Spaceshippy type questions

[chrispenycate]

In the early Honor Harrington (Weber) books, all Havenite ships had them; but they weren't strictly advisors, but the ultimate authority (not linked to the ultimate responsibility, which is a bad mix).

And the reasons to use humans rather than robots for cleaners are 1) because their programming is (theoretically) more flexible (although I've met concièrges where the difference is not great)
2) They are cheaper to maintain (you have to have a medical officer anyway, and they require fewer spare parts) and
3) In an emergency you can, theoretically use them for something else. Worst case, you can eat them.

What do they use on the ISS?

Microgravity is a whole different kettle of cosmonauts, But certainly, they tend not to rely on mechanics when human solutions are available (and need absorbing)

 

[Mouse]

3) In an emergency you can, theoretically use them for something else. Worst case, you can eat them.

Excellent.

 

[Ursa major]

A commie Tsar?


Sounds like a good career move. (In the north part of the peninsula, anyway. If you're Kim kin.)

 

[Mouse]

'Nother one...

How would people who weren't part of the crew refer to the captain? Would it just be 'Ms?' They don't know her well enough to call her by her first name.

 

[Vertigo]

Personally I would go for Sir (even though she's a woman) or Ma'am.

Some military forces insist on Sir for any officer male or female (I think all the British forces use Ma'am). If it is non-military then there's still a good chance Ma'am would be expected (but probably not Sir) but possibly in that case they might just call her Captain or if you want vernacular maybe Cap'n.

So

"Aye, aye Sir", "Aye, aye Ma'am", "Aye, aye Captain", "Aye, aye Cap'n".

And yes they do still go "Aye, aye" today so it's quite possible they may continue to do so in space.

 

[Mouse]

So far I've managed to avoid it. But there are these blokes who've come from another ship and are doing business with the captain. I was tempted use her surname. I've been using 'marm' for her own staff. Not sure if that's right.

 

[Ursa major]

So there's no chance that the cleaner would ask the captain, all friendly like: "How're you feeling, chuck**?"

It depends on the context (public, semi-private, private), on the rules and the captain's take on them. As long as yiou avoid the nonsense like that surrounding the crew's behavious on HMS Camden Lock, you should be okay.

EDIT: Just seen your post: Are these blokes known to the captain?




** - Nothing to do with the cleaner's worries about what she may have to mop up, of course.

 

[goldhawk]

How would people who weren't part of the crew refer to the captain?

Captain.

How to people refer to a doctor?

 

[Mouse]

EDIT: Just seen your post: Are these blokes known to the captain?

No they're not.

 

[Vertigo]

Not sure it's ever written as marm, Mouse. I think it's always written as "Ma'am", then Brits tend to pronounce it "marm" and yanks "mam" (I think).

 

[Mouse]

I pronounce words with the 'r' sound the same way as Americans. (Is it rhotic and non-rhotic?! Don't ask me which is which!) So I'd pronounce 'ma'am' as 'mam.' But if it's marm, then I'll put ma'am!

 

[Vertigo]

I think the spelling is always "Ma'am" it's just the pronunciation that changes.

Re Goldhawk's comment on Doctor; I'm not sure it is a good comparison. The use of the title Doctor is an acknowledgement of their intellectual authority whereas the use of Captain/Sir/Ma'am is an acknowledgement of their command authority. When I have worked on smaller boats the command structure tends to be quite informal and Captain is the most common. On military or larger ships with a bigger crew and a stricter command heirarchy to go with it I think you will find Sir or Ma'am more common. For outsiders such as the men in question, they do not fall under her direct command and would be more likely to refer to her as Captain.

(And there was me saying in another post that I'm too busy for this right now . I really do have to go do other things!)

 

[Vladd67]

Well if Voyager is anything to go by non crew members would call the captain captain

 

[goldhawk]

On military or larger ships with a bigger crew and a stricter command heirarchy to go with it I think you will find Sir or Ma'am more common.

In the military, it is OK to refer to the person by his or her rank. But it is also OK to refer to him as Sir and her as Ma'am.

Well if Voyager is anything to go by non crew members would call the captain captain

Gene Roddenberry was in the USAF and all ranks in Star Trek are loosely derived from that. The USAF has only officers serving aboard planes. Enlisted are strictly ground crews. It one of the few (if not the only) air force that does this.

In the TOS, there are no enlisted serving aboard ship. It was not until Chief O'Brien showed up and any enlisted rank appeared in Star Trek.

Also, the commanding officer of a ship is given the courtesy rank of Captain, regardless of their real rank. Anyone of the rank Captain is bumped up one rank when on board. An army captain would be called Major and a navy captain, Commodore.

 

[Vladd67]

In the TOS, there are no enlisted serving aboard ship. It was not until Chief O'Brien showed up and any enlisted rank appeared in Star Trek.

What about all those crewmen seen wandering the corridors in overalls, I'm sure also Kirk referred to some as crewman rather than an officers rank

 

[goldhawk]

What about all those crewmen seen wandering the corridors in overalls, I'm sure also Kirk referred to some as crewman rather than an officers rank

I don't know what rank they were and I can't find any reference to their rank. So, they don't count.

 

[Vertigo]

In the military, it is OK to refer to the person by his or her rank. But it is also OK to refer to him as Sir and her as Ma'am.

Well I'm not sure about the American or Canadian forces but you wouldn't last long in the British forces of you ever referred to a senior officer by their rank as opposed to Sir or Ma'am. Senior officers can and usually do refer to junior officers by their rank but never the other way around.

 

[goldhawk]

Well I'm not sure about the American or Canadian forces but you wouldn't last long in the British forces of you ever referred to a senior officer by their rank as opposed to Sir or Ma'am. Senior officers can and usually do refer to junior officers by their rank but never the other way around.

Every military has its traditions.

 

[Ursa major]

In the UK, the comparable ranks across the service are as follows:

Royal Navy ------------- Army --------------- Royal Air Force

Acting Sub-Lieutenant -- Second Lieutenant -- Pilot Officer

Sub-Lieutenant --------- Lieutenant --------- Flying Officer

Lieutenant ------------- Captain ------------ Flight Lieutenant

Lieutenant Commander --- Major -------------- Squadron Leader

Commander -------------- Lieutenant Colonel - Wing Commander

Captain ---------------- Colonel ------------ Group Captain

Commodore -------------- Brigadier ---------- Air Commodore

Rear-Admiral ----------- Major-General ------ Air Vice-Marshal

Vice-Admiral ----------- Lieutenant-General - Air Marshal

Admiral ---------------- General ------------ Air Chief Marshal

Admiral of the Fleet --- Field Marshal ------ Marshal of the RAF

 

[Pyan]

I've always wondered why a Major-General is one rank below a Lieutenant-General, but a Major is two ranks above a Lieutenant...