Strange New Worlds season 2 - SPOILERS

[Ryujin]

Well, I have a Physics degree, but I'm not a true "radiation expert".

1) Cold fusion does not exist. But an experimental hot fusion reactor in Toronto is perfectly plausible.

2) Beta particles have a range of about 90 cm in air. So to detect it that way you would either need to be already looking at it, or there would have to be a deadly radiation leak.

3) It's my understanding that it is gamma radiation that triggers phosphorescence. Again, you would only expect this to be detectable if their was a deadly radiation leak, and one would expect emergency services to carry equipment capable of detecting it (in case of a "dirty bomb"). Along with any school or university science lab. I assume Toronto has those?

4) A fusion reactor would emit neutrinos. And I would expect any Starfleet Academy graduate to know this. These are basically harmless but difficult to detect. They would not trigger phosphorescence, but I would expect a Starfleet Academy graduate to be able to build a detector (probably van-sized) given time and 21st century materials. If they can't I'm flunking them on engineering.

5) Looking for "Noonien-Singh" in the phone book would have been considerably easier and faster. Kirk had already mentioned he had never heard the name, so that pointed directly to the change.

Considering the two universities and numerous hospitals in that area, someone would have detected a leak that big. But then we're straying too far from TV SciFi logic

 

[Mallus]

Also consider this episode cribs from the TOS episode in which Spock successfully modifies a 23rd century tricorder with 1930s radio parts.

 

[Rabulias]

5) Looking for "Noonien-Singh" in the phone book would have been considerably easier and faster. Kirk had already mentioned he had never heard the name, so that pointed directly to the change.

This would appear to be at least 25 years from Khan having an influence on events. A dramatic change here could derail Khan's fate without him specifically being the target, so it would be quite a leap to think that.

Also, it is unclear exactly how much detail La'an would have on Khan's childhood. Would she have known the name of the facility? She seemed shocked upon seeing it. I think this is the first we the audience have heard of it. I am surprised to not see Soong's name on the door, but maybe he was just employed there?

Even if she had known how to find Khan, who would think an institute working on genetic engineering would also have a cold fusion reactor?

 

[bloodtide]

S2E3 was a good episode. A nice character focused one, and a nice solo one too.

So...Romulans from the future using Time Travel as a weapon to "slow down" and "destroy" the Federation. And they even mention "The" Temporal Cold War.

Does the show ever say the date? Guess it had to be 2030 ish, right? If we go by Picards S2 timeline, Soong would have likely got to work quickly. But still figure a year or so make the secret base in Canada. And Khan and the kids were about 8? 10? Assuming they did not "genetically enhance" their age.....

Timeline Fun!

So.........this episode goes with the idea of an Alt Timeline. The Kelvin Timeline. But not starting with the USS Kelvin....starting way back with Edith in "City of the Edge of Forever".

1.Prime time line: Kick/Spock/Mccoy go back in time via the Guardian of Forever. Kirk lets Edith die. So Trek OS to ENT happens. The Eugenic Wars happen in the 90's and humans have space travel by then too.... then WWIII, and eventually First Contact with the Vulcans....and all of Prime history.

2.Kelvin Timeline 1: No one uses the Guardian of Forever to go back to Edith's time. Edith lives and the 'peace movement' does not effect things until the 1950's or so. So this Timeline has "our" ending for WWII. But from the 1950's on the 'Edith Movement' of Peace, Harmony, Diversity, Inclusion, and Exploration grips the world. The Eugenic Wars don't happen until 2030 or so.....and lead into WWIII and it's nuclear holocaust quick enough......We see Washington DC and other cities hit in S1E1.... But The Edith Movement survives, and the people of Earth are able to make "Modern Trek" of the Movies, DIS, PIC, SNW and all the cartoons.

This explains how nothing seen in the Modern Movies, DIS, PIC, SNW or the cartoons is anything like anything in the Prime Timeline.

3.Kelvin Timeline 2: No one uses the Guardian of Forever to go back to Edith's time. Edith lives and the 'peace movement' obliterates the Earth and the Federation. It would seem WWII here was much more devastating. Fair guess is The Axis got the nuclear bomb....and use it. The Eugenic Wars, and WWIII don't happen here. What is left of humanity flees into space. Seems like Alt Kirk from this episode is from this timeline. Humans still exist...but on scattered worlds fighting vs the Romulans. The events of the OS never happened, so TNG-ENT can't happen ever either.

 

[Ryujin]

I think the general idea in this episode is to slip in a change to pre-Federation history, without it being a different timeline from ST:TOS. The idea that time is elastic is presented by the Romulan agent when she says that no matter what she does, time keeps trying to go back to its original shape. The key events might happen at different times but they do happen, resulting in the same outcome. Eventually. That might be due to the actions of the "time cops", or it may be a natural phenomenon.

 

[overgeeked]

One thing that always gets me is character logic vs story logic. Is there any in-fiction reason why the Romulan agent in S02E03 would keep talking to Singh instead of just shooting her? The hand scanner should still work unless it somehow locks out dying or dead people.

Honestly surprised she didn’t talk to Simka Pelia at the end. Maybe the head nod and close up of the watch is suggestive of a future conversation.

 

[billd91]

One thing that always gets me is character logic vs story logic. Is there any in-fiction reason why the Romulan agent in S02E03 would keep talking to Singh instead of just shooting her? The hand scanner should still work unless it somehow locks out dying or dead people.

I would hope any biometric device sophisticated enough to read her DNA as a Noonien-Singh could tell if the person is live or dead.

 

[Zaukrie]

I've actually enjoyed this season more than the first for some reason I cannot identify

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Honestly surprised she didn’t talk to Simka Pelia at the end. Maybe the head nod and close up of the watch is suggestive of a future conversation.

Yeah, I was sure that there was a "so ya going to return my watch, or what?" conversation coming up right until the episode actually ended.

And the close-up of the watch had what I would consider a "foreboding" musical sting. So I think they intend to follow up on this plot thread in some capacity, though I wouldn't be surprised if they have no clear plans on when or how they'll do such.

 

[Zaukrie]

Yeah, I was sure that there was a "so ya going to return my watch, or what?" conversation coming up right until the episode actually ended.

And the close-up of the watch had what I would consider a "foreboding" musical sting. So I think they intend to follow up on this plot thread in some capacity, though I wouldn't be surprised if they have no clear plans on when or how they'll do such.

Agreed on that second paragraph