I met with a person from our company's IT department, and somehow Star Trek and Captain Kirk was mentioned. I am always up for a Star Trek/Captain Kirk discussion, even in the middle of a work day. Anyway, this IT person was talking about how computers "talk" to one another (I still don't get it, but I've got IT--do I REALLY need to "get" it?) and he used the idea of the Star Trek "Universal Translator".
Well, he started it. It wasn't ME who mentioned Star Trek.
I interjected with one of the enormous questions that have plagued me since 1966. And that is: Star Trek is based on going "where no man has gone before". Is that right? And yet, they had a universal translator which communicated with beings that they have never even had contact with. For example...you are going in space. You end up at Omega Triphon 17, where NO ONE had visited before. On Omega Triphon 17, they speak Zilliswanni, which has no written alphabet. BUT! The universal translator is gonna figure it out so those speaking zilliswanni can understand you and you can understand them?
Really?
I think Gene Roddenberry took TONS of literary license with that piece of equipment.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Speaking of Universal Translator
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It's called "faith" for a reason, Missy. It requires no explanation. How else could I accept Batman's Utility Belt, the Batcommunicator, the Bat-laser, his Shark Repellent Batspray, the Batmissile, the bulletproof soles of Batman and Robin's boots, the Batgas Pellets ... I could go on. But I'm afraid some Com-Con Batfan will deride me for being a fan of the 1960s TV show instead of the darker Dark Knight of the comic book fame.
Anne
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