Meta: (half)Vulcan's temperature

[prue84]

To be hot or not to be hot? This is the question.

Ok, I'll be serious: your host here has finally found the answer to one of the most controversial things in the Star Trek K/S fandom: Is Spock's temperature higher than a human's?
The answer is in TOS so I'll play with pure canon here: no need to read books or such but just watching closely the

Comments

[aleniakalain]

I would like to point out that we spent two days just to make the caps for this...talking about being trekkies...XD

[prue84]

u_u shhhhhhh, don't say it! >.>

[prue84]

Basically either way have no sense, biologically speaking, but... XD
I may add my thoughts about hot vs cold for K/S. Thanxs for the involuntary suggestion. XD

[bigmamag]

It may be canon, but I will forever cling to hot Spock. :P

In all seriousness, I always wonder at the line in The Deadly Years where Spock says that he increased the temperature in his room to 125 degrees (F) and McCoy says he's not going to visit him any time soon. There are really two explanations, one being that the writer forgot or made a mistake that week and it slipped through editing and the other being that canon itself changed around from the early episodes (the only clear reading and the ice water for blood comment being in The Naked Time and we all know how much more emotion Spock showed in early episodes.) Frankly, I like the explanation that Spock can be comfortable in either hot or cold temperatures. What that makes him to the touch isn't clear, who knows how well his skin insulates him? Maybe his blood is colder than a human's but because he is so good at regulating his temp, he feels normal to the touch or even hot. IDEK, I just tend to go with popular opinion because it's easier and my brain hurts, lol. :)

[prue84]

You see, I don't have anything against people who like Spock "hot" more and cling to that for their own preferences, stating clearly "hey, I don't give a damn if it's canon", especially when, like you, raise the "inconsistent" card (which is real). I'm sure the authors themselves (Gene first of all) never expected Star Trek to become such a huge fandom as it is now, and some facts had been simply put on screen without some pondering before. That is the main reason I usually hated people who started long rants about little details, because I always thought the authors sometimes just put something there accidentally, and they not meant with x object to be in that angle to subtle say something (I speak for Star Wars when even the smallest detail is x-rayed).
I do have something against people that simply say "x book is not canon so I do what the hell I prefer" without even trying to say "hey, canon actually gives the answer". I'm not sure if my reply makes some sense, oh well. My brain hurts too: I'm not a geek! *lol*

[aleniakalain]

Sorry for jumping in, but I'd like to put my two cents here :)

In all seriousness, I always wonder at the line in The Deadly Years where Spock says that he increased the temperature in his room to 125 degrees (F) and McCoy says he's not going to visit him any time soon.

I've actually always understood that line not as an indication of Spock's body temperature/preferences for a specific external temperature, but more like a way to stress the effect his aging was having on his body.
In particular it made me think about my grandmother: she usually feels cold at much warmer temperature than younger people do (eg. me and my brother, and that's something, considering that my brother is always cold). So I think it was more a way to underline the fact that his body (his blood circulation probably) wasn't working properly, and that of course, since his body's temperature regulation system wasn't at full power he would much rather be in a climate similar to the one his race has evolved for than one colder.

[makowe_pola]

Wow, great job catchingthat caps- but htat saidI personally think thatthe dreators in the 60ties didn't really thought that deep into things likebiology. Spock's cooling systemis a pieceof bullshit when you just take into consideration pure thermodynamics, not Earth animal biology, as it may be different from Vulcan animal biology with having copper based blood

[prue84]

Yes, I also think that they simply made use see different readings just to point out "Spock is different", not really thinking deeply about the biology. Or, for what we may know, the monitor with the readings just scrumbled up the day Nimoy and DeForest took that scene in Naked Time. :P

I'd like to read such fic you, do you know? ** You make me want to try it myself with a little shot. *hmmm*

Oh yes, I see the "green" problem too. I usually tend to make (well, I tried with the only art I did, but my notebook monitor is too bright >.<) him pink to then add a green layer with 50% and less opacity. The issue here, for me, is that I keep in mind Nimoy and he isn't really green in the show (blame the makeup of the 60's), so I can't picture Spock with a different hue that the one of Nimoy

[makowe_pola]

They made him yellowish- pale only because when they tried with red skin it looked black on b'n'w TV screens lol This is why I love fanon here, they are more constant than canon itself XD

*IF YOU WROTE IT, I'D LOVE YOU FOREVER, TRULY!'

Try with yellowish tinge for basic skin (something around Naples yellow, ochre, not too saturated yellow, more into sepia. then add some green- not emerald. but something closer to sap green or terre verte or moss green. It works magic on Spock.

[prue84]

[Catching old comments, yeah *epic fail at replying quickly*]

I know, I need to. >.< My Muse is currently producing something else but I'll poke her from time to time. I'm intrigued by this and another think at