Star Trek: The Next Generation/Headscratchers: Difference between revisions
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Headscratchers (view source)
Revision as of 14:17, 10 March 2014
, 10 years ago→Incapable of Lying?
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** He doesn't lie. Riker says "that the weapon was in a state of discharge," to which Data responds "Perhaps something occurred during transport." As we saw in "Clues," Data is capable of refusing to answer a question; in "The Most Toys," he deflects the question. So he hasn't actually ''lied'', he's found a loophole and used it.
*** Yes, but the question is, why does he evade the question at all? Perhaps because he does not want people to know that he is capable of deciding to kill. No matter how you slice it, it's a very important character moment.
**** I'm pretty sure it's understood that Data can decide to kill, as it's been necessary for him to use lethal force in his duties as a Starfleet officer. Data's likely more deflecting it because he understands it would be pointless to admit to trying to kill Fajo... Fajo's not dead, Data's rescued, Fajo's going to prison, nothing is really gained by fessing up. It's a moment of both logic and growing humanity to cover up a moment of anger.
** When was it ever established that Data is incapable of lying? Vulcans understand the necessity of lying when in the performance of duty, so it seems unlikely that an even more logical being wouldn't grasp the concept. Besides, it would be an extraordinary liability taking him to Romulus in "Unification" if some bystander asked him, "New in town, eh? So what brings you here?" and Data would be compelled to say, "We are Federation spies."
*** It was probably in one of the earlier episodes. Speaking of lying, in "Clues" Data lies to the crew for most of the episode, but it turns out Picard had ''ordered'' him to do so (the crew, sans Data, had had their memories changed). Data may be incapable of lying, but he's smart enough to find loopholes and abuse them to lie without triggering the subroutine preventing him from lying. If he had to always tell the truth, "Clues" probably would've ended with Data shutting down or trying to kill the crew to follow orders ''and'' follow his programming. Telling a machine that can't lie to lie is going to have bad consequences no matter how you slice it.
== What Measure is a Cardassian? ==
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