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Data being intimate with Tasha Yar - why was Data built with this capability?

Science Fiction & Fantasy Asked on August 16, 2021

Pardon the inherent ickiness of asking how an android and a human…become intimate, but this has genuinely puzzled me since I watched the Next Generation episode “The Naked Now.” The summary for the episode on Memory Alpha states:

She asks how “functional” Data is; he replies he is fully functional and is programmed in many “techniques,” a wide variety of pleasuring. She leads him to her bedroom, where Data gives a programmed smile. The door closes.

I’m not asking for specific details because, honestly, ick-factor, but:

  • What does “fully functional” really mean?

  • Why was Data built to perform a “wide variety of pleasuring”?

Also, I will not be offended by close votes. This question is insane.

3 Answers

It is addressed again:

From Wikipedia,

Although stories about Yar are not normally connected to Data, the issue of Data's sexual encounter with Yar amid a ship-wide intoxication during the episode "The Naked Now" is recounted in stories about Data. Data carries a hologram of Yar with him and during the trial regarding his rights in the second season episode "The Measure of a Man," he admitted to the incident with the words "We were intimate."
Wikipedia

As far as why he was built in this way, Dr. Soong made sure everything else worked (hair growing, et cetera), it makes sense that he would also supply Data with his own "special purpose."

It's also possible that it's part of Dr. Soong's attempt to make an android so realistic that he does not know he's an android, as referenced in the Season 7 episode "Inheritance."

Correct answer by Curtis Retherford on August 16, 2021

I'd have to say, in my opinion, it's assumed he was made to be very life like with all his capabilities; looks, adaptations, mental awareness, that it's not so hard to believe he'd also be equipped with physical functions (fully functional body, sexually) as a normal human being would, or at least a robot/android would. Who's to say Dr. Soong didn't want his android to be a fully functional human being, why not? The question would more or less be, why was he not comprised of more of an emotional awareness? Well that's what his first design was to be, Lore. So, in that respect he scaled down with Data, because Lore was just 'too humanlike'.

Answered by JMD_Jamie on August 16, 2021

"Fully functional" I guess means "anatomically correct", which Soong just decided to add in. As for the pleasures bit I am not sure if that is limited to sexual pleasure, or if a "wide variety" includes sexual pleasure, but also includes other entertainment things such as the ability to wink.

Answered by user58819 on August 16, 2021

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