Talk:Data/archive

Needs attention
This page contains info from only 4 or 5 key sources. --Gvsualan 05:31, 8 Jan 2005 (CET)
 * Heavily expanded over the past few days. Are there any more things that need to be included/expanded? Ottens 10:19, 11 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * There is plenty that can be expanded regarding Data's friendship with Geordi.--Scimitar 22:44, 11 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * More information about his specs and technology would be great. Doesn't he have "positronic circuitry?" What's that? --Gotham23 05:58, 13 January 2007 (UTC)
 * "positronic circuitry," which may be addressed in an entry I haven't looked up right now, is an invention of Isaac Asimov, which was a flippant attempt to be different from all the other "electronic" robots. It implies use of positrons, or antielectrons. 147.226.229.10 21:30, 13 April 2008 (UTC) Lurker
 * Oh, yes. And as far as I know, positronics have never been explained.147.226.229.10 17:32, 13 April 2008 (EDT) Lurker.
 * The relationship with Jenna D'Sora could also be greatly expanded. Tyrant 22:50, 11 Jun 2005 (UTC)Tyrant
 * I agree the section on Geordi La Forge needs expansion. I added some more info on Spot and on Data's attempted relationship with Jenna D'Sora. Ottens 13:53, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Data on the yorktown
Did data not serve on the uss yorktown as well, before the ENT-D?
 * Data supposedly had 26 years of service in Starfleet, but it was never mentioned what ships he was on except that he went hrough a wormhole once, aboard the USS Trieste -- a vessel he commented on being familiar with once before. -- Captain Mike K. Barteltalk 08:03, 30 Mar 2005 (EST)

First Officer

 * "By 2379, Commander Data was expected to replace Riker as first officer following his promotion to Captain of the USS Titan. But before Data could take the role,..."

When was this stated? In the extra features, they have a new First Officer, but that's possably not canon. But In the wedding scene, it sounds like their describing a third party. I think this is speculation. -AJHalliwell 15:18, 7 May 2005 (UTC)


 * I think it is based on the premises of Data being 3rd in command and that he would be automatically be promoted to first officer when the first officer would be transferred, which obviously is not the case. I did not find in the Nemesis script any reference of Data ever being mentioned as replacing Will Riker as first officer aboard Enterprise. -- Q 16:10, 7 May 2005 (UTC)


 * That's always bugged me. Its happened at least twice, now. Once in and once in (I guess the deleted scenes) Nemesis, he's been ignored and somebody else has been put in his place. Well, okay, Data didn't wind up living through Nemesis, but you have to assume that they had the new first officer picked out in the first place. --Malimar 03:05, 26 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * It's heavily implied that Data was going to be the first officer. Picard claims that "you all know him", and everyone looks at Data. When Picard talks about not going on away missions, it is Data that speaks up. They couldn't make it more clearer other than Picard saying "Yes everyone, Data is going to be my new first officer. That's Commander Data. Yep, the android." :-) It's not in the online script so it must have been an adlib, or been in a later draft. Nevertheless, it was onscreen. SGM 17:27, 4 Oct 2005 (UTC)


 * During Nemesis (Wedding Scene), Picard says: "And while you're (referring to Riker) happily settling in on the Titan, I will be training my new first officer. You all know him! (gesturing to Data) He's a tyrannical [unidentified word, sounds like Marionette?], who will never, EVER, allow me to go on an away mission..." and then Data says "That is the regulation, Sir."


 * Martinet. It's a many-headed whip-like object.R2data 13:57, 19 July 2008 (UTC)
 * A Marionette is a puppet with strings: Pinocchio is a very specific example of this. --Alan 22:59, 30 November 2008 (UTC)

TNG's Birthright, Part 1, and Inheritance
In TNG's Birthright, Part 1, Data mentions the mechanics of his hair and its rate of growth as well as the that he has a pulse. There might be some other interesting information in this episode, so if anyone would like to check it out...

Also, in TNG's Inheritance, Data describes a program that allows the blinking of his eyes to appear random. All interesting information that could be cataloged here.

Aging
I saw this on Wikipedia:

"However, Brent Spiner has noted that he has visibly aged out of the role and that it would be implausable for him to continue playing an android whose appearance should not change with time."

I'm not sure if that's why he has decided to leave the character behind him, but Geordi does say this in "Inheritance":

Geordi: [Referring to the android Juliana Soong] Part of her aging program. Not only does she age in appearance like Data, her vital signs change, too.

I'm sure this was thought up to explain any changes in Data's appearance throughout the TNG movies, but does anyone know if there is any reference to Data's aging before that episode? 68.9.205.10 14:41, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * I'm not sure if there is any reference to it, however Data must have had it since Omicron Theta. Follow my logic here, so you don't thing I'm just throwing this out there. Fact: Geordi mentions Data's aging program in "Inheritance". Fact: The android Juliana Tainer has an aging program. Fact: This is the first episode that both of them (Data and Juliana) meet. Fact: Data was found on Omicron Theta. Fact: Juliana, the android, was created whilst fleeing Omicron Theta. It seems to me that Dr. Soong would have definetly included the program into Juliana, so as not to arrouse suspision. It seems only logical that Data have one as well, seeing as how Dr. Soong programmed Data to asspire to become more than he is, that is more human. An aging program fits in nicely. Just my thoughts. Mainphramephreak 01:15, 23 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I added the Inheritance aging program note to the page. It might be interesting to note that Spiner seems to be under the false impression Data does not age in appearance, even though it is clearly stated he does. --Pseudohuman 15:34, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Anger without emotion chip
I saw this picture on Trekpulse.com: [], and it certainly looks like he's angry. Is this the precursor to him getting angry with the Borg in ? Zsingaya Talk 09:28, 2 Nov 2005 (UTC)
 * That's just Data showing his faux-"anger" so his crew won't be totally alienated by him. They were a little off-guard about him being a robot and all, and these little outbursts/facial expressions might have helped put them at ease and convince them that he is more "human" than he appears (or so Data computes). On the other hand, several other episodes show Data with what seem to be emotions so he has had little emotional "quirks" without the emotion chip.--Tim Thomason 10:02, 2 Nov 2005 (UTC)
 * Lal gained the ability to experience emotion on her own, so it's entirely possible that Data could have eventually done so as well. Alex 16:54, 1 March 2006 (UTC)
 * That was a result of Data's inaccuracy in creating a positronic brain, so it's unlikely that he could "learn" emotions. - Defunctzombie 23:23, 3 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I think its entirely possible he had the capacity to feel without knowing that he was feeling, that the chip more enabled awareness of feeling. Although if I recall that particular episode correctly, he was making a show like Tim says. I think the quirks are just blotted out of his knowledge by a safety feature to avoid making another Lore.


 * Maybe if lore had experience prior to emotional awakening he might have behaved differently. Think about this: the entire time the colonists would have been intimidated by his existence, he'd not been able to become resentful of it. Data got the benefit of having friends and a premade sense of right and wrong before being exposed to anger etc. – 216.46.213.19 01:15, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

"Off" Switch
In "Datalore," the presence of Data's off-switch is a secret. Only Dr. Crusher knows of it, and he asks her to keep it secret from anyone else. Yet in "The Measure Of A Man," Riker apparently discovers this switch by referencing Data's schematics via the Enterprise computer. I suppose we could assume that, following Lore's discovery, Data decided to enter the information into Starfleet's records as a security measure — but is there any evidence from canon to justify (or eliminate the need for) that assumption?
 * Lore references turning Data off (while he is posing as him) on the bridge in "Datalore", and Beverly questions him, since earlier Data requested his switch be kept secret. I believe Riker was on the bridge in this scene, and that could have put him aware to the presence of the off switch. Never the less, Riker does know about it. -Defunctzombie 05:31, 2 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Another possibility is that Data's entire body was scanned many many times over, especially during transportation, and those scans were logged and compiled to create a perfect map of Data's body. With Riker's newfound knowledge of the existance of Data's off switch and his previous technical knowledge, he is likely able to deduce the location of the off switch based on the scans.--The Rev 11:07, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
 * It's in his schematics, and as I recall, Riker happened upon it there (though he may have previously known it). Thus, somebody put it there. Presumably, Beverly, Geordi, Data himself, or some Crewman logging a transport. --Lurker 21:16, 13 April 2008 (UTC)


 * Riker needs to identify himself to get the schematics, implying that they are not public information. It is not stated how high clearence you need, but it is possible that not many people on the ship has access to the information. Therefore, his off-switch should be able to keep a secret.

"Datalore" or "Brothers"
The statement "He spent three years as an ensign and twelve as a lieutenant before being promoted to lieutenant commander in 2360." is attributed to "Brothers." I admit to only going on memory, but I'm rather certain he explained that in "Datalore" instead when the seemingly naïve Lore asks something about being like Data (uniform, rank, or some such). Data then says something along the lines of "if you do it like I did...."
 * Indeed you are correct. I shall correct the citation. Nice catch. :) --From Andoria with Love 01:41, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

First Contact

 * "The Enterprise pursued, and destroyed the sphere before it was able to prevent the first flight of Zefram Cochrane aboard the Phoenix warp ship."

I don't believe this is entirely accurate. As evidenced by the fact that the Enterprise scanned a 24th-century Earth that was populated by nine billion beings, all Borg, the Borg were in fact successful in changing history such that humans were assimilated and the Federation did not come into existence. The Enterprise then followed the Borg sphere into the past and "changed history back."


 * That is extremely silly. I believe everyone understands what happened, you don't need to play semantics with temporal crap. --The Rev 11:08, 19 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Come one now, don't belittle someone else's point of view by calling it silly or crap... --OuroborosCobra talk |undefined  17:16, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

February 2, 2338 source
What is the source for February 2nd being the day the Tripoli discovered Data? It's not in the script... I'm assuming it's from a readout or something... --From Andoria with Love 07:41, 29 May 2006 (UTC) Still waiting for that source. Jörg? :-D --From Andoria with Love 21:43, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
 * It's visible here: File:Data_personnel_file.jpg -StalwartUK 22:53, 10 June 2007 (UTC)

Data's 'Death'
In Nemisis, Data 'Died'... But in the episode 'All good things' it shows data in the 'future'. So does that mean he didnt die? Maybe I am missing something, but I am confused.--Matthew 01:32, 11 June 2006 (UTC)--Matthew 01:32, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
 * The future in was an alternative timeline created by Q. It was part of his test. It is not the actual future, therefore. Besides, there are a great many other inconsistancies in that timeline. The Enterprise-D still exists, it would seem that Riker and Troi never got married, etc. --OuroborosCobra 03:29, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

Transfers to B-4?
Should mention be made of his data transfers to B-4? I find this a bit lacking...


 * Sure, it should definitely be mentioned. --OuroborosCobra 23:21, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

Inconsistent Inconsistencies
I do not believe that the 2nd and 3rd points belong to the Inconsistencies section. If I remember correctly (it has been a while since I saw the episode) there was nothing to hint that Data and Jenna were intimate in, and so the First Contact statement would still be valid (of course I'm going here from a vague recollection). Moreover, the statement "In these scenes, he played the violin right-handed, as do all violinists, regardless of right or left hand strength" itself shows that there is no inconsistency in data playing violin right handed. These bullets need not be removed but they should be moved to a different section. --Stux 18:28, 30 June 2006 (UTC)
 * For the first point, I will re-write to say that it is a possible inconsistency, rather than a for sure one. --OuroborosCobra 19:04, 30 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Looking at the violin note, I think it can be removed, it does not seem to be an inconsistency, and I am not sure it will contributes that much if it was put elsewhere. --OuroborosCobra 19:07, 30 June 2006 (UTC)

The rewrite looks cool. I personally find it notable that Data (and of course Brent Spiner) is left handed. --Stux 08:27, 1 July 2006 (UTC) I might be mistaken, but I noticed that although Data is left-handed, Lore might be right-handed. In Descent, Lore tries to fire on Data using his right hand. Data of course shot Lore before Lore could shoot him, using his left hand. It would make sense if this were true because Data and Lore were intended by the writers to be opposites of each other. This could also mean they have opposite handedness as well. - Geni
 * Data as an android is probably ambidextous, he can use both his right and left hand perfectly for the same reasons. This explains how he prefers to play the violin and the guitar as a right-handed would do while he performs other task left-handed. Dr. Soong (also played by Brent Spiner) was probably left-handed and he programmed Data to perform tasks like writing or using a gun, etc. like himself. --Ltarex 14:40, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

Question
This may sound stupid and should be on a fan discussion forum.

Did Data actually "Die"? Didn't B-4 become Data or something like that? 67.87.186.172 04:06, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
 * It is never fully revealed whether Data lives on in B-4. The only hint is that B-4 sings a song Data knew at the end of Nemesis. --OuroborosCobra 04:14, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
 * The end of the film seemed to suggest that an attempt to upload Data's memories into B-4's positronic net was at least somewhat successful, although the full extent of that success besides B-4's knowledge of "Blue Skies" is unknown. --From Andoria with Love 04:19, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Moreover, from what I've read (I must confess I've only been able to see the 2nd half of Nemesis) it seems Data did not intend to back up his memories, but rather share his experiences with B-4, much in the same way, perhaps, that he copied Lal's memories. --Stux 08:31, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Yes, Data did not mean to make B-4 into another version of himself (as stated in the discussion with Picard about Shinzon's destiny), and only believed that his memories would help B-4 develop. -Defunctzombie 05:31, 2 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Have none of you read Star Trek: Countdown? Data is there, alive and well! He came "back" through B4, all right. This is also stated in The Path to 2409 on Memory Beta.
 * All of which is non-canon. --OuroborosCobra talk 09:07, 18 July 2009 (UTC)
 * ...Oh. I didn't know that. But - still hoping for the best! -- 09:14, 20 July 2009

Man or Machine - The Missing Argument
What has always baffled me is that Picard, when defending Data's liberty, went to philosophical grounds ONLY, and not seeking out the legal precedent that would have made it an open and shut case. If I had been arguing, I would have simply said, "Starfleet has already deemed Data to be a living creature, and has separated him from other hardware, by giving him a rank and a uniform. We do not call our computers 'sir' nor do we place our ships in the chain of command. Our phasers do not wear pips, nor do our replicators receive quarters. Data attended to and graduated from Starfleet Academy, receiving honors, and unlike our many technological tools has been commended for his duty. The very fact that he has a record onto which we place commendations says it very plainly. Starfleet and the Federation have already decided this case: Data is a man"--The Rev 11:16, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Actually, there are non-sentients that have received awards and commendations. Dogs. There are dogs which were given military awards and commendations during World War II and Vietnam, yet they were never given choice over their destiny. In fact, sadly, at the end of the wars, many of them were simply euthanized. Therefore, his position, rank, etc., did not necessarily establish his being any different from a dog, or a tool. That was the point of the trial, to establish that. --OuroborosCobra talk |undefined  17:22, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

That's ancient human history, not Federation or Starfleet policy. You do not see dogs with Lieutenant Commander pips running around Enterprise. You do not see a toaster graduating at the top of its class from Starfleet Academy. Please. --The Rev 21:11, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I don't have my copy of Federation history from the 31st century library around. You can't tell me that during the Talarian or earlier Cardassian wars that what I said did not happen. You don't know whether it did or not. You asked why Picard did not use an argument, and I offered a legitimate explanation that you cannot disprove as we do not have almost any detail on those conflicts. --OuroborosCobra talk |undefined  23:22, 25 July 2006 (UTC)


 * What I would like to know is this: Was Star Fleet in any way, shape, or form involved in Data's design, construction, and/or programming? If not, where did the the idea that Lt. Com. Data was the "property" of Star Fleet come from? If I was Data's lawyer, I would definitely have looked it up in Star Fleet records and then asked Commander Maddox those questions. --205.188.117.79 21:53, 15 October 2007 (UTC)
 * I wondered this for a while, and I think it may be an issue of salvage.147.226.229.10 21:33, 13 April 2008 (UTC) Lurker
 * FYI, carrier pigeons were the most decorated of all animals during the Second World War. TrekFan 00:38, 5 June 2008 (UTC)


 * I do not believe the purpose of the trial was to determine whether Data is sentient or not, but to determine whether he was property of Star Fleet or not. In that case, Data's sentience was irrelevant, or something for another trial. No one thought a about gouing through a trial before Maddox started talking about the ship's computer, and if that as well was sentient. It does make sense that if Data was a mere machine, he should belong to whoever that found him, in this case Star Fleet. marten1000 21:05, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

Data's activation
Frm: Katqueen101 (Kim)

I would like you to update Lt. Data Soongs page to this please.

Lieutenant Commander Data was activated on Febuary 02 2336 and is a Soong-type android, the first and only such being to ever enter Starfleet. Data was created sometime during the 2330s and killed in 2379, sacrificing his own life for the 800 men and women aboard the Enterprise and the planet Earth. It is only Accurate. Thx


 * It already basically says this and more. --Alan del Beccio 19:49, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Academy years in script
I haven't seen this episode in quite some time, so I have a quick question: in the script for, Data states he entered Starfleet Academy in 2344 and graduated in 2348. Now, was this changed in the episode to '41 and '45, respectively, or was it cut out altogether and the '41 and '45 years derived from information in other episodes? --From Andoria with Love 19:42, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Never mind, I just remembered I have that damn season on DVD and just haven't opened it yet. I'll check it out myself after I smack myself a few times. --From Andoria with Love 19:49, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

Reports of his Death...
Are very much not exaggerated. To be blunt, he blew up. He's done. You could argue that because of the memory transfer, he could be "reborn" like Spock, but the difference is they essentially saved Spock's soul (Katra), while B-4 only has Data's memories. If anything, B-4 is more like Ezri than Spock. With this in mind, I'd like to take out "rebirth through B-4 possible (see below)" from his biographical information. It's pure speculation, and only loosely based on facts. I see no need to clutter up his table with it. AJHayson 02:28, 31 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I agree, Spock was literally reborn and aged to approximately his previous age with only his memories and his exact brain patterns. B-4 has other additional memories in addition to Data's, and his "brain" works much differently as well. -- DaveS86 05:18, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Computer Interface
Why did Data have to interact with the ship's main computer via a workstation or optical cable connection? His brain was essentially a computer and you'd think that Soong would have equipped him with the 24th century version of Wi-Fi. -
 * The technological standards of the internet today weren't always thought of back in the late 80s/early 90s, especially the aspect of 'wi-fi'. Of course, if TNG was made today, wi-fi would've probably been thought of when making the character of Data. This all falls under our technological growth. Look at TOS, back then everything shown on it was thought to be technologically advanced. Today, a number of aspects in TOS can be considered obsolete or not advanced to our standards. - Enzo Aquarius 16:34, 19 February 2007 (UTC)
 * In "Power Play", he opened up a wall panel and interacted with the computer just by placing his hand on it...that's not exactly WiFi, but evidence that Data doesn't need any external equipment to interact with the ship's computer. Using such helps him fit in and it's also a lot easier to monitor.  Then again, Dr. Soong was pretty far away when he activated Data's 'homing beacon', so he's certainly capable of receiving communications wireless communications--might not be compatible with the ship's computer.  (Maybe he does have WiFi capability but the communicators interfere with it?  Goodness knows I prefer my nice new Ethernet over WiFi because wireless phones no longer kill my connection... ;) 71.118.65.97 07:57, 28 November 2008 (UTC)
 * A reason for Data's 'choice' for interacting with the systems without wireless could also be due to the fact that he was trying to look and act more human. This has been his goal throughout the series and feature movies. If Data was communication using wireless connections, this would only make him look and perhaps 'feel' more like an android, and not human.--82.95.138.179 07:47, 19 January 2009 (UTC)
 * It's simple. He wasn't built with Starfleet in mind. To that end he'd have to be upgraded. :) &mdash; Morder 08:07, 19 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm betting he does have Wi-Fi, but just like today, for some things, you want a hard wired connection. When someone asks him something he doesn't know off the top of his head, and he does that whole "Accessing" bit, I'm betting he's searching Enterprise Computer via his Wi-Fi connection, since latency wouldn't be too huge of an issue there.  But when he's trying to drill into the Borg Command Structure like in "Best of Both Worlds", or interface directly with the Main Computer like in "Fistful of Datas", or even when he's undergoing a diagnostic, he's "plugged in" to ensure stability of connection and maximum throughput of data.

Data's years at Starfleet Academy
Having recently caught a rerun of, I was curious to know which other episodes reference Lt. Cmdr. Data's time spent at Starfleet Academy, and if any other (canonical or non-canonical) detail has been offered for that period of his existence.

It's possible I've just thought about this too much, but it seems genuinely odd to me that an android capable of trillions of computations per second and possessed of a perfect memory would actually need four years of instruction to obtain a college-level education. It's firmly established within TNG that Data picks up new tasks rapidly and can absorb and analyze written works in a trivial amount of time. I'm left curious as to if possible explanations have been suggested for this, or even if there's wiggle room in what's been officially offered to assume he may have had some sort of non-traditional college experience.

If anyone can offer insight into this, I'd be interested. Thanks, Listener 05:28, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
 * The article on Data elaborates on this, but he discusses the Academy specifically with Lore in . It is also referenced here. --Alan del Beccio 05:33, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Inconsistencies
I removed:


 * ''In, Data mentioned he had not had sex for over 8 years, implying he did not have sex with Jenna D'Sora featured in , six years earlier.
 * This may not be an inconsistency, as it is never actually stated in the episode that Data had sex with Jenna D'Sora.


 * ''In, Captain Picard revisited the events of , when Data already held the rank of Lieutenant Commander. However, in the scenes taking place during the earlier episode, Data wore the rank insignia of a Lieutenant junior grade. However, Picard still called him "Commander" when he met Data for the first time.
 * This may not be a continuity error, but an error on Picard's part, intentional by the authors. Picard was disoriented during his initial trips through time, and may have called Data "Commander" from force of habit.

While as an encyclopedia we should really stick more to the facts that point out inconsistencies, there is some merit to having them with a major character with 170+ Star Trek appearances. The thing is, with what I removed above, it doesn't feel right having an inconsistency, in the background section of an article, counterpointed with an italicized background note within a background note. In the case of the first point, they almost completely contradict themselves, if the D'Sora fact that never stated, and the Yar fact was, then it was Yar and there is no inconsistency. As for the second inconsistency, it was very likely a costuming error...(see Piersall), so I really don't see the need to speculate about Picard's condition and whatnot. --Alan del Beccio 18:44, 24 February 2007 (UTC)


 * Also removed was the following:


 * A fundamental problem with the Data character is that his 23 years of Starfleet service prior to "Encounter at Farpoint," as well as his necessary acclimatization to human culture during that time, is completely ignored. He begins TNG essentially as a "blank slate," having to (re)learn everything about the "human experience" as though he'd been "shielded" for the previous 23 years. It would have made more sense for him to have started out as a freshly minted ensign in "Encounter at Farpoint," or to explain during the course of the series that his initial 23 years worth of experience was somehow "lost" prior to "Encounter at Farpoint."


 * I'm not sure what this is referring to (Data began with a "blank slate"?) but it's mere nit-pickery with personal opinion thrown in. --From Andoria with Love 23:34, 25 April 2007 (UTC)


 * In the extra material of the DVD-collection of season one, one of the producers, or someone else that is involved in the production, says that the purpose of Data was to be somewhat blank from the start, and be almost human when the last season ended. This was of course to make the character a little better. But yes, he should have learned something for the last twenty years. --marten1000 21:19, 17 December 2008 (UTC)


 * This is actually touched on in the non-canon novel, "The Buried Age". IIRC, this "problem" is explained by the fact that Starfleet, unsure of what to do with Data, kept him in small solitary assignments for most of the period. In the novel, it is Picard who realises Data's potential and as such gets him onto the Ent-D. – Cleanse 01:48, 18 December 2008 (UTC)


 * That seems a little inconsistent, he should not have been able to get his medals, which are of Star Fleet's finest, on "small solitary assignments". --marten1000 20:36, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

Changes to Data's skintone and iris color
In all of the TNG episodes (and also in both First Contact and Generations, I'm pretty certain) Data's skin has a slightly pearlescent, pale white pigmentation, the irises of his eyes are a light, slightly silvery color, and he has a normal white sclera of the eye. In Insurrection, Data's skin suddenly has a very pearlescent, golden yellow pigmentation, his irises are a darker, almost coppery color, and his sclera has a golden yellow tint.

What explains these color changes in his physical appearance? It is a very noticeable difference, and I can't think of anything in Data's programming that would enable this, other than his ability to alter the growth rate and pigmentation of his hair (All Good Things...) which I suppose could possibly allow him to also change the pigmentation of his skin and eyes. However, if he always possessed the ability to alter his skin pigmentation and eye color attributes, I assume he would have done so much earlier to appear more human, or to be more aptly disguised in an undercover mission to another culture, such as in the Unification episodes where it would have greatly benefited him to have skintone and eye colors that were more similar to those of the Romulans. It is also possible that these changes were simply a makeup overhaul to make Brent Spiner's makeup easier to apply or more comfortable to wear, but to me that makes no sense in regards to the eye color changes, as the colored sclera of the new makeup means he would have to wear a full scleral contact lens, which would seem to be a more uncomfortable thing to endure and a more difficult costume piece to produce than regular colored contact lenses.

Anyone got any ideas as to what caused or enabled these changes in Data from a Star Trek lore standpoint, or whether these changes were merely due to production issues?
 * Some of the more minute changes could be explained by a difference in lighting on the set -- not by an actual change made to Data. -- Captain MKB

Science officer?
Both this article and USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) article state that Data is the chief science officer of the Enterprise, with no citation.

I've never heard of this.. is there a valid source? -- Captain MKB 20:21, 25 June 2007 (UTC)
 * Try "Conundrum"? --147.226.222.216 06:33, 17 April 2008 (UTC) Lurker


 * Yes, in, Data makes a log entry to the Science officers log.


 * Well, in, it certainly was not the chief Science Officer's log. It might not even be the log of a Science Officer at all, it looks more like the "science log" of the ship's Second Officer. Notice Data wore his operations division uniform when he made it, instead of his science division uniform. The log entry beegins: "Second officer, science log supplemental". And there's nothing in about Data being a science officer or a "chief" of anything. --TribbleFurSuit 21:46, 19 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Perhaps that is correct. But there has to be a Science Officer on the Enterprise. Anything else would be very strange. Data would be the logical one, considering that he often leads researches and similar things. And none of the other Senior Officers use the Science Stations on the bridge as much as he does. But if i does not have any canon sources it shou ld not be on this wiki as fact. --marten1000 00:12, 20 December 2008 (UTC)

Sex with borg queen..
Never happened. "'Data played along, having sexual relations with the Borg Quee'" Unless there was some deleted scene I am unaware of.. –-216.46.213.19 01:20, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
 * It was fully established. She asked him how long it had been since he had sexual relations, then kissed him, then he kissed her back extremely passionately. The fact they didn't explicit show naked monkey robot sex doesn't change what we did see that plainly established what happened. --OuroborosCobra talk 01:43, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
 * To be honest, it never occurred to me that they might have had sex. I mean, the Queen's clothing doesn't exactly look removable. I just don't see how this can be considered canon. --Ortzinator 16:22, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Oral, and she made her intentions and actions perfectly clear. --OuroborosCobra talk 16:44, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Just because those were her intentions doesn't mean it happened. --Ortzinator 18:28, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
 * There's nothing to suggest that oral sex was going on (if we saw the queen "go down" on Data, that would be different, but we don't (not in my version anyway)). That seems to be pure speculation to me. Picard(o) 18:43, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Actually, the Queen appears to be fully robotic from the shoulders down. It may be a combination of naivite and memory problems on my part, but I consider this 98% speculation.147.226.229.10 21:26, 13 April 2008 (UTC)Lurker
 * Data is fully robotic from head to toe. That did not stop him with Yar. --OuroborosCobra talk 21:30, 13 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Data was designed to be anatomically correct by a perfectionist trying to build a human. The Borg Queen was designed to function efficiently in an environment designed for use by drones assimilated from mostly humanoid species. I doubt there's anything but clockwork under her armor.147.226.238.247 22:06, 14 April 2008 (UTC) Lurker
 * But you have no actual evidence that she does not. Given that she seemed to have "romantic" feelings for both Locutus and Data, I'd say there is more evidence to say she included some sort of "functionality" than that she did not. Either that or she just gave Data some head. --OuroborosCobra talk 22:16, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

Scratching his ear
As was originally mentioned here, Data scratches his ear in "Time Squared". It could simply be interpreted as Data imitating human behaviour, so I don't know if this is worthy of including in an article anywhere. I'm leaving a note here in case anyone finds a use for it. – Pesky 20:47, 19 February 2008 (UTC)


 * It is also quite possible that Brent Spiner simply had an itch and for some reason, the camera picked it up and it was left in. --205.188.117.79 12:08, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes, that's almost certainly what actually happened, but that's not in the spirit of Memory Alpha. Nitpicking (including finding production mistakes) is generally not appreciated, especially when it can be explained from an in-universe POV. I wouldn't have bothered to make a note of the incident, except another user asked about it and I chose to keep a note here for anyone else interested. – Pesky 14:08, 10 July 2008 (UTC)
 * That scene shows Data and Geordi puzzling over the shuttlecraft from the future, which works in many ways reversed from a normal one. There's clearly a look of puzzlement on Data's face in this picture. If I recall correctly, it was a very exaggerated movement. I believe this may be a case of "imitating human behavior." -Lurker


 * Pesky, I was not nit picking, and speaking of which, how many people do you know will automatically know what approximately 100 kilograms is in U.S. measurements. There is nothing wrong with adding that nugget of information. --205.188.117.79 12:33, 11 July 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you were nitpicking. What I meant was that for me to have described Spiner's action as a mistake would have been nitpicking. Therefore, I said "It could simply be interpreted as Data imitating human behaviour" to make it more MA-worthy. As for the 100kg thing, MA provides the original value given in the source material, which typically is metric for Star Trek. Providing conversions has two problems: While many readers will find metric units meaningless (including myself in many instances, namely speeds and weights), it's not difficult to | find a conversion. If you disagree, I'd like to hear so. I'm not an especially experienced editor here, so I'll probably run to someone who is to get their opinion. – Pesky 07:59, 14 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Doing so applies an assumption as to the units used (ie, that they are the same standard as used presently). This isn't a big deal, but probably qualifies as original research.
 * If we were to provide other units in one instance, we should do so for all values given, which in an article such as this, would create a very cluttered page.
 * ...and if you guys want to continue the units of measure thing, I'd make a new topic. This one should probably end, as there isn't going to be a change to the article regarding scratching the ear. The unit thing is an entirely different problem, which shouldn't hijack the ear discussion. --OuroborosCobra talk 08:11, 14 July 2008 (UTC)

"Colony's" contraction
I have reverted the following edit by 64.180.232.105.

Previous:


 * "Data's inability to use contractions in ordinary speech was remarked upon in, a rule which he adhered to for most of the remainder of the series (except for his alternate timeline version in ) and the four TNG films. (He does, however, at the end of tell Wesley Crusher that "I'm fine", and in  makes the remark that, "It's me".) In the episodes preceding "Datalore," however, he routinely used contractions."

New:


 * "Data's inability to use contractions in ordinary speech was remarked upon in, a rule which he adhered to for most of the remainder of the series (except for his alternate timeline version in ) and the four TNG films. However, at the beginning of when discussing the purpose of the Omicron Theta colony, he says: "...the colony's principle interest was science..." and at the end tells Wesley Crusher that "I'm fine". In  he makes the remark that, "It's me". In the episodes preceding "Datalore," however, he routinely used contractions."

(emphasis added to denote changes)

My reason is that "colony's" is a possessive contraction. While many hundreds of years ago this was a contraction of "X es", this is no longer valid English and is not considered a contraction. I welcome any discussion on this topic. – Pesky 22:53, 26 April 2008 (UTC)


 * I see what you mean, it's not actually a contraction in that case, just an apostrophe. :) I'm noticing more instances of contractions in some recent TNG Season 1 episodes I've been watching, though I'm not sure it's worth itemizing them all here. I think others probably have more expertise in this than me. :) 64.180.232.105 07:54, 27 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm not familiar enough with the guidelines of MA to know whether it ought to include such a list. I suspect it would not be of considerable use; just illustrating the inconsistency, perhaps with a mention that it occurs in several episodes, should probably suffice. For now, you may wish to keep a list of the contractions that Data uses in a note on this talk page. I've seen some users keep such ancillary information on their own pages with a link from the corresponding talk page. I'll tap the shoulder of one of the more experienced contributors to get their feedback. – Pesky 12:04, 30 April 2008 (UTC)
 * They belong on the well-established page, List of ripe nits for picking. 198.49.180.40 21:57, 30 April 2008 (UTC)

Data's rank
I have a query related to Data's rank. I believe that he is the only TNG regular to appear with the same rank throughout the series and movies, but I can't be 100% sure. I know that Picard's rank changed to LT.JG in "Tapestry"; Riker became Captain in "The Best of Both Worlds" (and others); Worf was promoted early on, to become a LT (and later LT.CMDR); Geordi was promoted to LT.CMDR ("Evolution"); Troi took the bridge officers exam to become a CMDR ("Thine Own Self"); Beverly Crusher was seen as a LT.CMDR in "Encounter at Farpoint", and Wesley Crusher went from A/ENS TO ENS ("Menage a Troi"). It's just something that occured to me, but I don't remember seeing Data with any other rank insignia on his uniform. If I am correct, maybe this information can be added to the background section? Any thoughts, anyone? TrekFan 18:32, 4 June 2008 (UTC)
 * If I remember correctly, Data held the rank of full commander in the fantasy created by Barash in . If you want to take time travel and fantsies out of the equasion, then both Picard and Data would have held the same rank all through out the series.  Willie LLAP 19:10, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Ah, OK! Thank you. Do you think it is worth noting that Data held the same rank all the way through the series and subsequent movies? TrekFan 21:15, 4 June 2008 (UTC)
 * In my most humble opinion; yes, most definitely, especially compared to his other shipmates! I also think it is worth a mention because of this section on Geordi's page as well as this section on Nog's page where it expounds on their having multiple ranks. Go for it! :) Willie LLAP 22:04, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Great, thanks! I added the following to the article: Feel free to edit if you think it needs it. TrekFan 22:29, 4 June 2008 (UTC)
 * "Other than in alternate realities, Data has always appeared as a lieutenant commander, throughout the entire run of TNG and the subsequent movies. Jean-Luc Picard is the only other character to remain at the rank he started with."