The simulation has to follow the same basic idea each time, right? The details may get to vary all choose-your-own-adventure style, but in the end rocks fall, everybody dies.
I think that's where Spock's vast programming knowledge comes in because he has to be able to predict and counteract all possible scenarios and guard against them.
Is the experience less valid if you just repeat it enough? Do other cadets occasionally take it over again, or is Kirk just that unique? I know Bones seems surprised at the announcement, but I wonder if it's unheard of.
I have a feeling that, based on human ingenuity and the sheer amount of variables, someone would have to take it a great many times before they encountered every possible scenario. I also think that part of the test is based on how long it takes you to fail so maybe the more you take it the better you might adjust your decisions and the longer it would take you to die, however, it's not set up as a test that you take multiple times.
I'm actually quite surprised that Kirk was the only person to ever take it more than once, but perhaps everyone else looked at it solely as a learning experience and Kirk looked at it like a pass/fail and dammit he wasn't prepared to fail.
This makes me really want to know what happened the first two times. I almost think they just keep letting him try again out of sheer curiosity. O_o
In my head Kirk is utterly shocked that he failed - even though everyone fails - because he's so good at accomplishing the unexpected and he knows it. Then I imagine that he got very, very pissed and tried again. When he failed the second time I imagine pissed was an understatement and then came his realization that he'd have to cheat the system, and this we got his cockiness in the conversation with Bones:)
And I definitely think they let him take it again just out of curiosity. And I'd be willing to bet that Pike was laughing his ass off as soon as someone told him about Kirk's request.
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Date: 2009-07-09 01:57 am (UTC)I think that's where Spock's vast programming knowledge comes in because he has to be able to predict and counteract all possible scenarios and guard against them.
Is the experience less valid if you just repeat it enough? Do other cadets occasionally take it over again, or is Kirk just that unique? I know Bones seems surprised at the announcement, but I wonder if it's unheard of.
I have a feeling that, based on human ingenuity and the sheer amount of variables, someone would have to take it a great many times before they encountered every possible scenario. I also think that part of the test is based on how long it takes you to fail so maybe the more you take it the better you might adjust your decisions and the longer it would take you to die, however, it's not set up as a test that you take multiple times.
I'm actually quite surprised that Kirk was the only person to ever take it more than once, but perhaps everyone else looked at it solely as a learning experience and Kirk looked at it like a pass/fail and dammit he wasn't prepared to fail.
This makes me really want to know what happened the first two times. I almost think they just keep letting him try again out of sheer curiosity. O_o
In my head Kirk is utterly shocked that he failed - even though everyone fails - because he's so good at accomplishing the unexpected and he knows it. Then I imagine that he got very, very pissed and tried again. When he failed the second time I imagine pissed was an understatement and then came his realization that he'd have to cheat the system, and this we got his cockiness in the conversation with Bones:)
And I definitely think they let him take it again just out of curiosity. And I'd be willing to bet that Pike was laughing his ass off as soon as someone told him about Kirk's request.