticeably dropped a cup whenever they were out of uniform. They even managed to put Kes in a form fitting catsuit by the end of her run. Laughably enough though, good old progressive STD isn't actually that much better despite the propaganda.

[cdrood]

This an example of what my brother calls "the fake science solution to the fake science problem". I usually use "technobabble" when talking about it with others. It's a real problem because of the lack of consequences and sense of real danger. I haven't watched Discovery, but if they are trying to avoid that, more power to them.

It's also got the problem of the anvilicious society without nuance. This is hurt by the fact that The Federation is essentially powered by technology that may as well be magic. Other than one TNG episode, there's no hint that anything they do affects their environment in any way, as if there's no waste whatsoever. I like the Captain Planet comparison because, even for a show for kids, it lacked any subtlety to the point even a kid realizes what B.S. it is. People literally polluting for its own sense rather than pollution being the cheapest, most expedient way of dealing with the byproducts of getting the things people want and need. I guess they were at least making an attempt here, but as stated, without ever seeing the benefits back home it's hard to believe that.

The TOS animated series had the idea of personal force field to get around the hazmat/space suit issue. Sure it never explained where the air came from and given the nature of Star Trek technology to "fail off", it probably wouldn't work. However, it seems the best solution from a production cost standpoint.

[chaos42]

i actually though about that and think they should do away team jackets like in the original cage pilot or in wrath of kahn -a jacket with gear in it so they just throw it on and its got an emergency force field -one hit save from a phaser or projectile weapon, a transponder so it can be locked on to easily and a small emergency kit and back up gear some sort of relay device so they could put down a beacon at the beam in site and it relays their data back to the ship to make sure no one gets lost ala geordie at galorndin core


and it would make the writers throw out the old bag of tricks and invent new ones

[bronnt]

This an example of what my brother calls "the fake science solution to the fake science problem". I usually use "technobabble" when talking about it with others. It's a real problem because of the lack of consequences and sense of real danger. I haven't watched Discovery, but if they are trying to avoid that, more power to them.

It's also got the problem of the anvilicious society without nuance. This is hurt by the fact that The Federation is essentially powered by technology that may as well be magic. Other than one TNG episode, there's no hint that anything they do affects their environment in any way, as if there's no waste whatsoever. I like the Captain Planet comparison because, even for a show for kids, it lacked any subtlety to the point even a kid realizes what B.S. it is. People literally polluting for its own sense rather than pollution being the cheapest, most expedient way of dealing with the byproducts of getting the things people want and need. I guess they were at least making an attempt here, but as stated, without ever seeing the benefits back home it's hard to believe that.

I do remember this being a major problem for this episode. The heroes aren't conservationists by any measure. Even on a ship that, by all means, should have major resource shortages, they aren't concerned about waste or recycling. They use replicator rations for all manner of trivialities, such as the time Tom gave flowers to Torres. You don't even see them take small measures, like turning lights off when they leave a room or having to deal with a galley that can't be open 24 hours a day. They allow a super-advanced hologram to just stay activated nonstop so it can practice opera-no concern about the power he might be draining.

They haven't solved the issue of getting rid of waste through advanced social awareness, they found a technological solution that lets them magically recycle anything. They're actually not in any position to provide advice or commentary on the issue of a high-polluting society because it's not a problem these characters have ever had to deal with.

[Riedquat]

I do remember this being a major problem for this episode. The heroes aren't conservationists by any measure. Even on a ship that, by all means, should have major resource shortages, they aren't concerned about waste or recycling. They use replicator rations for all manner of trivialities, such as the time Tom gave flowers to Torres. You don't even see them take small measures, like turning lights off when they leave a room or having to deal with a galley that can't be open 24 hours a day. They allow a super-advanced hologram to just stay activated nonstop so it can practice opera-no concern about the power he might be draining.

When you've got enough power to travel faster than light the power requirements of everything else should be so trivial they don't matter, but it is another aspect of your second point:

They haven't solved the issue of getting rid of waste through advanced social awareness, they found a technological solution that lets them magically recycle anything. They're actually not in any position to provide advice or commentary on the issue of a high-polluting society because it's not a problem these characters have ever had to deal with.

It's an overall problem with Trek, and one Chuck pointed out once (in one of the Red Dwarf reviews IIRC), and can result in them lecturing without seeing how they'd do in similar circumstances. If they convincingly go without when faced with such a position, rather than still go for their luxuries even with a cost then fair enough, but I can't see a society so used to luxuries doing that.

[Deledrius]

This an example of what my brother calls "the fake science solution to the fake science problem". I usually use "technobabble" when talking about it with others. It's a real problem because of the lack of consequences and sense of real danger. I haven't watched Discovery, but if they are trying to avoid that, more power to them.

It's also got the problem of the anvilicious society without nuance. This is hurt by the fact that The Federation is essentially powered by technology that may as well be magic.

Sadly, Discovery leans hard on the magic-level fake-science (based on the writings of a quack "scientist" IRL) as a central part of its premise, and then commits the even worse crime of having it go essentially unquestioned by the crew even when it's demonstrated to be a plot-driven deus ex machina that either creates or solves all of their problems at the whim of the writers.

Anyone frustrated by the technobabble in late 90s Trek should be appalled at Discovery. It doubles down on the nonsense and throws out any pretense that the TNG-era had to building a mildly-consistent science-of-the-future at the same time.