Impossible...

My Quote of the Day today made me think of the Doctor:

I have learned to use the word 'impossible' with the greatest caution. - Wernher von Braun, 1912 - 1977

Mind you, I love it whenever the Doctor says "That's impossible!" - he always says it with such conviction.

Star Trek Voyager: Natural Law...

The other day I watched the Star Trek Voyager episode "Natural Law" with my friend Sandi, and I found it thought-provoking enough to discuss with maaseru and walkingowl so I thought I'd mention it here.

I watched Star Trek Voyager for at least part of its first year on the air, but it annoyed me, and I soon stopped watching. I don't think I ever saw anything after the first year at all.¹ This was the first time I ever saw Seven of Nine. If I may say so - what an utterly boring character! Perhaps she has more personality in other episodes?

Anyway, the things I found interesting.... A little explanation of the plot first²: In this story, Seven of Nine and Chakotay fall through a force field onto a planet in an area that is segregated for an indiginous population, the Ventu. They have a primitive technology - clothes, fire, face-paint, things like that, and every sign of curiosity and high intelligence - but no spoken language. They looked basically human, but I saw no indication that they had vocal chords. They didn't speak or make any noises. They used sign language to communicate. They imitate Chakotay and Seven of Nine in gestures and looks but they don't attempt to speak.

It turns out that the rest of the planet has a civilization as technically developed as the Federation, or not far off, and they can and do talk vocally. The Ventu were separated by this force field imposed by aliens who thought the mainstream society of the planet would exploit and destroy the Ventu civilisation. As soon as Janeway removes the force field, the cultural interference (with some benign intent) begins. Janeway restores the force field and goes away, leaving the planet pretty much as it used to be. Good Federation housekeeping, Prime Directive and all. But...

1. I was thinking about human history as we know it. It seems to me that communication by spoken language (emphasis here on the 'spoken') has been the prerequisite for every known civilisation. Could civilisation evolve without spoken language? In this Star Trek story it hadn't done so, and I didn't know if they meant to imply it could not, or to imply it would, given time. And what's the reality? Did human history happen the way it did by chance, or does spoken vocal language make a difference to socialization in a way other forms of communication do not? Could human history have happened differently? If it could have, why has it not - among other primate groups, for example? Have there ever been homo sapiens civilizations, or even isolated cultural groups, where spoken language was not a factor? I don't mean subcultures, or major groups within a culture, like schools for the deaf or monks who take vows of silence - as far as I know, they exist within larger, speaking civilizations already developed.



2. The issue in the episode is that the aliens in the past thought the peaceful, environmentally-friendly Ventu needed to be protected from the mainstream civilisation, so they isolated them. This protection struck me as being a prison for them. They were living in it prosperously, but they didn't seem to be growing and evolving. And in the episode, as Janeway and the mainlanders argue about what to do with and for the Ventu, no one even suggests asking the Ventu what they want. That struck me as being very officious - they might prefer to be outside their prison, regardless of the risks. Or they might prefer to keep their safe isolation - though it seems abominable to be that they weren't at least given the key to the force field. Shouldn't they have the right to self-determination regarding their own fate? Was it assumed they wouldn't understand the consequences? Isn't that denying them an opportunity to change - if they wanted change?

¹ I did once write a Chakotay/Paris slash story, which was fun. I didn't like Paris, and used the story as a chance to attack him creatively.

² I missed the first few scenes so there might have been more explanation that I didn't get.

The Friday Five...

Got this from dargie and namastenancy:

1. If you could suddenly speak one language fluently (that you don't currently speak) what would it be? That caveat "that you don't currently speak" makes it difficult. I was just saying the other day how I'd like to be vocally fluent in Latin, which few people are. But technically I "speak" it in that I can read passages and understand them, especially if you let me use a dictionary.

There are so many languages I would love to be able to speak. Assyrian? Ancient Greek? Sanskrit? Tocharian? Anglo-Saxon? (I love dead languages!) If I could say "Etruscan" or "Mohenjo-Daran" and then reveal their secrets to the universe, I'd be the 21st century's Champollion or Michael Ventris - !

Okay, okay, putting my love of dead languages aside.... I think I'll say Chinese. It's a toss-up with Japanese, but I think Chinese has the edge as being more different (at least in sound), and having a more diverse culture and history.

2. If you were to suggest a foreign film, that you really enjoyed, what one would you suggest? What does "foreign" mean? "Filmed in a language neither English nor French"? I'll say The Wedding Banquet even though it didn't strike me as foreign, but the people who give out Academy Awards seemed to think so. Gerard Depardieu's The Count of Monte Cristo also came to mind (if I can call it foreign because it's from France) and ditto "Asterix". I've loved some Bollywood movies too, but can't think of the titles now, since they tend to be in Hindi and I have trouble remembering them. (Add that to the list of languages I'd like to learn.)

3. If you had to call another country home (other than the one you currently live in) what one would you choose? -- Italy. Second choice: the UK.

4. If you went out to buy an import music CD, what one would you buy? Opera.

5. If you were to chose an ethnic dinner, what would it be? Japanese.

A burger? oh, the national culinary shame...

Further good news about the return of Kevin Yourdkhani to Canada. He's the nine-year-old Canadian who was held in a 'detention centre' in Texas for six weeks.

Fannish 5: Retcons...

From fannish5: You are given the opportunity to erase from existence five episodes, scenes, or lines of dialogue from canon. Which five get the axe?

Any fandom? All five things from the same fandom? Does it matter? What the heck, I'll play it by ear....

1. The 1996 Doctor Who movie did not exist and no information from it is canonical. Just like those silly Doctor Who parodies, right?



2. Torchwood "End of Days": Abaddon wasn't Godzilla and Ianto never betrayed Jack.



3. Heroes: Zack is gay.¹ Matt isn't boring. No plumbing scenes.



4. Smallville: Clark is heroic, Lex is smart, and they are still an alien farmboy and a ruthless millionnaire, young and in love with each other. Like back in the first season, remember?



5. Firefly: The show wasn't cancelled before its time. Oh, wait, that's real life. Drat.

¹ Not that I really care about Zack's sexual orientation, or if we ever see him again; it's the principle of the thing.