Star Trek II - You have to learn why things work on a starship

Admiral James T. Kirk outwits Khan Noonien Singh aus because he knows more about starships than him.

[@Onegoodman68]

In my opinion, this was the best Star Trek movie made yet. And also, I think Ricardo Montauban played one of the best screen villains ever. Khan was awesome.

[@Onegoodman68]

Sorry, I misspelled his last name

[@Beer_Dad1975]

As a kid, these words really stuck with me "understand how things work" - over 35 years later I make a very good living by understanding how things work, something most human beings are sadly to incurious to do.

[@elih9700]

Earth calling orson, earth calling orson.

[@ashakydd1]

I am very much the same way. Technology tends to have a logic and a personality AND understanding how and why they are an expression of its inner workings can enable you to operate and repair so much.

[@bman99ss]

You don't see the word "incurious" used much. It's a good word . . .

[@Beer_Dad1975]

@@bman99ss Just re-reading my comment, if I'd used too instead of to I might have actually come off as smart! 😀

[@bman99ss]

@@Beer_Dad1975 Lol. I didn't even notice. But you can always utilize the edit tool.

[@JamesPSmith1980]

2:10 This is true acting. You can see the confidence drain from Khan's face.

[@davhot4107]

"Raise them! 😯"

[@chriswilson3126]

This is why Ricardo Montalban as kahn is one of the greatest performances

[@paulbrogger655]

My favorite of all the movies. Montalban's Khan steals the show.

[@timorean320]

It is the Empire Strikes Back of Star Trek.

[@georgehaze]

The VERY best Star Trek film ever! And this short clip only helps to reinforce that opinion.

[@stephajn]

This is a mantra I use in my career. it has served me well and it is something I work hard to instill in others.

[@luckymerciless]

How I live my life through new jobs. Understand how things work. Thanks Captain.

[@mitchgross592]

Not “how” things work, it’s “why” things work. Important distinction. Knowing why allows Kirk to game the system and defeat Khan. Why is always more important than how.

[@stratfordbaby]

That was cool that they referenced the photo control system which indeed, is in that blue glass domed thing at the back of the saucer.

[@robertfranklin7040]

In the book Spock tells Saavic, "it is not enough to know how things work on a starship. One must also know why."

[@OptimusWombat]

Because of the time it takes to get a novelization written and published, there are usually differences between the novel and the shooting script, and that's not even considering improvisation. If I recall correctly, the TWoK novelization also referred to Khan's planet as "Alpha Ceti" rather than "Ceti Alpha".

[@mitchgross592]

It’s an important distinction, and Spock is absolutely correct that why is of greater value than how. That’s what allows Kirk to trick Reliant.

[@naverilllang]

I love that the password to externally control a starship is a 5 digit numerical code, and accessible to anyone else with a Starfleet ships' logs. Starfleet really oughtta improve their security.

[@DJDoena]

non-repeating digits no less!

[@U2QuoZepplin]

It's funny but by the twenty third century I would have expected them to have invented tripple focus spectacles never mind bi- focals. But maybe that's the whole point of the gift Dr McCoy gives to Kirk. They're a sort of antique, because in the 23rd century they have super-duper laser eye surgery or ten times better.

[@DJDoena]

McCoy says earlier in the movie that he'd usualky prescribe XYZ but that Kirk is allergic to it.

[@OmegaReaver]

@@DJDoena Retinax 5.

[@starsiegeplayer]

Kirk only needs glasses to see up close since he has presbyopia.

[@bobpearsall7737]

you have to learn WHY things work on a starship... underrated line... especially for an experienced engineer

[@wardwalker30]

This was such a great movie, really authentic to the characters

[@BAYAREA-kd1ig]

It will always amaze me that Ricardo Montalban out acted Shatner in this movie. This is not a knock on William Shatner who was incredible in this movie but Ricardo Montalban just was in fine form for this movie.

[@azurerainbow4637]

The look on Khan's face when the Reliant's shields dropped and that they couldn't get raised again before the Enterprise fired some shots at the Reliant and made her retreat fot the time being. Too bad that Khan didn't learn some more about the starship's new equipment after he & his people escaped exile after nearly 20 years.

[@WilliamHaisch]

Users: “Ugh! Why do we need these complex passwords for Remote Desktop?!” Me: Users: “I love this movie! So, why do we need these complex Remote Desktop passwords?” Me: 😂

[@AT-sd9qq]

In the past 40 years when I run into something I can't do I always do the wimpy "I can't" line from this movie.

[@YoRon427]

Back when Sulu was still cool

[@falcon3268]

for being enhanced you would think that Kahn's crew would've learned everything about the ship before taking it into combat

[@kellingc]

Ah? but that was the point. Khan had the intelligence, but not the wisdom. And his arrogance wouldn't let be humble and learn. Top that with his need fir revenge and you have someone nit able to think his way out of a paper bag.

[@sanspeter9925]

@@kellingc first thing he does in space seed is read all the operation manuals, he must have skipped a page or two (or the prefix code is a new development since he got marooned)

[@abehambino]

@@sanspeter9925 that was the point of this entire sequence though. Even Saavik didn’t understand what he was doing. As quoted, you have to understand WHY things work. He might’ve read about the code, but that doesn’t mean he considered what it could be used for. It’s very well written situation.

[@sanspeter9925]

@@abehambino he was probably too busy patting himself on the back to even consider it

[@MrChopemup]

My iPhone has 128 numbers and letters for encryption. A starship 250 years later has 6 numbers..

[@abehambino]

Kirk was admiral, which means he probably had clearance for that sort of operation. I highly doubt anyone could just do it.

[@jamesmartin9401]

Pretty sure Saavik would have understood the prefix code, though she wouldn't have known what it was.

[@DavidShepheard]

They had to get someone to ask, so that they could tell the audience. Presumably, this would be part of the training for the cadets. You would have thought they would have learned this before going on their first training mission. I think this feature is normally used when federation starships come into space docks.

[@jamesmartin9401]

Agreed. The unfortunate reality of sci-fi when someone has to act unreasonably ignorant to give the excuse to explain a concept.

[@DavidShepheard]

There was never any mention of any back-door hacking in Federation ships in the original series of Star Trek. One of the themes of Wrath of Khan was that Khan was more intelligent than regular humans, but didn't have any experience. The same probably applied to Saavik. I would have liked to have seen Kirstie Alley stay in the role and show this woman getting better and better as the Star Trek movies progressed. Instead, I feel that the potential of this character (who could have easily gone on to be captain in a TV show) was wasted.

[@BigNoseDog]

David Shepheard, Saavik was supposed to be in Star Trek 6. But Kirstie Alley was too expensive, Nick Meyer didn’t like Robin Curtis, and Kim Catrall didn’t want to be the third actress to play Saavik. So the character was changed to Valeris. But the plot was the same. Saavik was going to be the traitor. Nick Meyer felt the betrayal would’ve been more shocking if it was someone the fans already knew and trusted.

[@joeswanson733]

you have to keep in mind saavik is still a cadet. if it's like real life service academies it trains you on the basics of becoming a military officer. starfleet academy would be no different. it would train you to graduate at hte basic level of a starfleet officer. you would then need additional training in i would assume their version of MOS schools and you need experience etc. basically saavik is very green. and also prefix codes are only known to captain level and above in the trek universe.

[@jangtheconqueror]

At that length of a code, modern computers can go through all the combinations in a few seconds.

[@DJDoena]

Parts of a second. It's a five digit code which means a max of 100,000 combinations) and it doesn't even have repeating digits! ;-)

[@kb7iuj]

Well, there's a few limitations to that. (1) Even in today's websites we have a limited number of tries for logging in. Surely a computer (without Khan's intervention) knows enough to throttle bad code attempts. (2) You have to know the right frequency to send it on, so that the Reliant's computer knows how to receive it, and that also includes the right message protocols. (3) Given the speed at which ships move relative to each other, the Doppler effect comes into play, unless they're dumb enough to allow this code to be sent over subspace. I'm not keen on you hijacking my ship when I'm a few light-years away from you. So you have to know how fast the other ship is approaching yours.

[@Beer_Dad1975]

@@DJDoena I would assume you only get 1 or maybe 2 attempts to get it right before it blocks you, given the input method makes it very hard/obvious if you get it wrong. And yes, only around 60,000 possible combinations due to no repeating digits.

[@StephenMercer]

Preventing such hacking attempts is why they went back to physical relays in the 2200s. You can't go too fast when your electricity has to wait on clacking switches! :-)

[@adcraziness1501]

Not if they have toggle switches for numeric input!

[@Trek001]

I'd like to point something out - according to what we see when Spock inputs the prefix code, _Enterprise_ has torpedoes in her two forward launchers... Why didn't he fire those at the same time?

[@naverilllang]

I think they simply weren't trying to destroy the reliant at that point. That's why they targeted the photo controls and warp drive.

[@Trek001]

@@naverilllang The photo controls? Was _Reliant_ planning on taking snapshots?

[@matthiaseckert4022]

I still wonder: Enterprise destroyed the Crystal from the Impulse Drive but on screen we see it still working like nothing happened

[@starsiegeplayer]

The crystal sits at the top of the warp core. The impulse engine still has fusion reactors. That's why that strike damaged the warp drive .

[@joeswanson733]

if it were just for realism. kirk should've ordered reliant to self destruct. if khan has control of the ship it's safe to assume that the crew is more likely than not dead. but hey it wouldn't be a movie lol

[@DJDoena]

They are using a five-digit code with non-repeating digits. With a PC from today you can crack that code in less than one second! ;-)

[@lonmcq7317]

You need 3 Officers with their corresponding codes for a self-destruct...

[@joeswanson733]

@@lonmcq7317 you don't need 3 officers to overload the warp core on purpose

[@lonmcq7317]

@@joeswanson733 The Warp Core overload indicator triggers a telltale on 3 Bridge monitors... It would be noticed immediately... Engineering also would be the first to hear the Klaxon... Warp Core is put on standby until it's determined what triggered the alarm...

[@joeswanson733]

@@lonmcq7317 how about shutting down the magnetic bottle in the anti matter pods..that is instant explosion with no time for anyone to react