Mind-Blowing Secrets Revealed: Unraveling the Mysteries of Data's Unique Android Body in Star Trek

Summary

Data's android body was constructed by Dr. Noonian Soong and he is fully functional in multiple techniques, including intimacy and physical strength.

Data is capable of consuming sustenance, although he lacks the ability to taste. He relies on nutrient suspension to facilitate his biological functions.

Throughout his journey, Data encounters significant milestones, such as the loss of his detached head, the acquisition of the capacity to experience human emotions thanks to an emotion chip, and the eventual receiving of a fresh organic body in the third season of Picard.

Lt. Commander Data, portrayed by Brent Spiner, quickly rose to popularity in Star Trek: The Next Generation. His android body possessed several unique and notable characteristics. Being the only android in Starfleet during that time, Data faced the challenge of proving his sentience and personhood. Throughout the seven seasons of TNG, Data embarked on a journey to discover the essence of humanity and strive for his own version of it. Despite his desire to be human, Data's body possessed several distinct features that differentiated him from most human beings.

Data's construction was undertaken by cyberneticist Dr. Noonian Soong, also played by Brent Spiner, in approximately 2336. Among the five androids created by Dr. Soong, Data proved to be the most successful. Shortly after Data's creation, his colony was attacked by a Crystalline Entity, which led to Dr. Soong and his wife fleeing and leaving Data deactivated. Eventually, Data was discovered by the USS Tripoli and transferred to Starfleet. Subsequently, he made the decision to attend Starfleet Academy. By the year 2364, Data held the position of second officer on the USS Enterprise-D, serving under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, portrayed by Patrick Stewart.

10 Data Is Fully Function & Programed In Multiple Techniques

Let's address this one first. In a renowned scene frequently cited by Trek enthusiasts and even commemorated on t-shirts, Data discloses his capacity for intimacy in the TNG season 1 episode "The Naked Now." Under the influence of polywater intoxication, Security Chief Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) embraces her femininity and sexuality, leading her to approach Data for a romantic encounter. Even though Yar insists that the incident "never happened" at the end of the episode, she remains a significant presence in Data's life, even after her tragic demise in "Skin of Evil." Considering Dr. Soong's objective of providing Data with a comprehensive human experience, it is logical that he would program Data to be "fully functional."

9 Data Can Eat, But Not Taste

Throughout TNG, Data can be observed engaging in eating activities, despite his lack of requirement for sustenance. It appears that Data experiments with various types of food and beverages in an attempt to emulate human behavior. However, he does not derive any pleasure from consuming them due to his absence of taste sensation. Occasionally, Data consumes a silicon-based liquid medium containing semi-organic nutrient suspension to facilitate the "lubrication of his bio-functions," as stated when conversing with the newly mortal Q (John de Lancie) in the third season of TNG episode "Q Who."

8 Data Literally Lost His Head

7 Data Has the Strength Of A Thousand Men

In the two-part TNG episode "Time's Arrow," the Enterprise is summoned back to Earth after a group of scientists stumbles upon Data's detached head in a cavern near Starfleet headquarters along with artifacts from the 19th century. During the investigation of this peculiar enigma, Data is drawn into a temporal portal and transported to the year 1893 in San Francisco. While striving to assimilate into the society of that time, Data simultaneously constructs a device to trace the extraterrestrial beings accountable for the time portal. Meanwhile, the crew aboard the Enterprise endeavors to locate and rescue him. Upon the reunion of Captain Picard and several crew members with Data in 1893, they manage to return to the starship, albeit only with Data's physical body. Subsequently, they affix the 500-year-old head to Data's current body, resulting in his utilization of this archaic head for the remainder of the series.

While it may be an exaggeration to say that Data possesses the strength of a thousand men, there is no denying that he surpasses the average humanoid in terms of physical power. In the pilot episode of TNG, Data effortlessly lifts Wesley Crusher (played by Wil Wheaton) out of a pond using just one hand. Additionally, in the episode "Emergence" from season 7, he visibly restrains a speeding taxi with ease, all with the strength of a single hand. Throughout the series, Data showcases his incredible strength by effortlessly lifting heavy objects and overpowering formidable adversaries such as Klingons and Borg drones. Apart from his physical prowess, Data exhibits exceptional resistance to diseases, radiation, and even mental attacks from telepathic beings. This unique combination of attributes proves invaluable on numerous occasions during TNG, as Data steps up to save the Enterprise when the rest of the crew is rendered helpless.

6 Data Gets His Emotions From A Chip

Ah, the emotion chip. Throughout the seven seasons of TNG, Data embarks on a remarkable journey of self-discovery, unraveling the realization that he already possesses all the finest attributes of humanity. Despite this, a profound longing for human emotions persists within him. Driven by this desire, Data's creator, Dr. Soong, devised an emotion chip specifically designed to be implanted in Data's brain. Tragically, Data's conniving brother, Lore, cunningly duped Dr. Soong into surrendering the emotion chip to him. Nevertheless, Data eventually reclaims the chip, although he chooses not to activate it until the momentous events of the first TNG film, Star Trek Generations. Regrettably, the outcome proves to be a blend of both triumph and disappointment.

5 Data Is Basically Immortal But His Body Can Still Age

Data's aging program was introduced in the TNG season 7 episode "Inheritance," but it was never mentioned before or after this episode. It appears that the program was included in "Inheritance" to explain Data's aging in the TNG movies, since actor Brent Spiner is a human who does age. However, the functioning of the aging program was never clearly explained, and it is unknown if Data could deactivate it. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, Altan, the son of Dr. Noonion Soong, created a new body for Data that possesses the "wisdom and true human aesthetic of age." The way Data's new body ages remains unclear, but it is an organic body that allows him to experience physical sensations such as pain.

4 Data Can Be Turned Off and Back On Again

3 Data Doesn't Require Sleep, But He Can Dream

Similar to other technological devices, Data can be easily deactivated by flipping a switch. The knowledge of this switch is limited to only a few members of the Enterprise crew, as it completely strips Data of his abilities. In the notable trial that determines Data's sentience in the second season's classic episode of TNG titled "The Measure of a Man," Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) exploits Data's on/off switch to argue that Data is merely a machine. Fortunately, this argument fails to hold its ground, and Data emerges victorious in the trial. Throughout the series, this power switch resurfaces a couple of times, serving the purpose of deactivating either Data or Lore.

Data does not require sleep or rest and can function continuously without interruption. In "Birthright, Part I" of Star Trek: The Next Generation's sixth season, Data is accidentally struck by an energy beam, resulting in him experiencing a dream. During one of his early dreams, Data's creator, Dr. Soong, explains that he intentionally programmed a dreaming subroutine to activate once Data reached a certain cognitive development stage. The energy beam triggers the subroutine prematurely, leading Data to explore the realm of dreams in search of insights about life and humanity hidden within his subconscious mind.

2 Data Has An Incredibly Complex Positronic Brain

Based on an idea from science fiction author Isaac Asimov, Data's positronic brain was composed of intricate neural networks, designed to mimic the complexities of the human brain. Among all scientists, Dr. Noonien Soong was the sole creator capable of bestowing sentience upon a brain, similar to Data's. Although Data attempted to replicate this technology in his daughter Lal (Hallie Todd) during TNG season 3's "The Offspring," her positronic brain suffered a catastrophic failure. Due to the immense power of his brain, Data possesses the capacity to store a significantly greater amount of information than any human could ever hope to remember, coupled with lightning-fast computational abilities.

1 Data Receives The Ultimate Upgrade In Star Trek: Picard Season 3

Star Trek: Picard witnessed the highly anticipated reunion of the majority of the original cast members from TNG, an event that would not have been truly complete without the inclusion of Brent Spiner's beloved character, Data. However, disappointment ensued as Data had seemingly met his demise in Picard's first season, following a previous "death" in Star Trek: Nemesis. Yet, owing to his android nature, Data's consciousness was preserved, and eventually merged by Dr. Altan Inigo Soong with the consciousnesses of Lore and Lal. Notably, Altan skillfully fashioned an organic golem body to house this reimagined Data, thus finally granting him the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong aspiration of assuming a human form. Since the earliest days of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Data had consistently remained a cherished fan-favorite character, and his triumphant return in Star Trek: Picard ultimately allowed him to reach his utmost potential.