From: dave@cs.arizona.edu (Dave Schaumann)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: Lynch's Spoiler Review: "The Quality of Life"
Keywords: TNG, Data, machine life?
Date: 23 Nov 92 16:21:48 GMT
Reply-To: dave@cs.arizona.edu (Dave Schaumann)
Organization: University of Arizona

In article <By531y.6o6@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, jal41820@uxa (Smiley) writes:
>dave@cs.arizona.edu (Dave Schaumann) writes:
>:)In article <1emnn4INN13r@gap.caltech.edu>, tlynch@cco (Timothy W. Lynch) writ
>:)>WARNING:  The following review contains spoiler information for "The Quality 
>:)>of Life."  (The TNG episode, that is, not the concept itself.  :-) )  Those 
>:)>not wishing said spoilers are advised to remain calm, avoid panic, and simply
>:)>skip this message.

>:)What about "Evolution"?  IMHO, this is almost a straight re-working of that
>:)episode:
>
>:)  -modification on a tool creates intelligence
>
>The nanites were let out of their contained environment. The exocomps were
>*physicallY* modified.

So were the nanites.  Remember?  Wesley's experiment was to see if he could
improve the nanites, just like whatsername wanted to improve the exocomps.

True, "Evolution" required Wesley to act like an idiot so the nanites would
get loose on the ship, but I don't see that that is a major difference.

>:)  -new intelligence causes havoc, which gets in the way of obsessive scientist
>
>The intelligence itself causing havoc, and someone *protecting* that
>intelligence, is *quite* a difference.

I was referring specifically to the incident where the exocomp failed to repair
the cracked Whatsis tube, and caused an explosion.  This was well before Data
began protecting them.

>:)  -since recognizing this new presence as life would impair the scientist's
>:)   research, the scientist is opposed to any line of inquiry to establish
>:)   whether a new intelligence is present
>
>In Evolution, this occured. Here, the scientist *watched* a test that
>everyone there agreed would determine it's state of life.

She also was opposed to performing it.  She was also first to jump to the
conclusion that they were not intelligent on the basis of a single experiment.

>Data was the
>only one who still had hopes. Even Geordi thought the test meant it
>wasn't alive. Quite different from Evolution.

Well, I /did/ say it wasn't *exactly* like "Evolution".  IMHO, the essence
of the plots is almost point-for-point the same (as I outlined in my previous
post).  Certainly, you can point to differences, and say "See?  They're
different!", but it doesn't change the fact that several key elements of
the plot in each case are virtually identical.

>:)  -Data is instrumental in proving the existence of the new intelligence.
>
>Actually, Wesley was more instrumental in Evolution.

Since Wesley was the motivating cause in "Evolution", he was (of course?)
the first one to realize what had happened.  But if you recall, it was Data
that first established intelligent contact with the nanites, and it was Data
who volunteered his body for the nanites to inhabit for negotiation.

>:)>"Okay, so Data's alive and sentient, and 
>:)>after Picard fighting for him, everyone's agreed on that.  Now, what happens 
>:)>next time, when we get a machine that might be alive and that *doesn't* look 
>:)>as human as Data?"  The answer -- only Data realizes it.
>
>:)This might have been an interesting point, if they'd done anything with it.
>
>They did. Subtly.

Too subtly, IMHO.  The "Picard & LaForge in danger" plot virtually overwhelmed
anything that might have sprung from this.

>Actually, Picard and Geordi would have quite probably died if it weren't
>for the exocomps. I'd say that doesn't make them invulnerable.

So Picard and LaForge die on the fountain, Data is court-martialed, convicted,
and delivered to Bruce Maddox for disassembly, and 3 of the primary characters
of the show are written out with one fell swoop.

You didn't seriously believe that might possibly happen, did you?

-- 
Essentia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatum -- William of Ockham
(Fact need not be multiplied beyond necessity)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current