Post by The DoctorPost by Stephen WilsonPost by Siri CrewsPost by PudentamePost by Your NamePost by PudentamePerception filter?
The problem with that "explanation" is that if there's a perception
filter, why does it need a Chameleon Circuit to change it's
appearance?? (Other than the owners preference for how their TARDIS
looks.)
A perception filter would work better if the TARDIS blended in with
its surroundings.
I actually like the suggetion of a Hg2g SEP (Someone Else's Problem)
field even better than the idea of a perception filter ... although I
don't suppose they'd be mutually exclusive.
I suppose I could add a comment, but I'll let someone else deal with it.
My comment is that the SEP field was Douglas Adams using comedy to say
something about the way people can ignore major issues.
The SEP field, as such, is not a science fiction device - it's a social
commentary device.
Adams 's problem was that he would have made
a good Communist Party Secretary General of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland.
Adams' problem was that he was an intelligent writer. His work is therefore
completely wasted on you.
Actually I take that back. Being intelligent wasn't his problem. His work is
appreciated by countless readers, listeners and viewers. Perhaps the problem
is not Adams. Perhaps the problem is you.
Here's an excerpt from So Long and Thanks for All the Fish. As already
noted, it will be completely wasted on you. But others might appreciate it:
"On its world, the people are people. The leaders are lizards. The people
hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."
"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."
"I did," said Ford. "It is."
"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't
the people get rid of the lizards?"
"It honestly doesn't occur to them," said Ford. "They've all got the vote,
so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or
less approximates to the government they want."
"You mean they actually vote for the lizards?"
"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."
"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"
"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard," said Ford, "the wrong lizard
might get in."