Assignments

Written by Dan Carlson

Required Reading

I highly recommend reading these works, if you have the time. (Pun not intended!)

• The Logic of Time Travel by Bernd Schneider
• Temporal Situations by Graham Kennedy
• Selections from various Captain’s Logs
• The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
• The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov
• Is Data Human? The Metaphysics of Star Trek by Richard Hanley (Chapter 6, pp. 197-234)

Syllabus

• Stardate 53260.3 - Test on Important Terms. Be prepared to identify and explain several types of temporal phenomena.
• Stardate 53276.8 - Complete reading of The Logic Of Time Travel and Temporal Situations
• Stardate 53287.7 - First essay assignment due (see below)
• Stardate 53309.2 - Finish reading The Time Machine and The End of Eternity
• Stardate 53317.8 - Second essay assignment due
• Stardate 53334.3 - Test on course readings
• Stardate 53352.8 - Complete review of Captain’s Logs
• Stardate 53356.2 - Third essay assignment due
• Stardate 53378.1 - Final Exam

Essay Assignments

• Assignment #1: Create a temporal incursion scenario involving two of the concepts and two temporal phenomena listed on the “Important Terms” page. Thoroughly explain the progression of events and their effects.
• Assignment #2: Choose one of the incidents from The End of Eternity listed below. Describe what type of temporal incursion the incident represents, and postulate a theory as to how the situation began.
  • The origins of Eternity
  • Harlan’s encounter with himself (Chapters 9 & 10)
  • The possibility of reversing a change in the timeline (Chapter 15)
  • The concept that time possesses a quality of “inertia”
• Assignment #3: By this time, you should be familiar with an officer’s obligations when encountering temporal phenomena. Select a temporal incursion from the Captain’s Logs, and discuss one of the following:
  • How the incursion could have been avoided. Consider the captain’s position at that time, and avoid hindsight. Interpret the situation based on the information available when the incursion began.
  • How the captain could have better minimized the damage to the timeline. Do not simply agree with the officer’s handling of the incident.