From: rbeck@mordordseg.ti.com (Ron Beck)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: Data's Head deterioration not affecting anything Explained!
Date: 30 Sep 92 19:44:24 GMT
Reply-To: rbeck@mordor.dseg.ti.com
Organization: is an esoteric concept.

In article <30SEP199206410479@gergo.tamu.edu>, dave@gergo.tamu.edu (Dave Martin) writes:
|> }In article <1992Sep28.123642.149830@watson.ibm.com>, rrogers@watson.ibm.com (Ryan Rogers) writes:
|> }>    Ok...here's the *REAL* question.  Why didn't Data see the iron filing
|> }> when he was examining his head in the first place on TA I?  I just watched
|> }> it again and he does have that flap in the back of his head open...there
|> }> is simply NO WAY that Data (being 100% familiar with his own layout) should
|> }> have missed it.
|> 
|> That's why Geordi mumbled "How did *that* get there?" when he found it. Data
|> examined the head before Picard had decided to follow the aliens to 1893 SF.
|> At that point there had been no iron filing placed inside. Once Picard beamed
|> down to the alien cavern and went through the time portal, he was there to
|> place the filing in Data's head.
|> Looks like STTNG is borrowing from the BTTF theory of time travel (where it
|> takes a while for the changes in time to catch up with the traveller). 
|> 

Please watch the show again!  This is what happened:

Geordi:		Computer, download the base matrix (or something to that 
		effect)

Computer:	Download complete...

Geordi:		That should've worked.  Computer, run a level 3 (?)
		diagnostic on the (whatever part of the head he was
		working on)

Computer:	There is intermittent continuity on the (whatever)

Geordi:		Hmmm, that's strange...(open rear cranium port)...now
		how did this get in here.  (remove iron filing).  
		Computer, download the base matrix.

Computer:	download complete

Geordi:		This should do it...(uses some laser scalpel/tightning
		tool)

Data:		Photon.....Phaser.....(etc)


Now, why wasn't the iron filing found when Data was examining the head? 
Probably because nobody connected it up to the computer to run diagnostics
(much less provide any power source at all).  Plus, from what we saw of the
head examination, Data never opened the "rear panel".  In fact (IMHO) he
probably never got to complete his examination of the head before being
transported back to the 19th century.

The iron filing *had* to be there the entire time as it was placed in the
head back in the 1900's by Picard.  But, the time travel stuff has been
beat to death for the past few weeks so I won't rehash on that.

Again...only My Humble Opinion...(and a review of the video I took!)
Ron
|>  -                                                                     -
|>  - Dave Martin - Geochemical & Environmental Research Group, Texas A&M - 
|>  - DAVE@GERGA[GERGO,GERGI].TAMU.EDU - BROOKS@TAMVXOCN.BITNET - AOL:DBM -
|>  -                                                                     -

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Ronald J. Beck           | IP rbeck@mordor.dseg.ti.com |Do now what others
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