Forum:TOS-era lights, levers and switches

Forums → Reference Desk → TOS-era lights, levers and switches (reply • watch)

We all know that the at-first-glance antiquated flashing lights, switches, levers etc on the TOS Enterprise were simply the result of a 1960s view of the future.

However, has any canonical or semi-canonical revisionist explanation been offered as to why such user interfaces were employed in the 23rd century?

Firstly, I object to the term "antiquated". We STILL use lights, switches, and levers in many many applications today, even where "touchscreens" etc would also work because they are simple to maintain and easy to read/manipulate.

The TOS instruments depicted capabilities centuries beyond their mid-20th century equivilants. Take just the Engineering station on the bridge of the Enterprise-nil. ONE man, using a span of console not much larger than the span of his outstretched arms, could monitor and control the ENTIRE engineering functions of the ship directly if need be. Contrast that with the Main Mission room for the Apollo program, where it took dozens of people EACH with a console that big just to MONITOR the capsule systems in flight...they had no direct control over it.Capt Christopher Donovan 02:14, 26 December 2007 (UTC)

Well, I said "at-first-glance antiquated", which is a rather different sentiment to the one to which you object. I certainly did not intend to criticize Matt Jeffries et al for somehow not being farsighted enough. I simply wondered whether any canonical explanation for the apparent anachronism existed. After all, such interfaces had all but disappeared by TMP.

My own view is that such controls were simply en vogue during the TOS era - a trend. After all, most of the ship's systems were presumably maintained by its extremely powerful computer..

True to an extent, but those interfaces were in use a lot longer than you indicate...all the way from the contols of the Phoenix (depicted in "First Contact" [movie]), through the NX-01 Enterprise (2150s) through the time of ST III (movie) (2280s), where we see the earliest "touch screen" controls (on the bridge of Excelsior).Capt Christopher Donovan 08:09, 28 December 2007 (UTC)

One way to view this situation is to believe for a moment that all the "at-first-glance antiquated" controls you see in the TOS-era are in fact more advanced than the technology we have today (out-universe). It is difficult to believe since we have already invented touch-screen systems similar to 24th century consoles but it is not for us to say what seems antiquated or "outdatedly" analog.

I believe that for every kind of new invention, there will be a relapse of trends for that invention, for example, with the advent of the iPhone, there are those that can argue both ways as to which is better, touch-screen or tactile buttons. There may be a time that occurs out-universe where digital displays are once more replaced with analog input devices. Analog cameras are still in use and are being used more and more as digital cameras are increasing in popularity and technology.

Another way to view the situation is to believe that all the controls you see in the TOS-era are in-fact not there. Just imagine touch-screens wherever you see switches and buttons. And I know there will be many people who will disagree with that option but there are many people who do that kind of role-play when watching ST. Viaesta 00:04, 3 January 2008 (UTC)