Do you believe in Life After Death???????

[Big Dad]

Originally Posted by DennisAJC

The prime Directive is a problem. Not only is it easy to violate the Prime Directive; in fact, it is hard not to violate it. Almost any action taken by Starfleet, ranging from tentative exploration to outright colonization, is by definition a violation of the Prime Directive. this is through no fault of any starship captain. It is because the Prime Directive is not only an unattainable ideal but also a scientific impossibility. Behind the Prime Directive is the idea that it is possible to observe a society without actually affecting it. Seen this way, the Prime Directive constitutes a violation of one of Star Trek's favorite scientific principles: the Heisenberg Uncertanty Principle. The Heisenberg Uncertanty Principle states that observers always interfere with the things that they are observing. Even a hidden observer creates a disturbance. The interferance may be small or it may be great, but it is everpresent and it can be measured. If we believe Heisenberg (as the series does), we must admit that the Prime Directive is founded on a scientific impossibility. Maintaining a perfect distance is simply not possible in a universe where all actions, however remote, have consequences. No observation is or can be neutral. Observers are necessarily participants. Wherever Starfleet goes in the galaxy, it must act to limit the damage inevitably caused by its own powers of observation. Violating the Prime Directive is thus not a matter of principal but of degree.

Hey thanks Dennis! I'm putting the finishing touches on a Biology paper that centers on:

Conservation scientists advocate, whenever feasible, the establishment of migration corridors between biological reserves.

I needed to top it off with my take on possible interference from observations.

Hmmm, I think that Heisenberg and his Uncertainty Principle might just get me an "A" on it!

Here's to you!

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[DennisAJC]

Originally Posted by Big Dad

Hey thanks Dennis! I'm putting the finishing touches on a Biology paper that centers on:

Conservation scientists advocate, whenever feasible, the establishment of migration corridors between biological reserves.

I needed to top it off with my take on possible interference from observations.

Hmmm, I think that Heisenberg and his Uncertainty Principle might just get me an "A" on it!

Here's to you!

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Oh you're so getting kicked out of class now.

[KenP]

Originally Posted by DennisAJC

The prime Directive is a problem. Not only is it easy to violate the Prime Directive; in fact, it is hard not to violate it. Almost any action taken by Starfleet, ranging from tentative exploration to outright colonization, is by definition a violation of the Prime Directive. this is through no fault of any starship captain. It is because the Prime Directive is not only an unattainable ideal but also a scientific impossibility. Behind the Prime Directive is the idea that it is possible to observe a society without actually affecting it. Seen this way, the Prime Directive constitutes a violation of one of Star Trek's favorite scientific principles: the Heisenberg Uncertanty Principle. The Heisenberg Uncertanty Principle states that observers always interfere with the things that they are observing. Even a hidden observer creates a disturbance. The interferance may be small or it may be great, but it is everpresent and it can be measured. If we believe Heisenberg (as the series does), we must admit that the Prime Directive is founded on a scientific impossibility. Maintaining a perfect distance is simply not possible in a universe where all actions, however remote, have consequences. No observation is or can be neutral. Observers are necessarily participants. Wherever Starfleet goes in the galaxy, it must act to limit the damage inevitably caused by its own powers of observation. Violating the Prime Directive is thus not a matter of principal but of degree.

I recalled a TNG episode entitled, "Homeward" where the crew encounters Worf's foster brother, Nikolai Rozhenko (played by Paul Sorvino), who is under Federation authority to observe Boraal II, an M class planet currently in the process of an atmospheric catastrophe. When Nikolai transports aboard the Enterprise, he meets with Picard and the senior staff in hopes of convincing Picard to help these people by transporting them to another habitable planet. However, Picard does not agree and states that it would be a direct violation of the Prime Directive. Before long, they all observe the planet from the bridge and watch as Borall II's atmosphere darkens, devoid of any life. Suddenly, the Enterprise experiences a power drain, originating from the Holodeck. Worf goes to investigate the cause when he attempts to open the doors to the Holodeck, but discovers that not even his security password can bypass the lock. The lock is opened from inside to reveal Nikolai. He had taken the initiative to transport the Boraalans on an identical camping site on the ship while they were sleeping. He designs the program in the Holodeck to make it appear that the Boraalans are traveling to a habitable place on the planet that they are no longer on. The surface of the new planet will be their stopping point. Seeing that he has no choice in the matter, Picard takes the Boraalans to another habitable planet.