Which makes far more sense in what a science fiction show would do.
SNW computer AI and voice
- Thread starter jefferiestubes8
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Fascinating discussion.
Regarding Majel's voice, I'm torn. I too find "resurrecting the dead" to do commercials and such just for the money or just because we can very creepy - I nearly gagged when I saw Fred Astaire dancing with a vacuum! But, if this is something Majel actually wanted, that's different from using voices/likenesses without consent. I can't find it now, but someone said this is something that should be regulated, and I agree with that. In this particular case, I'll deal with whatever the showrunners decide.
Tech vs characters - Characters draw me in, but I dig the tech too. Why I like speculative fiction is because I can usually get both. But if the characters don't interest me, it doesn't matter how cool the tech is. YMMV
Star Trek may not have inspired specific technologies, but we do know it has inspired many *people* to go into science and technology. When there were a bunch of interviews about the Mars Pathfinder (I think), I remember a NASA engineer who specifically mentioned Star Trek as an inspiration for his career. At conventions, I have heard and seen and met MANY people who were inspired by Star Trek to go into STEM areas or to go into the arts. I think that's cool.
Regarding Majel's voice, I'm torn. I too find "resurrecting the dead" to do commercials and such just for the money or just because we can very creepy - I nearly gagged when I saw Fred Astaire dancing with a vacuum! But, if this is something Majel actually wanted, that's different from using voices/likenesses without consent. I can't find it now, but someone said this is something that should be regulated, and I agree with that. In this particular case, I'll deal with whatever the showrunners decide.
Tech vs characters - Characters draw me in, but I dig the tech too. Why I like speculative fiction is because I can usually get both. But if the characters don't interest me, it doesn't matter how cool the tech is. YMMV
Star Trek may not have inspired specific technologies, but we do know it has inspired many *people* to go into science and technology. When there were a bunch of interviews about the Mars Pathfinder (I think), I remember a NASA engineer who specifically mentioned Star Trek as an inspiration for his career. At conventions, I have heard and seen and met MANY people who were inspired by Star Trek to go into STEM areas or to go into the arts. I think that's cool.
I think I will always be torn because, to me, manipulating the dead in some way is always a little disquieting. So, it will also set at odds with me.
That said, and to a larger point, I think that Star Trek gets lost in the trees, rather than seeing the forest. Science fiction, at its heart, is about new technology and the consequences that come with it, how people react to it, what the world would be like. "Brave New World" where automation has completely taken over the society, controlling all facets of life. Star Trek inspiring people to explore space is awesome. To me, that's more important than saying "Star Trek inspired the cell phone." That's short sighted in terms of how technology grows. It also doesn't take away from the impact Trek has had, but it limits it in a way that I think is rather unnecessary.
That said, and to a larger point, I think that Star Trek gets lost in the trees, rather than seeing the forest. Science fiction, at its heart, is about new technology and the consequences that come with it, how people react to it, what the world would be like. "Brave New World" where automation has completely taken over the society, controlling all facets of life. Star Trek inspiring people to explore space is awesome. To me, that's more important than saying "Star Trek inspired the cell phone." That's short sighted in terms of how technology grows. It also doesn't take away from the impact Trek has had, but it limits it in a way that I think is rather unnecessary.
I would get a kick out of them adapting that plotline
But IIRC, in the novel it was the first talking/reasoning computer in Starfleet and of course Trek and real life have usurped that by several hundred years.
SNW would have every excuse to introduce the tin-voiced idiot computer for the very first time in-universe. The skipper is a technophobe, after all, scared of such mundane things as holocomms...
Perhaps this is the story arc of SNW: Pike is assigned a perfectly functional mid-23rd century frontline starship, and systematically proceeds to strip her of every functionality, including holocomms, AI, uniform fabricators, site-to-site transporters and touchscreens, until handing over a barely operational skeleton of a ship to his successor Kirk, one running on pre-microchip-era circuit boards and hand-cranked valves.
Timo Saloniemi
Perhaps this is the story arc of SNW: Pike is assigned a perfectly functional mid-23rd century frontline starship, and systematically proceeds to strip her of every functionality, including holocomms, AI, uniform fabricators, site-to-site transporters and touchscreens, until handing over a barely operational skeleton of a ship to his successor Kirk, one running on pre-microchip-era circuit boards and hand-cranked valves.
Timo Saloniemi
I, for one, agree with you. This whole thing with Hollywood using digital face replacements/de-ageing and voice synthesizing of people who have passed on is just creepy, and just adds to this whole pop-cultural embalming trend our society seems to be obsessed with right now.
I have nothing against Majel Barret either, I didn't know her personally, and I liked her as Lwaxana, but I'd vastly prefer a currently living actress to provide the voice.
However, yes, her last will detailing her wishes to remain puts this more into a grey area, like, at least it wouldn't be done without her consent.
