Originally Posted by alan
Yes, but it all lands up as English!
If we survive as a species long enough I would imagine that it is inevitable that we will develope the technological breakthroughs that will enable us to colonize other planets. I'm not that optimistic that we will be around as a species that long.
Au contraire!
The universal translator (also referred to as a "UT" or
translator circuit) is a device used to decipher and interpret alien languages
into the native language of the user.
"Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein
+1If we survive as a species long enough I would imagine that it is inevitable that we will develope the technological breakthroughs that will enable us to colonize other planets. I'm not that optimistic that we will be around as a species that long.
Trees don't grow on money
"If man survives for as long as the least successful of the dinosaurs—those creatures whom we often deride as nature's failures—then we may be certain of this: for all but a vanishingly brief instant near the dawn of history, the word 'ship' will mean— 'spaceship.'"
— Arthur C. Clarke, quoted by Hugh Downs, Ad Astra, Fall 2008.
Best,
Rodger
What is this "au contaire" you speak of?
So let me understand this. The UT thingy is translating everything into English just for me? That's great cuz I hate subtitles.
we need babble-fish. much more reliable, i've heard.
Yes. What would be the point if it translated Klingon to Ferengi, and you weren't Ferengi? Duh!!
"Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein
The UT translates the alien language to the language of the LISTENER. So, since you speak English, you hear only English. If you were Klingon, you would hear Klingon. Actually there was an episode of Deep Space Nine where the UT was broken and the humans who were interacting with the Ferengi couldn't understand them.
edited to correct my spelling of Ferengi. I'm trusting Alan's spelling.
So you're saying this miraculous device could help me understand Obamacare?
I would imagine most politicians would be terrified of a device that translated what they say into something each listener could actually understand. They'd have a much harder time backpedaling and insisting that what they said wasn't actually what they said.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote