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BLINKING LIGHTS! The Control Panels and Consoles |
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One of the major criticisms TOS is always faced with is the fact that the futuristic sci-fi we are shown is kind of cheesey. Let's assume here that the Enterprise is real, the Federation is real, we are in the 23rd century.
In the 23rd century, technology looks different than today's technology. The reasons for that phenonema are explained here. Keeping those reasons in mind, let's examine the control devices used on the Enterprise bridge. |
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When examined closely, you will note that the controls look basic, vague, utilitarian and (drum roll please) Military. That's right: the Enterprise is a military vessal and the Federation is the military. When you look at the buttons and lights, you will note that nothing is labelled. You also see panels of lights that blink on and off randomly. You see screeens positioned along the tops of the bridge stations that display random images or are just black. When I watch this, I tend to wonder what those random lights mean.
Now you may or may not have noticed any computer keyboards or terminal screens for input to the computer. You may think that the only way to communicate with the comuter is voice command. We hear that familiar "Working" sound with the clacking of keys whenever Kirk accesses the computer. This is why:
In this future, two hundred years from now, the Bridge crew on the Enterprise uses buttons and switches for all input to Enterprise control, and series of blinking lights for computer and control output. You will never see a computer monitor like we use today anywhere on the Enterprise. |
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Personal and business computer technology has progressed beyond what we use today. Computer monitors have evolved into many variations until users got so used to using their computers that keyboards gradually shrunk to word and expression "abbreviations" accessed by pushing a certain button. Instead of having four rows of number and letter keys, you may have a series of black buttons arranged in a pattern, each button represents command key abbreviations. When you see Uhura waving her hands over the buttons, seemingly doing nothing at all, she is actually inputting information using those abbreviation keys. Whether it is faster or slower to input this way is beside the point. This system simply makes more sense and is easier to access for the user. |
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And why is Uhura able to wave her arm and know what buttons to push without even looking down? Well, modern day typists do this all the time. Second question: Why are no buttons labelled? If they are labelled, what is written doesn't make sense. The personell who operate these controls are very well trained. They don't need labels on any control. Remember, these are military personell, not your average 9 to 5er. They operate those controls for eight hours in a row. They know exactly what buttons to push, and where those buttons are located. Kirk, meanwhile, has been around them for so long, he can locate any control he wants to without needing obvious labels. |
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The blinking lights are a similar story. As I stated above, the computer and all control systems communicate back to the user with blinking lights. It sounds a little far fetched until you remember that this is the future, and computers don't use terminals (filled with words or Windows desktops and icons) anymore. What we are shown in TOS is that blinking lights have replaced monitors as we know them today. The lights look as though they are blinking randomly; they are also of varying sizes and colors. Each of these lights has a meaning based on its function, and the way blink and how many blink all have meaning that the bridge operator will understand. When we see the bridge, we see random sets of blinking lights. When bridge crew see them, they see statuses of Enterprise systems, such as warp drive readings, fuel readings, whatever. |
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Every system that is being monitored by the blinking lights has a sound associated with it. Every time a button is pushed, a beep or other noise is heard. This goes with the methods of communication with the Enterprise. This explains why the Bridge is so noisy, since every system is being monitored with both flashing lights and beeps. |
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