Geeks ??

[Kashyap Hosdurga]

As per some of the TV programs in the US(CSI:NY, Big Bang theory, Friends)
You are not a geek if you just know computers....you should know at least one more subject (like Quantum Physics/Geology/Chemistry) to be called as a geek.

Oh I will never be a geek

[Henry Wong]

Speaking of "Big Bang Theory", there was one episode where one of them builds a team, to enter a contest. This team was based on star trek. The regular team members wears red, while the one superior team member gets to wear gold.

While watching that, I go.... What??? Red is command. Gold is engineering. How the heck is gold better than red? The top member of the starship wear red. What the heck??? .... At that point, I could feel my wife's eyes roll...

Henry

[Mike Simmons]

Henry Wong wrote:Red is command. Gold is engineering.

[...]

.... At that point, I could feel my wife's eyes roll...

Doubtless she knew that red is support, including security and engineering, while gold is command.

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

You know, I never noticed that before, but it actually depends on the show. On TOS, Mike's right; on TNG, Henry's actually right (Picard, Riker are red; Geordi and O'Brian are gold.)

[Mike Simmons]

And the Big Bang Theory team was based on classic Trek.

[Bear Bibeault]

Red means Ensign Ricky isn't beaming back to the ship.

[Henry Wong]

Yeah, the original star trek was not too consistent with the colors. With TNG, DS9, and Voyager, they seemed to have standardize red for command, gold for engineering, and blue for science (medical).

The weird one seems to be security -- which seems to imply that they are in line for command. But it kinda makes sense. Gold and Blue requires some sort of intelligence. And you have to be really stupid to be willing to wear red as part of a landing party.

Henry

[Henry Wong]

Mike Simmons wrote:And the Big Bang Theory team was based on classic Trek.

Maybe it is... then I would be more forgiving. Unfortunately, this doesn't change my wife's view on the matter. If I bring it up, her eyes would just roll some more -- and I doubt it is because she knows classic trek...

Henry

[Mike Simmons]

Henry Wong wrote:Yeah, the original star trek was not too consistent with the colors. With TNG, DS9, and Voyager, they seemed to have standardize red for command, gold for engineering, and blue for science (medical).

I thought they were pretty much standardized in the original series. Kirk, Sulu, Chekov in gold (command), Spock, Bones, and all other science & medical personnel in blue, and Scotty, Uhura, and other security / engineering /miscellaneous people in red. Kirk occasionally wore a light green shirt for variety, and in the first few episodes there might have been other colors used before they standardized, but the gold/blue/red split is as I described for about 90% of the episodes.

Of course, in the movies they had other uniforms entirely, with no comparable color differences.

[Bear Bibeault]

Mike Simmons wrote:

Henry Wong wrote:Yeah, the original star trek was not too consistent with the colors. With TNG, DS9, and Voyager, they seemed to have standardize red for command, gold for engineering, and blue for science (medical).

I thought they were pretty much standardized in the original series. Kirk, Sulu, Chekov in gold (command), Spock, Bones, and all other science & medical personnel in blue, and Scotty, Uhura, and other security / engineering /miscellaneous people in red. Kirk occasionally wore a light green shirt for variety, and in the first few episodes there might have been other colors used before they standardized, but the gold/blue/red split is as I described for about 90% of the episodes.

Of course, in the movies they had other uniforms entirely, with no comparable color differences.

This.

[marc weber]

There were no red uniforms in the first 2 pilots ("The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before"). Color television was fairly new back then, and they were still getting a feel for how to use it. So when the show went into production, more color (especially red) was introducted. Red doors, railings, panel edges, the navigation/helm console, transporter floor... And, of course, red uniforms.

Similar changes are evident in "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," which switched to color in its second season. Drab "navy" uniforms were suddenly replaced with bright jumpsuits (including red), and khaki officers started wearing green sweaters over their uniforms.

So I don't think there was originally much thought behind it, other than "We need more color!"

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

marc weber wrote:
So I don't think there was originally much thought behind it, other than "We need more color!"

You are crazy, you don't know what you're talking about. I have to go look this up in my Starfleet Technical Manual.

[Henry Wong]

Ernest Friedman-Hill wrote:

You are crazy, you don't know what you're talking about. I have to go look this up in my Starfleet Technical Manual.

Geez... Why didn't I think of that?!? ... wait a sec...

Hmmm... There doesn't seem to be a section about uniforms in the "Starfleet Technical Manual".


Wait another sec....


Okay, in the "Star Trek Encyclopedia" (I kid you not), there is a section about uniforms...

There seems to be multiple shades of red. Some very close to pink. Some very close to brown. There seems to be multiple shades of gold. Some very close to yellow. Some more tan than gold. There seems to be multiple shades of blue. There are also uniforms which are green, gray / black, white, etc. Along with combination colors, gold turtleneck / blue top, green top / yellow collar, etc. etc. etc.

What was the question again? ...



And for the record... my wife bought the encyclopedia for me, many years ago... but I'll admit to have bought the starfleet technical manual...

Henry

[Henry Wong]

There were no red uniforms in the first 2 pilots ("The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before"). Color television was fairly new back then, and they were still getting a feel for how to use it. So when the show went into production, more color (especially red) was introducted. Red doors, railings, panel edges, the navigation/helm console, transporter floor... And, of course, red uniforms.

Marc is correct here. Pike's uniform is neither red or gold. It is a brown color. And it doesn't match any of the colors mentioned in the uniforn section of the encyclopedia.


Okay, these manuals are going back on the shelf -- to collect dust again...

Henry

[Jesper de Jong]

Hmmm. I studied electrical engineering and learned about quantum physics in University, I even got a 9 for it (almost the highest mark, we have a system where school marks go from 1 to 10, where 1 is the lowest and 10 means "perfect"). So I guess that I'm a real qualified geek.

I like the original Star Trek, it looks so strangely old fashioned in the future - turning dials with numbers, CRT screens etc.

[marc weber]

Jesper Young wrote:... I like the original Star Trek, it looks so strangely old fashioned in the future - turning dials with numbers, CRT screens etc.

Retro-future. That's a huge reason I love the original. I wish they would do a film in that vein, rather than trying to "update" everything with CGI. Sometimes less is more.

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

Gasolinepunk.

[marc weber]

Ernest Friedman-Hill wrote:Gasolinepunk.

[Mike Simmons]

Henry Wong wrote:

Mike Simmons wrote:And the Big Bang Theory team was based on classic Trek.

Maybe it is... then I would be more forgiving.

OK, I had never watched the show previously, but others had recommended it to me, and this thread pushed me to finally get hold of the series and watch it. Overall: not bad. Not great, but enjoyable. Sometimes the dialogue from Sheldon and others is spot on, while other times it's like they're all caricatures of geeks. Oh well.

Anyway, I just saw the episode in question, and there is really no question that Sheldon is modeling the team after classic trek. See beginning of clip here. Sheldon is wearing the uniform of Kirk (from the original TV series) - not Picard, Sisko, Janeway or Archer. Or for that matter, not Kirk from any movie or mirror universe.

Heck, even your wife might recognize it. ;)

[Henry Wong]

Thanks, I stand corrected.... I actually don't seem to mind (too much) being out-geeked...

Henry

[Henry Wong]

BTW, this was definitely one of the better jokes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7dEUIcY72w

Henry