Where No Man Has Gone Before Archives - Compliance Podcast Network

Episode 3 – Where No Man Has Gone Before

In this episode of Trekking Through Compliance, we consider Where No Man Had Gone Before, which aired on September 22, 1966, Star Date 1312.4. The first Star Trek episode was made (not counting the pilot episode, The Cage), although not the first aired. It differs from subsequent episodes in that there is no “Space, the final frontier” voice-over during the theme song at the beginning.

The Enterprise discovers a 200-year-old ship recorder from the SS Valiant near the galaxy’s edge. Shortly after, the Enterprise passes through an unknown phenomenon that causes major damage and knocks out navigators Gary Mitchell and Dr. Elizabeth Dehner (both of whom have high ESP ratings). When Gary recovers, he begins to acquire telepathic and telekinetic powers. Kirk alarmed at the prospect of having his ship taken over by an increasingly powerful and tyrannical Mitchell, is convinced by Spock to maroon Mitchell at the lithium cracking plant of Delta Vega. Dr. Piper has no explanation for what is happening. Gary kills Lee Kelso and escapes from his imprisonment. Kirk follows him and can destroy him with the help of Dr. Dehner, who is also beginning to acquire the power but kills herself in the process.

Compliance Takeaways:

Your root cause analysis is different from an investigation.
Compliance training should provide answers to employees when times of high stress arise.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Internal controls are the key.

Resources
Excruciatingly Detailed Plot Summary by Eric W. Weisstein for Where No Man Has Gone Before

MissionLogPodcast.com-Where No Man Has Gone Before

The Science of Star Trek-Where No Man Has Gone Before and Phasers

Welcome to the Science of Star Trek, a podcast series inspired by my review of Star Trek, the Original Series in the summer podcast special series Trekking Through Compliance.In this series I am joined by Astrophysicist and Healthcare Futurist Ben Locwin. In this podcast, we consider the TOS episode Where No Man Has Gone Before as a starting point for the consideration of the science around the phaser.

The Federation starship Enterprise is on an exploratory mission to leave the galaxy. At the edge of the galaxy, the ship it encounters a strange barrier which damages the ship’s systems and warp drive, forcing a retreat. At the same time, nine crew members are killed and both helmsman Gary Mitchell and ship’s psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Dehner are knocked unconscious by the barrier’s effect. When he awakens, Mitchell’s eyes glow silver, and he begins to display remarkable psychic powers. Alarmed that Mitchell may take over the Enterprise, Kirk decides to maroon him at an unmanned lithium-cracking facility on the remote planet of Delta Vega. Once there, the landing party tries to confine Mitchell, but his powers have become too great. Kirk follows with a phaser rifle, the only time in the Original Series it was seen. Kirk uses the phaser rifle to create a rockslide, killing Mitchell.

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