RICHARD DAYSTROM
and
THE DAYSTROM INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
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| CONTENTS | |
| This page | Mentions in [Voyager]. Richard Daystrom (brilliant 23rd-century computer scientist, inventor of duotronic and multitronic systems). |
| Page 2 | Duotronics. Multitronics. |
| Page 3 | Multitronics continued. Includes audio clips. |
| Page 4 | The Daystrom Institute of Technology. The Daystrom Prize. Implantation of Engrams. |
| In [#46 The Swarm], the Doctor's holoprogram suffers deterioration. Kes prompts the EMH diagnostic holoprogram, which looks like the creator of both holoprograms namely Dr Lewis Zimmerman, to agree to overlay his program over that of the Doctor's to extend the life of the Doctor's via the graft.
"Multitronics" is a computer system originally developed by Dr Richard Daystrom, and the connection is affirmed by the canon source Encyclopaedia. |  in Voyager's Sickbay, the holographic diagnostic program programs the computer to carry out the overlay, [#46 The Swarm] |
As he works, holo-"Zimmerman" comments: "I'm increasingly dubious as to the outcome of this effort. The EMH pathways are seriously degraded. They might not accept a matrix overlay."
Kes: "We have to try." The Doctor fritzes again. "Please hurry."
Holo-"Zimmerman": "I assure you: I am working as quickly as I can. If I don't prepare the multitronic paths properly there's no chance of success."
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"Duotronic" is explained in the sections 'Richard Daystrom' and 'Duotronics'. In [#55 Fair Trade], in Main Engineering:
Torres, by the warp core: "Ensign Vorik, get me a duotronic probe, I'm having trouble regulating the plasma flow. |
"Duotronic circuitry" is explained in the sections 'Richard Daystrom' and 'Duotronics'. In [#106 Bride Of Chaotica!], Paris and Tuvok enter the holodeck where a chapter of Paris' homage to early 20th century black-and-white science-fiction films and comics 'The Adventures Of Captain Proton' is active. But they find a battleground, quite against the expected storyline and, odder still, one of the holo-goodies, Constance Goodheart, has been killed, in a genre where the goodies never get killed. To obtain information Paris wants to question Satan's Robot, Dr Chaotica's weapon of destruction, but has to repair his vocal circuits first.
Paris: "If we can repair his vocaliser he might be able to tell us what's been going on." He opens a maintenance panel in the robot and pulls out something. "It looks like he burned out a resistor." He hands it to Tuvok.
Tuvok: "A what?"
Paris: "That's a few centuries before duotronic circuitry."
In [#119 Warhead], an away team commanded by Ensign Kim beams down to a planet upon receiving a distress call. They come upon a device stuck into rock as the result of crashlanding on the planet.
Kim, scanning the find: "I don't know - paratrinic shielding, a dense energy matrix, bio-neural circuitry.
Doctor: "Bio-neural?"
Kim, as the device emits electronic noises: "Whoa, back off. This could be dangerous."
Doctor: "No, wait. It's speaking to us."
Kim: "Speaking?"
Doctor: "In duotronic algorithms. Hold on. My translation matrix is interpreting. It says it's injured. It needs our help. It's asking why it can't see, or feel its arms and legs. It's terrified!"
That an alien device is speaking in duotronic algorithms indicates that the Druoda, a species that the Voyager crew later discover are responsible for manufacturing the device, have developed circuitry along similar lines to Daystrom's duotronic circuitry.
Ensign Kim, Crewman Lang, the Doctor and what turns out to be a sentient Druoda warhead
In [#144 Life Line], Counsellor Deanna Troi tries to get the Doctor and his creator Dr Lewis Zimmerman to put aside their mutual hostility.
Troi: "But if there were and you wanted to save his program. He probably wouldn't let you near him. He wouldn't care that you'd won the Daystrom Prize for Holography. From his perspective, you'd be out of date. But what if you knew you could save him?"
Doctor: "Thank you, Counsellor, for extending that olive branch. I'm willing to see past our differences, if he is."
Zimmerman: "Alright. He can start by purging the plasma conduits on deck 6."
Troi, Zimmerman and the Doctor, in Zimmerman's laboratory on Jupiter Station in the Alpha Quadrant, [#144 Life Line]
In [#166 Author Author], Janeway and several others are in Voyager's Astrometrics Lab receiving the first live audio-visual communication between them from Project Pathfinder at Starfleet's Headquarters.
Janeway: "Lieutenant Barclay, my congratulations on establishing the first trans-galactic comlink. You've earned a place in the history books."
Barclay: "I can't take all the credit, Captain. It was Harry and Seven suggested bouncing a tachyon beam off of the quantum singularity."
Kim: "Just be sure to thank us when you accept the Daystrom Prize."
Lieutenant Barclay (left) and Admiral Owen Paris conversing with Kim, Janeway and other Voyager officers, [#166 Author Author]
In [#170 Renaissance Man], the Doctor fears that his program is about to decompile, as the result of recent adventures which included imprisonment by two renegade Hierarchy aliens. Back on the holodeck on Voyager, the Doctor decides to make his deathbed speeches.
Doctor: "Captain, if I don't survive, I need you to do something for me."
Janeway: "You're going to be alright."
Doctor to Janeway: "If I'm not, when you reach Earth I want you to donate my emitter to the Daystrom Institute." He hands her his mobile emitter. "They may be able to replicate it some day so that other holograms can know the freedom I've enjoyed."
The Doctor hands Janeway his mobile emitter, [#170 Renaissance Man]
 Dr Richard Daystrom (played by actor William Marshall) [TOS: The Ultimate Computer] |
Dr Richard Daystrom, born in 2219, came to be a brilliant 23rd-century computer scientist, inventor of comptronic and duotronic systems. He won both the prestigious Nobel Prize (Earth chemist Alfred Nobel, lived 1833-1896, established funds for annual awards to recognise outstanding achievements in science, literature, medicine and peace) and also the Zee-Magnees Prize (a prestigious scientific award) in 2243 at the age of only 24 for his breakthrough in duotronics. Duotronics was a revolutionary computer technology which became the basis for computer systems aboard Federation starships for over 80 years. |
Both Sakar, a brilliant Vulcan theoretical scientist, and Kazanga, a brilliant theoretical scientist, were often compared to such luminaries as Albert Einstein and Dr Richard Daystrom, so high was the esteem in which Daystrom was held. However, Daystrom's early successes resulted in personal troubles, and he spent many years trying to live up to his reputation as a 'boy wonder'.
He pioneered multitronics in which human neural engrams were implanted onto computer circuits with the aim of getting the computer to think and reason like a person. Unfortunately he used his own engrams for the prototype computer, designation M-5, and it mimicked the unstable parts of his personality too. The first field test of a computer featuring multitronic circuitry was a disaster that cost many lives, and cost Daystrom his sanity. He was committed to a rehabilitation centre. However, Starfleet later developed the concept after removing the undesirable and unstable element of unwanted personality, so Daystrom can therefore be credited with pioneering the multitronic computer pathways. The exact nature of these multitronic pathways is, however, not explained in Star Trek.
Next page: Duotronics. Multitronics.
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