Doctor Richard Daystrom was one of the most influential Human scientists of the 23rd century. Born in 2219, Daystrom was considered a genius in his day, and was compared to Albert Einstein, Kazanga, and Sitar of Vulcan. He was the inventor of the comptronic and duotronic computer systems.
A storied career
In 2243, at the age of twenty-four, Daystrom became known as a "boy wonder" after he made the duotronic breakthrough, which won him the Nobel and Zee-Magnees Prizes. However, he felt under-appreciated by his peers and successors, and resented them for developing improvements based on his work, while he was, in essence, left behind.
In response, he devoted his full vigor to the development of the multitronic computer system to create a successful artificial intelligence. This culminated in the M-5, a computer system sophisticated enough to smoothly control a starship by itself, possibly precluding the need for organic crews.
Breakdown
In 2268, he came aboard the USS Enterprise to perform a field test of the M-5. During the test run, the M-5 started displaying erratic and violent behavior. This included seizing control of nonessential systems, attacking a freighter, the Woden, without provocation, reacting to war games problems with other starships with full strength attacks, jeopardizing 1,600 lives, and resisting efforts to be disconnected.
It was revealed that Daystrom's programming of the system incorporated his own personality engrams as a model for the computer's personality, which included his psychological status. Unfortunately, Daystrom was mentally unstable and had a nervous breakdown aboard the Enterprise that required him to be subdued, while the M-5 was convinced that the deaths it caused required it to commit suicide. Dr. Daystrom was committed to a mental rehabilitation facility in 2268 after the incident. (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer")
Legacy
Image of Daystrom in Enterprise-D computer
None of this appeared to have much impact on the esteem granted Daystrom and his work. The Daystrom Institute, one of the most prominent Federation research centers, was named after him, as was the Daystrom Award. (TNG: "The Measure Of A Man", "Eye of the Beholder")
A photo of Daystrom and a biography of him were present in the USS Enterprise-D's library computer. They were visible when, in 2364, Data was assimilating Dixon Hill novels. (TNG: "The Big Goodbye")
See also
Appendices
Background information
Richard Daystrom was played by William Marshall. He filmed his scenes between Thursday 7 December 1967 and Monday 11 December 1967, and on Wednesday 13 December 1967 and Thursday 14 December 1967 on Desilu Stage 9.
In the first draft script for The Ultimate Computer, he was called John Daystrom.
In an early draft of TNG: "Booby Trap", the character which became Leah Brahms was instead to have the surname "Daystrom", and she was to be Dr. Daystrom's great-great-granddaughter. The TNG casting department didn't realize this would call for a black actress to play the role until after Susan Gibney had been cast for the part. Although the character was thereafter renamed (at the suggestion of Script Coordinator Eric A. Stillwell), the Daystrom link was retained by referring to her as having graduated from the Daystrom Institute. (Star Trek Encyclopedia; [1])
Apocrypha
Richard Daystrom appears in the novel The Rift by Peter David, as one of several Federation scientists who accompany Kirk on an embassy to a reclusive and advanced race, the Caligar. Daystrom confides that, although many consider his intellect to be undiminished, his confidence has deserted him, making him incapable of any new ideas. In an epilogue to the novel, however, Daystrom combines observations of the Caligar's technology with his previously discarded M-5 research, to produce the forerunner of the 24th century holodeck.
An entry about Richard Daystrom was included in Who's Who in Star Trek 1 from DC Comics, which cites his birthplace as Göteborg (also known as Gothenburg), Sweden.
FASA's RPG sourcebook The Federation claims he was born in New Orleans and that he has a son named Richard Daystrom II.
According to the Ship Construction Manual, Daystrom's father was named Randall L. Daystrom.
External link
- Richard Daystrom at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works