# Let's talk about Star Trek universal translaters. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572 "2015-10-23T20:35:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/1 "2015-10-23T20:35:53Z")
So how exactly does the translator know when to work and when not to work? A typical example of what I’m talking about: A Klingon and human are conversing. Human says something to piss the Klingon off and all the sudden the Klingon starts shouting expletives at the human. Only except, the translator isn’t translating the words. Or another example is when two Klingons want to say something to each other but don’t want the human to understand what the are saying. They just start speaking Klingon to each other. You never see them deactivate the translator. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/2 "2015-10-23T21:05:55Z")
The concept behind it was explained in the _ **TOS** _ episode “Metamorphosis”: There are certain concepts that are common to all intelligent life. The UT detects brainwaves, identifies the concepts it recognizes, and provides the appropriate translation. Not 100% efficient, but nothing ever is. The example shown in the episode was the handheld device Kirk used to converse with The Companion. There was no mention of the UT used in ship-to-ship communication, referred to in at least one other episode. Judging from how UTs were used in subsequent iterations of the show, one would assume they were interfacing directly with the brains of both parties, rather than just verbally. I presume they used electromagnetic waves for this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/3 "2015-10-23T21:07:14Z")
It’s magic. That’s the only way a thing like that works in the manner shown in the various series/movies. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/4 "2015-10-23T21:08:25Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > It’s magic. That’s the only way a thing like that works in the manner shown in the various series/movies. Or sufficiently advanced technology. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/5 "2015-10-23T21:15:22Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > A Klingon and human are conversing. Human says something to piss the Klingon off and all the sudden the Klingon starts shouting expletives at the human. Only except, the translator isn’t translating the words. They obviously have a content filter to avoid translating offensive, NSFW, non-PC terms. > [@](#): > > Or another example is when two Klingons want to say something to each other but don’t want the human to understand what the are saying. They just start speaking Klingon to each other. You never see them deactivate the translator. They also obviously have a privacy filter to keep outsiders from listening in to confidential conversations. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/6 "2015-10-23T21:26:47Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The concept behind it was explained in the _ **TOS** _ episode “Metamorphosis”: There are certain concepts that are common to all intelligent life. The UT detects brainwaves, identifies the concepts it recognizes, and provides the appropriate translation. Not 100% efficient, but nothing ever is. > > The example shown in the episode was the handheld device Kirk used to converse with The Companion. There was no mention of the UT used in ship-to-ship communication, referred to in at least one other episode. > > Judging from how UTs were used in subsequent iterations of the show, one would assume they were interfacing directly with the brains of both parties, rather than just verbally. I presume they used electromagnetic waves for this purpose. If they could read brain waves what did they need Troi for? ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/7 "2015-10-23T21:28:45Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > So how exactly does the translator know when to work and when not to work? A typical example of what I’m talking about: > > A Klingon and human are conversing. Human says something to piss the Klingon off and all the sudden the Klingon starts shouting expletives at the human. Only except, the translator isn’t translating the words. > > Or another example is when two Klingons want to say something to each other but don’t want the human to understand what the are saying. They just start speaking Klingon to each other. You never see them deactivate the translator. It just knows. 23rd century tech, you know. It’s not unlike the Heisenberg compensator on the transporter. When asked “How does the Heisenberg compensator work?” by Time magazine, Star Trek technical adviser Michael Okuda responded: "It works very well, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/8 "2015-10-23T21:48:05Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > If they could read brain waves what did they need Troi for? Holo-porn ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/9 "2015-10-23T21:50:24Z")
It really wasn’t that fancy. It’s just an app on a standard communicator, a computer uses a predictive model translator for most of the words, at the same time bio alien language specialists are listening in on the conversation at locations around the universe. Whenever the computer falters on some language one of the bios fills in the gap. It works sort of like Uber, when the conversation starts the first bio to correctly identify the language gets to work the call, but they only get paid a nominal rate for listening, the only real money comes when the communicator software fails. However, the communicator has to skip anything that sounds like a profanity because a mistranslation could have disastrous results, so the bios make a lot from that when anyone is talking to Klingons. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/10 "2015-10-23T22:21:29Z")
Which works great unless there is a multi-hour time lag for subspace messages like in Balance of Terror. And watch out for those congestion prices. The communications software of the ship should be able to do instant translations of known languages. 300 years more work on Google translate and it should be perfect. And you’d think they’d teach Klingonese at the Academy, so it won’t even be necessary lots of the time. As for new cultures - magic - unless the plot demands that it doesn’t work, like the excellent TNG example we all know and love. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/11 "2015-10-23T22:38:26Z")
It works by psychically reading brain waves and because it’s in psychic contact it knows when you don’t want to hear something. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/12 "2015-10-23T22:47:40Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > If they could read brain waves what did they need Troi for? Uhhhhh … they can’t sense emotions? :dubious: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/13 "2015-10-23T22:49:43Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Whenever the computer falters on some language one of the bios fills in the gap. Ah, the mysterious “matrix” so often referred to on _ **Enterprise** _. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/14 "2015-10-23T23:01:58Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > As for new cultures - magic - unless the plot demands that it doesn’t work, like the excellent TNG example we all know and love. Sokath, with his eyes uncovered! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/15 "2015-10-23T23:15:48Z")
Anyone who knows about languages knows the universal translator is preposterous. You might as well stick a fish in your ear. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/16 "2015-10-23T23:25:50Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > …And you’d think they’d teach Klingonese at the Academy, so it won’t even be necessary lots of the time… Nichelle Nichols brought up a similar point (that as a communications officer she should be able to speak Klingon) during **Star Trek: VI** when Uhura had to thump through actual paper dictionaries to come up mangled Klingon sentences, but was overruled by the director. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/17 "2015-10-23T23:30:03Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > You might as well stick a fish in your ear. What, and start an interstellar war?!? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/18 "2015-10-23T23:40:21Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Nichelle Nichols brought up a similar point (that as a communications officer she should be able to speak Klingon) during **Star Trek: VI** when Uhura had to thump through actual paper dictionaries to come up mangled Klingon sentences, but was overruled by the director. I also thought it was ridiculous for Uhura to not understand Klingon. I’m glad Nichelle brought it up, even though she was overruled. At least Abrams let Zoe Saldana speak it in _Into Darkness_. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/19 "2015-10-24T00:08:30Z")
Both Uhura and Scotty were made to look ridiculous in Star Trek VI. I liked that episode with the Skrrea on DS9 in which the UT didn’t work at first, and they had to keep talking to them until it developed a translation matrix. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572/20 "2015-10-24T00:20:45Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > If they could read brain waves what did they need Troi for? > [@terentii](#): > > Uhhhhh … they can’t sense emotions? :dubious: 😕 ::Alien ship opens fire on Enterprise:: Troi: Captain! I’m sensing… hostility? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-star-trek-universal-translaters/735572.md?page=2)