Skip to main content

star trek - Why would Professor Moriarty "cease to exist" if he tried to exit the holodeck via the arch?


In the episode Ship in a Bottle, Professor James Moriarty wishes to leave the holodeck. The whole episode is centered around his complicated gambit to do just that, by giving the illusion to Picard that he already has. But in the beginning of the episode, they urgently implore him not to walk out of the holodeck.



PICARD: You must believe me, Professor. If you step outside that door, you will cease to exist.




Later in the episode, Barclay, Geordi, Data, and Picard brainstorm ways to transport Moriarty's love Regina out of the holodeck, but they are very cautious about it and don't want to try anything on her until they've thoroughly tested it on other objects, presumably because of the risk that she too could "cease to exist."


But why? Why wouldn't there be multitudinous backups of James and Regina in holodeck memory? Just as "ending a program" saves the program to memory, why wouldn't a holodeck character walking out of the holodeck cause him to "disappear" while still "existing" in memory?



This is a different (though related) question from Why can some holodeck matter leave the holodeck, while other holodeck matter (notably people) cannot? Reading both questions (and their respective answers) in full makes this quite clear. My question is, "Why wouldn't Moriarty's program continue to be saved in memory if he tried leaving the holodeck?" Though the other question uses Moriarty as an example, it can be generalized as, "Why can't holographic people leave the holodeck when some objects created in it can leave?" Both questions are about the mechanics of the holodeck, both are about what happens when certain holodeck objects try to leave, but they are ultimately about different things and have different answers as a result.



Answer



According to Voyager’s Message in a Bottle episode, holodeck technology works so that the data of the program object is embedded in the object. So the program contains its one and only instance.


To use an analogy of RAM memory, holograms reside either in RAM or in storage. They cannot be in both.


Why this is was never explained. I don't remember exactly, but wasn't the holodeck an acquired technology, not developed?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why didn't The Doctor or Clara recognize Missy right away?

So after it was established that Missy is actually both the Master, and the "woman in the shop" who gave Clara the TARDIS number... ...why didn't The Doctor or Clara recognize her right away? I remember the Tenth Doctor in The Sound of Drums stating that Timelords had a way of recognizing other Timelords no matter if they had regenerated. And Clara should have recognized her as well... I'm hoping for a better explanation than "Moffat screwed up", and that I actually missed something after two watchthroughs of the episode. Answer There seems to be a lot of in-canon uncertainty as to the extent to which Time Lords can recognise one another which far pre-dates Moffat's tenure. From the Time Lords page on Wikipedia : Whether or not Time Lords can recognise each other across regenerations is not made entirely clear: In The War Games, the War Chief recognises the Second Doctor despite his regeneration and it is implied that the Doctor knows him when they fir
Post a Comment
Read more

the lord of the rings - Why is Gimli allowed to travel to Valinor?

Gimli was allowed to go to Valinor despite not being a ring bearer. Is this explained in detail or just with the one line "for his love for Galadriel"? Answer There's not much detail about this aside from what's said in Appendix A to Return of the King: We have heard tell that Legolas took Gimli Glóin's son with him because of their great friendship, greater than any that has been between Elf and Dwarf. If this is true, then it is strange indeed: that a Dwarf should be willing to leave Middle-earth for any love, or that the Eldar should receive him, or that the Lords of the West should permit it. But it is said that Gimli went also out of desire to see again the beauty of Galadriel; and it may be that she, being mighty among the Eldar, obtained this grace for him. More cannot be said of this matter. And Appendix B: Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down Anduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf . And when that sh
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the etymology of Doctor Who?

I recently decided to watch Doctor Who, and started viewing the 2005 version. I have the first two episodes from the first season, and I can't help but wonder what is the etymology of the name "Doctor Who"? And why does the protagonist call himself "the Doctor" (or is it "the doctor")? Answer In the very first episode of Doctor Who (way back in 1963), the Doctor has a granddaughter going by the name "Susan Foreman", and the junkyard where the TARDIS is has the sign "I.M. Foreman". Barbara, who becomes one of the Doctor's companions, calls him "Doctor Foreman" (probably assuming that is his name given his relationship to Susan), and Ian (another early companion) does the same in the second episode, to which the Doctor says: Eh? Doctor who? What's he talking about? "Foreman" is most likely selected as a convenient surname for Susan to use because it happened to be on display near where the TARDIS landed.
Post a Comment
Read more