Al's formal education/another plausibility ?
Barbara E. Walton
Okay, we know that Al went to Annapolis, and he's mentioned MIT
often enough to assume that he went there for some further
work. Maybe the Navy sent him after NASA and before Star Bright?
Anyway, what level of education does he have? SInce he's a an
Admiral, we never hear any other title. Could he have a doctorate?
Being placed on two scientific projects (Star Bright and QL), it
would seem likely that he's something more than a jet jock (nothing
against jet jocks; I just find it unlikely that a non-scientist
would be regularly placed in the Labs). If he does have a doctorate,
what is it in? Some kind of physics, or engineering, or mechanics?
Maybe quantum mechanics? (This is my working theory at the moment,
but I'm not attached to it.)
Anyway, to the plausibility question:
What if Al had once done something rather scientifically remarkable
(I have him getting a ball bearing to behave like an electron
and tunnel through an energy barrier -- suggesting a solution to
the energy barrier puzzle in faster-than-light travel), but has
not been able to duplicate the results? What if he was brought
on to Star Bright because of this, and the government started
trying to drive him out when they realized that his theory was
a washout, and the project was going to fail?
How 'bout that?
--
Barbara
Reality is for people who lack imagination...
Elizabeth A. Hlabse
Al's education....hmmmm, this cold be fun.
Like you said Barbara, we know he went to the Naval Academy. Nice place,
btw. Visit if you get the chance. Since he mentions that he has a lab
partner at MIT named Dinessa (sp?) we know that he went there
My guess is that he's got at least one degree in engineering. He's the
buildier to Sam's dreamer. Between the two of them, we get Quantum Leap.
About Star Bright... my pet theory is that it had something to do with
holographic imaging and that he took that knowledge with him when he and
Sam started work on PQL.
Any other theories?
--
Beth Hlabse ea...@po.CWRU.Edu Assistant Sysop
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Sig (GO SCIFI)
__________________________________________________________________________
Al's Place: Where Leapers can be themselves!
Tony Camas
>Okay, we know that Al went to Annapolis, and he's mentioned MIT
>often enough to assume that he went there for some further
>work. Maybe the Navy sent him after NASA and before Star Bright?
>
>Anyway, what level of education does he have? SInce he's a an
>Admiral, we never hear any other title. Could he have a doctorate?
I like this idea. Beneath the happy-go-lucky exterior, I'm quite
certain Al is a very bright guy. Probably not as bright as Sam
(few people are), but I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't (by far)
the second brightest guy at the project. And an education to match
would make a lot of sense, given the path his career took.
>What if Al had once done something rather scientifically remarkable
>(I have him getting a ball bearing to behave like an electron
>and tunnel through an energy barrier -- suggesting a solution to
>the energy barrier puzzle in faster-than-light travel), but has
>not been able to duplicate the results? What if he was brought
>on to Star Bright because of this, and the government started
>trying to drive him out when they realized that his theory was
>a washout, and the project was going to fail?
Possibly. I think I see Al as a bright guy who probably didn't have
the discipline to jump through the formal hoops required of a
professional researcher. In most technical and engineering
disciplines, there are the theoretical people (papers, math, big
on the Scientific Method) and the practical people (always seeing
the application of the technology, more interested in seeing it and
doing it than in proving it). I think the best real work is
accomplished with a combination of the two.
I think it makes a lot of sense that Al and Sam complemented each other
well in this fashion in their work on PQL. Perhaps Sam was always
the theoretical guy until he met up with Al. Al encouraged him to
put his theories into practice, perhaps taking charge of that part of
the project. When funding was in danger of running out, Al could
always manage some sort of practical (and showy) demonstration of
progress. This would encourage the "hands on" people in the government.
Sam would follow with a theoretical explanation with mathematics, charts,
graphs, etc., and that would satisfy the government consultants and
what-have-you who were hired to provide advice about whether or not
the work had scientific merit.
The incident you suggest could work well in this context. Perhaps Sam
and Al met at a conference or something. Or maybe they didn't even meet.
Al read a paper of Sam's, or saw him speak somewhere, and was fascinated
by the concept. So he went off and tried to apply some of Sam's theories
in his own slightly sloppy fashion, had some marginal success, and talked
his way onto the project, figuring that maybe he had finally found his
calling. (I'm a little fuzzy on the canonical aspects of this -- I don't
know if there've been any explanations of how Sam and Al teamed up that
would make this impossible. But I'll forge ahead here assuming no problem
there.)
Sam the theorist. Al the pragmatist. Which would make it particularly
ironic (and a bit touching) that it was finally Sam who made the decision
to jump into the accelerator and Go For It. At some moment when things
looked bleak, at a moment when Sam felt he couldn't prove things _his_ way,
he decided to try it Al's way. Sort of the ultimate tribute to Al.
Well, I like it, anyway. Does it work for you?
-Tony
Marcia Tiersky
jeg...@MCS.COM (J.M.Egolf) writes:
>For one (and, IMVHO one of the best) takes on this and many other
>questions regarding _QL_, I *strongly* recommend the fanfic novel
>_Love and Glory_ (_Oh, Boy IV_). It's slightly alternate-universe
>(the events of "MI" are not incorporated into it) but it ties
>together a *lot* of stuff DPB stuck into _QL_, in what is, to my
>mind, a *most* satisfying fashion.
>
>(Actually inspired me to write my first fanfic, at my ripe old age!)
>
>It's by Sandy Hall, Sharon Wisdom, and Michelle Agnew, (parts of it
>are based on a story by our very own Terri Librande). It came out in May
>of 1993, but I'm assuming copies are still available from the publishers:
>
> Peg Kennedy and Bill Hupe
> Footrot Flats
> 916 Lamb Road
> Mason, MI 48854-9445
>
>I don't have a phone # or e-dress for them, so you can get a price --
>Terri, can you help out here?
>--
>
>J.M.Egolf
>jeg...@mcs.com
>
><*> "We find meaning where we can." <*>
I agree 100% with this assessment. It is still available from
Peg and Bill cause I ordered it not too long ago. It is amazing how
much thought and detail went into that zine. I am continually amazed
at how many things that I thought were made up by the authors were
in fact grounded in canon in an episode that I just hadnt picked
up on before..
I strongly recommend this zine to anyone who is interested in reading
any fanfic. IMHO it is way better than the "professional" books
we have seen and much more accurate. It may seem expensive, but
keep in mind that it is 500 pages or so.
Enjoy!
Marcia Tiersky
MTie...@uga.cc.uga.edu or QL Tie...@aol.com
"You changed history. Now it's coming back to
bite you in the butt." --Piano Man
Terri M. Librande
Thanks for the compliment. I'm thinking seriously of trying to
post the original story, "Bookends" on the net...it's a huge
thing and I don't know if I can but I could try.
I'm glad you all liked it and I will pass the message onto
Sandy, Sharon, and Michelle. And Minds/Eye/View who I think is
a brilliant artist!!!
Terri in Cleveland
--
"Girls who have glasses have lots & lots of energy!" Al--Single Drop of Rain
Terri Librande aa...@cleveland.Freenet.edu--Assistant Sysop
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Sig--Go SCIFI
J.M.Egolf
Barbara E. Walton
In a previous article, to...@shore.net (Tony Camas) says:
>av...@yfn.ysu.edu (Barbara E. Walton) wrote:
>>Okay, we know that Al went to Annapolis, and he's mentioned MIT
>>often enough to assume that he went there for some further
>>work. Maybe the Navy sent him after NASA and before Star Bright?
>>
>>Anyway, what level of education does he have? SInce he's a an
>>Admiral, we never hear any other title. Could he have a doctorate?
>
>I like this idea. Beneath the happy-go-lucky exterior, I'm quite
>certain Al is a very bright guy. Probably not as bright as Sam
>(few people are), but I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't (by far)
>the second brightest guy at the project. And an education to match
>would make a lot of sense, given the path his career took.
Well, you can't be dumb and an Annapolis grad, despite the ribbing we
sometimes give to "military intelligence." It's a pretty damned
rigorous program. And Al surely didn't survive all those years
of close encounters through brute physical strength! (I mean, he's
not a wimp, but he's not Ahnold either).
>
>>What if Al had once done something rather scientifically remarkable
>>(I have him getting a ball bearing to behave like an electron
>>and tunnel through an energy barrier -- suggesting a solution to
>>the energy barrier puzzle in faster-than-light travel), but has
>>not been able to duplicate the results? What if he was brought
>>on to Star Bright because of this, and the government started
>>trying to drive him out when they realized that his theory was
>>a washout, and the project was going to fail?
>
>Possibly. I think I see Al as a bright guy who probably didn't have
>the discipline to jump through the formal hoops required of a
>professional researcher. In most technical and engineering
>disciplines, there are the theoretical people (papers, math, big
>on the Scientific Method) and the practical people (always seeing
>the application of the technology, more interested in seeing it and
>doing it than in proving it). I think the best real work is
>accomplished with a combination of the two.
I think you're right.
>
>I think it makes a lot of sense that Al and Sam complemented each other
>well in this fashion in their work on PQL. Perhaps Sam was always
>the theoretical guy until he met up with Al. Al encouraged him to
>put his theories into practice, perhaps taking charge of that part of
>the project. When funding was in danger of running out, Al could
>always manage some sort of practical (and showy) demonstration of
>progress. This would encourage the "hands on" people in the government.
>Sam would follow with a theoretical explanation with mathematics, charts,
>graphs, etc., and that would satisfy the government consultants and
>what-have-you who were hired to provide advice about whether or not
>the work had scientific merit.
Mm-hmm...
>
>The incident you suggest could work well in this context. Perhaps Sam
>and Al met at a conference or something. Or maybe they didn't even meet.
>Al read a paper of Sam's, or saw him speak somewhere, and was fascinated
>by the concept. So he went off and tried to apply some of Sam's theories
>in his own slightly sloppy fashion, had some marginal success, and talked
>his way onto the project, figuring that maybe he had finally found his
>calling. (I'm a little fuzzy on the canonical aspects of this -- I don't
>know if there've been any explanations of how Sam and Al teamed up that
>would make this impossible. But I'll forge ahead here assuming no problem
>there.)
Well, there *is* a canonical problem here. We know that Sam and Al met when
they were already on Star Bright, and Al was down and out and beating on a
vending machine with a hammer. The government wants to drive him off
the Project. I was thinking that maybe it was because his idea failed, among
other things. I figured it was his own work that he did with the ball
bearing, but, because he was a little lax in his theoretical underpinning,
he couldn't duplicate the results.
>
>Sam the theorist. Al the pragmatist. Which would make it particularly
>ironic (and a bit touching) that it was finally Sam who made the decision
>to jump into the accelerator and Go For It. At some moment when things
>looked bleak, at a moment when Sam felt he couldn't prove things _his_ way,
>he decided to try it Al's way. Sort of the ultimate tribute to Al.
>
>Well, I like it, anyway. Does it work for you?
It works really well. I never thought of the contrast in that contest
before. It's really good.
Tony Camas
>her. (I believe the line was "Flying was his first love, the Navy was
>his second, and I guess I was his third.") He may be a bit unorthodox,
>and I seriously doubt he takes orders just because they're orders (at
>least not without grumbling), but, if we are to believe Beth -- and I
>tend to in this matter; that's not the kind of thing a wife would
>make up -- I think he would've been the kind of officer who would prove
>himself to his superiors by not trying to, if you get me. He did what
>he did because he loved it, and it wound up being good for his career.
Agreed, and well put. Al probably has sufficient schmoozing ability to
get around having to execute orders with which he disagrees -- at least
most of the time. Again, I think there's a good symbiosis here -- Al
likes the Navy because they let him do stuff he likes to do; the Navy
likes Al becaues he gets things done.
>That was in "Play Ball," which I think was third season. Sam meets a
>young pitcher who reminds him of Al, and this causes him to reminisce
>about thier meeting ...
Thanks, I'll watch for it.
> ... (I always love the way Sam can suddenly "reminisce"
>right through his amnesia).
Hey, the flashback is a favorite plot device of many writers of TV drama.
You don't think they'd let a little thing like Swiss Cheese stand in the
way of an opportunity to show a little black-and-white sequence, do you?
Seriously, I guess this doesn't really bother me too much. I sort of see
it as a bit of Sam's memory returning. I believe it's common for
amnesiacs to remember little incidents and scenes from time to time
prior to fully regaining their memories. At least, that's the way it works
on TV. :)
>If I can find a place for it, I plan to.
>
>--
> Barbara
Hey, cool. That means I can add it to my (relatively short) list of "good
and useful ideas I had in 1994." :)
-Tony
Tony Camas
>Well, you can't be dumb and an Annapolis grad, despite the ribbing we
>sometimes give to "military intelligence." It's a pretty damned
>rigorous program. And Al surely didn't survive all those years
>of close encounters through brute physical strength! (I mean, he's
>not a wimp, but he's not Ahnold either).
Oh, absolutely. No slight of Annapolis was intended. I do think Al
is a little too unorthodox to be seriously "regular army" (or regular
Navy, I guess it would be in this case). That's why it just seems more
likely that at least some of his education is non-military. I suppose
you don't get to be an Admiral by bucking the system on a regular basis,
but something about Al's personality seems a bit different from (at least
some of) the career military people I've know. I dunno, it's a tough call,
but at least I think we could say there's no reason to believe Al *couldn't*
have a PhD from, say, M.I.T. or somewhere.
>Well, there *is* a canonical problem here. We know that Sam and Al met when
>they were already on Star Bright, and Al was down and out and beating on a
>vending machine with a hammer. The government wants to drive him off
>the Project. ...
Yep, we're now treading in the parts of QL I've missed (for the most part).
I presume this Star Bright stuff was explained somewhere in seasons 2 or
3, the bulk of which I have not yet seen. Sorry for the gaffe there --
mind telling me, if you recall, at what point this details are revealed?
I haven't seen 'em yet.
> ... I was thinking that maybe it was because his idea failed, among
>other things. I figured it was his own work that he did with the ball
>bearing, but, because he was a little lax in his theoretical underpinning,
>he couldn't duplicate the results.
OK, (given the above), I'll buy that.
>>Sam the theorist. Al the pragmatist. Which would make it particularly
>>ironic (and a bit touching) that it was finally Sam who made the decision
>>to jump into the accelerator and Go For It. At some moment when things
>>looked bleak, at a moment when Sam felt he couldn't prove things _his_ way,
>>he decided to try it Al's way. Sort of the ultimate tribute to Al.
>>
>>Well, I like it, anyway. Does it work for you?
>
>It works really well. I never thought of the contrast in that contest
>before. It's really good.
Well, then, feel free to use it, no charge. :)
Seriously, I think there's some good opportunity for some interesting
character interaction based on this theme. Imagine things going
particularly badly during a leap. Al, in a particularly low moment, might
come to feel responsible for Sam's predicament, blame himself for influencing
Sam to take inappropriate risks and getting into this situation in the
first place. Lots of opportunity for some terrific dialog there, I'd guess.
Maybe even a significant subplot.
Oh, well, perhaps I'll try to write such a thing in my spare time (ha).
Alternatively, you (or anyone else out there in the fanfic biz) are welcome
to try to develop something like that, if it works in the context of your
piece. Certainly would be proud to be a (small) part of that.
-Tony
Barbara E. Walton
In a previous article, to...@shore.net (Tony Camas) says:
>
>Oh, absolutely. No slight of Annapolis was intended. I do think Al
>is a little too unorthodox to be seriously "regular army" (or regular
>Navy, I guess it would be in this case). That's why it just seems more
>likely that at least some of his education is non-military. I suppose
>you don't get to be an Admiral by bucking the system on a regular basis,
>but something about Al's personality seems a bit different from (at least
>some of) the career military people I've know. I dunno, it's a tough call,
>but at least I think we could say there's no reason to believe Al *couldn't*
>have a PhD from, say, M.I.T. or somewhere.
In the pilot, he mentions Danessa from MIT, and in "Private Dancer" he
talks about a deaf lab partner he had there who wouldn't sleep with him,
so that's definitely true -- I'd forgotten both of these specific mentions
when I first posted.
As to Al and the Navy -- Beth says he loves the Navy more than he loves
her. (I believe the line was "Flying was his first love, the Navy was
his second, and I guess I was his third.") He may be a bit unorthodox,
and I seriously doubt he takes orders just because they're orders (at
least not without grumbling), but, if we are to believe Beth -- and I
tend to in this matter; that's not the kind of thing a wife would
make up -- I think he would've been the kind of officer who would prove
himself to his superiors by not trying to, if you get me. He did what
he did because he loved it, and it wound up being good for his career.
>
>>Well, there *is* a canonical problem here. We know that Sam and Al met when
>>they were already on Star Bright, and Al was down and out and beating on a
>>vending machine with a hammer. The government wants to drive him off
>>the Project. ...
>
>Yep, we're now treading in the parts of QL I've missed (for the most part).
>I presume this Star Bright stuff was explained somewhere in seasons 2 or
>3, the bulk of which I have not yet seen. Sorry for the gaffe there --
>mind telling me, if you recall, at what point this details are revealed?
>I haven't seen 'em yet.
That was in "Play Ball," which I think was third season. Sam meets a
young pitcher who reminds him of Al, and this causes him to reminisce
about thier meeting (I always love the way Sam can suddenly "reminisce"
right through his amnesia).
{Tony's really good character contrast deleted for brevity -- check it
out in the last two posts on this thread}
>Well, then, feel free to use it, no charge. :)
If I can find a place for it, I plan to.
--
pfl...@primenet.com
>
>Okay, we know that Al went to Annapolis, and he's mentioned MIT
>often enough to assume that he went there for some further
>work. Maybe the Navy sent him after NASA and before Star Bright?
>
>Anyway, what level of education does he have? SInce he's a an
>Admiral, we never hear any other title. Could he have a doctorate?
>Being placed on two scientific projects (Star Bright and QL), it
>would seem likely that he's something more than a jet jock (nothing
>against jet jocks; I just find it unlikely that a non-scientist
>would be regularly placed in the Labs). If he does have a doctorate,
>what is it in? Some kind of physics, or engineering, or mechanics?
>Maybe quantum mechanics? (This is my working theory at the moment,
>but I'm not attached to it.)
>
got him "through those long nights at MIT") I think it might have been
engeneering or something along those lines. I'm not sure. Can anyone back me
up?
>Anyway, to the plausibility question:
>
>What if Al had once done something rather scientifically remarkable
>(I have him getting a ball bearing to behave like an electron
>and tunnel through an energy barrier -- suggesting a solution to
>the energy barrier puzzle in faster-than-light travel), but has
>not been able to duplicate the results? What if he was brought
>on to Star Bright because of this, and the government started
>trying to drive him out when they realized that his theory was
>a washout, and the project was going to fail?
And does anyone know what Project Star Bright was actually for?
Stacy