Do Starfleet Captains Really Need Orgo?
Pre-meds often wonder whether they really need a year of organic chemistry, but what about prospective Starfleet officers? Will organic chemistry still be important for explorers in the 24th century?
Apparently not. (Skip to 7:45)
October 11th, 2011 at 7:11 AM
Rick Perry can breathe easier now.
October 11th, 2011 at 9:31 AM
To be fair, he never said he didn’t have to retake the course. I would imagine that Starfleet Academy has a summer school.
Picard would be good at orgo, if he put his mind to it: “Substitution, Nucleophilic, Bimolecular”
October 11th, 2011 at 1:58 PM
I wonder what they learn in organic chemistry in the 24th century. The food replicators suggest that they have synthesis figured out. I know by the 23rd century they could replicate the natural products that make up the brightly colored styrofoam cubes they served to honored guests, and by the 24th century they had mastered Earl Grey tea and hot chocolate (for Troi).
And has anyone figured out if synthale actually has ethanol in it?
October 11th, 2011 at 2:15 PM
The replicator makes synthesis superfluous. So probably they just learn amino acids, DNA, protein interactions in cell environment, etc… as well as some basic bond and reaction theory. Probably a lot of memorization so I’m not surprised that he failed it. Also, I’m not sure whether I should be angry at you, or say thank you for making me notice that there are a lot of STNG episodes on youtube.
October 11th, 2011 at 6:37 PM
I imagine they teach Fischer esterification, Williamson ether synthesis and Grignard reactions.
October 11th, 2011 at 7:15 PM
I miss STNG. Will have to check out youtube. Love the line “your neutrinos are drifting”.
October 12th, 2011 at 1:39 AM
Unfortunately, after watching some of the episodes again, now that I’m older and have a chemistry degree, I realize how bad some of the acting really is (true, mostly from the occasional non-permanent ensign) and how much of the storyline is similar to an idealized American late 20th century view of the world.
October 12th, 2011 at 6:57 AM
Advanced alien life forms have undoubtedly discovered all the major chemical reactions such as the Fischer esterification and the Grignard. I wonder: do the Klingons also have named reactions in organic chemistry?
October 12th, 2011 at 7:45 AM
You raise an interesting point…if we make contact with an intelligent alien species, how will we reconcile the named reactions? Will we adopt the name of the first discovery or simply combine names? Will people in the 24th century have the patience to learn the Corey-House-Posner-Whitesides-Worf-Gowron-K’Ehleyr Reaction by name?
October 12th, 2011 at 8:25 AM
Professor Kaa’pleth was a hack; the Klingon chemistry world rejoiced when I slew him in a mechanism meeting turned bat’leth duel.
October 12th, 2011 at 8:56 AM
@Paul, maybe this provides some insight into Picard’s struggles with organic chemistry….
October 12th, 2011 at 12:00 PM
With Spock and Captain Kirk, this would not have happened. I watch them over and over again, every night.
October 12th, 2011 at 3:11 PM
Slash fiction?
October 12th, 2011 at 3:24 PM
no, but who was Sybok, again ?
October 12th, 2011 at 4:50 PM
And what were the Founders made of? Shape-shifting hydrogel networks? Uncured PDMS?
I know what Monsanto was genetically engineering in the 23rd century: quadrotriticale (i.e., tribble food).
Dilithium will still be difficult to synthesize, since Spock-with-a-beard was willing to destroy the Halkan people in order to obtain their natural deposits of it.
October 13th, 2011 at 12:12 AM
Some of those slash fiction videos for Kirk/Spock on youtube are really disturbing. Especially the NIN one. Although the cartoon one with Shatner’s version of ‘Common People’ is awesome: hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXWEM4gZhg4 (replace xx by tt)
October 14th, 2011 at 6:14 AM
Administrators never seem to understand the details. The great ones can be fabulous leaders by surrounding themselves by excellent people and trusting their advice.
October 14th, 2011 at 9:27 AM
hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXWEM4gZhg4
“This video is not available in your country. We are sorry.”