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Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!nunes
From: nunes@utcsrgv.UUCP (Joe Nunes)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: Re: Spock's not so smart
Message-ID: <3160@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 19-Jan-84 11:30:09 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.3160
Posted: Thu Jan 19 11:30:09 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Jan-84 12:35:47 EST
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 19

   Regarding the Star Trek episode "The Galileo 7", the following comment was
made about Spock's actions:

>>                      ... he illogically takes the gamble of jettisonning
>> and igniting the remainder of the shuttlecraft's fuel as a signal flare to
>> attract the attention of the Enterprise should it be nearby.

   I've heard this criticism hundreds of times (including in the show itself),
and I'm surprised that nobody has noticed that it's completely mistaken.
   The options available to Spock were as follows:

      1. Action:  Do nothing
         Result:  0% chance of survival (shuttle would burn up in re-entry)

      2. Action:  Ignite remainder of fuel
         Result:  0.000....001% chance of survival (Enterprise could be nearby)

   The only logical choice (by any laws of logic I know) was exactly the
one that Spock took.