# Could the Shatner-era Enterprise locate Osama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 30, 2001, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592 "2001-10-30T20:38:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/97f17d/32.png) [@Robbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robbo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/1 "2001-10-30T20:38:22Z")
I’m not too savvy on the capabilities of the original Enterprise (the other ones dont matter), but would James T, Spock & Co. have been able to locate a single person such as Osama hidden amongst millions? It would be really nice to have this technology. ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/2 "2001-10-30T20:45:54Z")
Hmmm… I doubt this post stays in this forum long… but. The answer would be no, not easily anyway. If he was the only life form in the area, they could spot him. They were good at finding living things remotely. Never saw an example where they identify a being remotely. If you are thinking of transporter technology, they always located the people by their comm equipment first. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/3 "2001-10-30T20:48:38Z")
The Shatner-era [url=“[http://www02.clf.navy.mil/enterprise/](http://www02.clf.navy.mil/enterprise/)”]USS _Enterprise_ has been in active duty since 1962. You should be able to find enough info by following the link to make an educated guess about it’s efficacy for the mission. If you want answers relating to the _Star Trek_ mythos, you should ask in Cafe Society. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/4 "2001-10-30T20:54:50Z")
The Shatner-era [USS _Enterprise_](http://www02.clf.navy.mil/enterprise/) has been in active duty since 1962. You should be able to find enough info by following the link to make an educated guess about it’s efficacy for the mission. If you want answers relating to the _Star Trek_ mythos, you should ask in Cafe Society. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Robbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/97f17d/32.png) [@Robbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robbo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/5 "2001-10-30T20:57:06Z")
scotth: hmmmm…I not good enough for this erudite forum? Mr Mudd: whats cafe society? have i committed a straight dope faux paus with my attempt at geek humor? ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/6 "2001-10-30T21:01:50Z")
I figure a mod will move it to IMHO or one of the other Forums. Nothing against you personally. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/7 "2001-10-30T21:26:24Z")
Probably so, but it’d take a while. I’d do this… Identify bio-signals in large clusters where we THINK he might be. Beam 'em ALL into a secure cargo-bay. Use the computer to analyze facial features of all of those beamed aboard and compare to known photos of BinLaden. Once he’s found, beam him onto open space, scattering his molecules. Voila! ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/8 "2001-10-30T21:37:29Z")
They definitely wouldn’t be able to identify him without beaming up thousands, as the previous poster suggested. One of the recurring plot devices was that whenever Kirk lost his communicator, they couldn’t find _him_ to beam him up. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/9 "2001-10-30T21:37:53Z")
I am a fan of Star Trek and I do strongly uphold the right of Dopers everywhere to ask whatever questions they need to to satisfy their curiosity… BUT It is hard to read the OP and not think of Shatner’s infamous SNL episode where he looks at the Trekker(-ie, whatever) and says “Get a life!”… ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/10 "2001-10-30T21:46:56Z")
This sort of situation came up frequently on all the series. They were never able to isolate a single individual in a group, and had to rely on communicators or other equipment to identify who was who. However, if a person of one species was mixed in a group of people of another species, that could be identified sometimes, depending on various factors like how different the species were. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/11 "2001-10-30T22:42:28Z")
Scanners shmanners… Kirk would beam down, loose one or two Red Shirts to the opposing forces, make it with a Taliban babe, marvel over Spock’s grip-thing, get in a flying leg-kick or two, and make it back to whatever time he came from without even blinking an eye over the TT ramifications. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/12 "2001-10-30T22:53:02Z")
Before this thread gets locked out, I’ll point out that last week’s episode of “Enterprise” – set ostensibly 100 years before the Shatner Era – showed a starship tracking the movements of humans in caves. The scanners were even able to identify one particular person. Unless this technology is somehow lost in the future (the future’s future, that is), Kirk & Co. should be capable of the same feat (except in all the episodes when they weren’t). Yes, a gimmick like that would come in handy these days. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/13 "2001-10-30T23:07:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Robbo:\*\*Mr Mudd: whats cafe society? have i committed a straight dope faux paus with my attempt at geek humor? Not a major one, to be sure. As far as I can tell, most dopers are pretty goodnatured folks, [sup](Except thems that’s humourless bastids)[/sup]😉 Check out the forum descriptions on [this page](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/index.php). Welcome, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/14 "2001-10-30T23:49:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*The Shatner-era [USS _Enterprise_](http://www02.clf.navy.mil/enterprise/) has been in active duty since 1962. You should be able to find enough info by following the link to make an educated guess about it’s efficacy for the mission. If you want answers relating to the _Star Trek_ mythos, you should ask in Cafe Society. 😉 \*\* Is Enterprise even deployed to the region? Off to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/15 "2001-10-31T00:16:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TheeGrumpy \* > \*\*Before this thread gets locked out, I’ll point out that last week’s episode of “Enterprise” – set ostensibly 100 years before the Shatner Era – showed a starship tracking the movements of humans in caves. The scanners were even able to identify one particular person. Unless this technology is somehow lost in the future (the future’s future, that is), Kirk & Co. should be capable of the same feat (except in all the episodes when they weren’t). > > Yes, a gimmick like that would come in handy these days. \*\* Yes, but the person they identified had a comm unit. So you’re back to being able to spot humans via the sensors, and identifying the individuals by technological accessories. Why are y’all looking at me funny? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/16 "2001-10-31T01:06:24Z")
**Zyada** said– > [@](#): > > Yes, but the person they identified had a comm unit. So you’re back to being able to > spot humans via the sensors, and identifying the individuals by technological accessories. This is the key. 1)There is very little in the way of electrical or electronic infrastructure in Afghanistan. 2)Bin Ladin surrounds himself with commo gear to keep in touch with world events, & mastermind his sinister secret society. 1. Bin Ladin uses portable generators to run both his commo gear & possibly luxury items as well. Therefore– Kirk & company could scan for energy sources in remote areas, use Kirk’s strateagic skills to assess which local was most probable, & send in a raiding party via Transporter. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/17 "2001-10-31T01:51:48Z")
> [@](#): > > **manhatten:** Is Enterprise even deployed to the region? [Yup.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1587000/1587478.stm) ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-shatner-era-enterprise-locate-osama/90592/18 "2001-10-31T20:07:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rhythmdvl \* > Kirk would beam down, loose one or two Red Shirts to the opposing forces, make it with a Taliban babe, marvel over Spock’s grip-thing, get in a flying leg-kick or two, and make it back to whatever time he came from without even blinking an eye over the TT ramifications. Sooooooooooooo… can we get Shatner and Nimoy to volunteer for a little trip to Afghanistan, then? 🙂