Original artwork, not a still
It would be most interesting to impress your memory engrams on a computer, Doctor. The resulting flood of illogic would be most entertaining.
— Star Trek: The Original Series ‧ 1966
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the show's Spock-and-McCoy double act in a sentence: an insult delivered as pure logic. The word 'engrams' points at the machine-mind idea that drives the episode, so the quip works as foreshadowing as well as banter. Fans quote it whenever someone proposes uploading a mind to a computer, and it is a favourite example of why Spock was the series' funniest straight man.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Star Trek: The Original SeriesShow the scene
In 'The Ultimate Computer' (Star Trek, season 2, first aired March 8, 1968), the Enterprise is the test ship for Dr. Richard Daystrom's M-5, a computer designed to run the vessel with a skeleton crew. While Kirk frets about being made redundant, Spock tells Dr. McCoy that it would be most interesting to impress his memory engrams on a computer, and that the resulting flood of illogic would be entertaining. The joke gains an edge later, when Daystrom admits he imprinted his own engrams on M-5, and the machine goes lethally wrong.
Sources (2)
- Memory Alpha: The Ultimate Computersummary, Acts One and FourReference checked
- Reactor (Tor.com): Star Trek rewatch, The Ultimate Computerepisode recapReference checked
Context reviewed
