Programming in Science Fiction

I enjoy reflecting on the creativity shown by the writers of “Star Trek”, especially the “Voyager” series. Many “Programming”-related idioms appear, which is unsurprising since they operate a “Starship”. The real ingenuity lies in how “programming” was meant to suggest ideas to viewers. No one displays endless code on a screen; instead, in classic fashion, a cast member usually leans over a console pressing buttons that beep and flash while processing instructions.

“Tom Paris” is known to “program” engaging “encounters” on the holodecks, which are immersive stories you can enter. He calls it “Programming”. No IDE is visible, no tabs versus spaces debate.

The charismatic and intriguing holographic “Doctor” is a “program” facing moral and ethical dilemmas that drive the plot. He insists he is far more than the “code” he was written in—“more than the sum of the routines that he is made of”. A true AI.

B’Elanna Torres, Chief Engineer of Voyager, has a combustible personality and a sharp, cutting tone like a true “Engineer”. She does not waste time. She is also in a sense the most creative member, a tinker bell in space, constantly finding elegant solutions to complex problems through a systematic approach. She creates new programs and debugs the holographic doctor when required. In one annoying incident for the doctor, she alters his “routines” to be more realistic rather than the “patriarchal utopian” vision he had programmed into his holoadventures.

The most compelling episode features B’Elanna confronting a talking AI embedded in a civilisation-ending bomb. The twist is that it was she who programmed it in a previous life. She designed it so effectively that it resists any effort to divert it from its purpose—even from its creator, herself. This is fascinating.