** The TOS episode "The Ultimate Computer" is a great example of this trope, combined with a little LuddWasRight. The ''Enterprise'' is testing a brand-new computer that could automate starships completely, making crews and captains all but obsolete. AIIsACrapshoot, things go south fast, and our heroes must pull the plug and save the day, but not before the sorrowful moments where Kirk faces the thought he may become obsolete. The scientist who designed the computer also turns out to be insane at the end, just to drive the point home.
** In the [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]] episode "Paradise," the neo-Luddite colonist Alixus deliberately stranded her colony ship and used a [[{{Technobabble}} duonetic field]] to disable electromagnetic technology, forcing them all to live as SpaceAmish. Her control over her fellow colonists was so great that even after O'Brien disabled the field generator and Sisko bucked her authority, they still wanted to live like she had been forcing them to live.

Changed line(s) 160,162 (click to see context) from:

** The GrayAndGreyMorality of the show seems to imply that science can accomplish good things, but at the cost of other good things, and the scientist's [[YMMV mileage may vary]] as to whether the accomplishments are worth the cost. This is especially obvious when comparing and contrasting Walter and Walternate; each crosses lines that the other will not. For example, Walter is willing to experiment on children while [[WouldntHurtAChild Walternate is not]], but Walternate is willing to trap people alive in amber while Walter is not.
* While the ''{{Stargate}}'' series mostly avert this, the ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' episode "Trinity," wherein [=McKay=] finds an abandoned Ancient experiment to produce limitless energy, it's repeatedly suggested that he is getting in over his head (The Ancients did not complete the program, and it went rather wrong). Despite constant protestations that this is a field they are simply not ready for, [=McKay=] continues. In the end he ends up destroying a Stellar System. While the episode plays the aesop straight, a later episode has a solution to the problems from the first time, and the attempt is assisted by an Asgard, the most technologically advanced race who will talk with humanity.
** Well, five sixths of a Solar System. It's not an exact science.

to:

** The GrayAndGreyMorality of the show seems to imply that science can accomplish good things, but at the cost of other good things, and the scientist's [[YMMV/{{Fringe}} mileage may vary]] as to whether the accomplishments are worth the cost. This is especially obvious when comparing and contrasting Walter and Walternate; each crosses lines that the other will not. For example, Walter is willing to experiment on children while [[WouldntHurtAChild Walternate is not]], but Walternate is willing to trap people alive in amber while Walter is not.
* While the ''{{Stargate}}'' series mostly avert this, the ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' episode "Trinity," wherein [=McKay=] finds an abandoned Ancient experiment to produce limitless energy, it's repeatedly suggested that he is getting in over his head (The Ancients did not complete the program, and it went rather wrong). Despite constant protestations that this is a field they are simply not ready for, [=McKay=] continues. In the end he ends up destroying about five-sixths of a solar system (it's not an exact science). While the episode plays the aesop straight, a later episode has a solution to the problems from the first time, and the attempt is assisted by an Asgard, the most technologically advanced race who will talk with humanity.

This list shows the last 5 events of 5. Show all.

new edits

TV Tropes by TV Tropes Foundation, LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org.
Privacy Policy