I've never been a hardcore Star Trek fan, BUT...

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I happened to be watching one of the movies on TV last night (couldn't tell you which one, like I said, never really been a hardcore fan), and I couldn't help but notice the similarities between myself and Data, and I'm wondering if other Aspies feel the same.

For those who don't know (and I suspect there aren't that many on this forum, hahaha), the "Data" character is a very human-like robot. He is programmed to want to become more human, which he refers to as "evolving". This leads him to get an "emotion chip" installed in his brain. Not too long afterward, he absolutely freaks out because of it, and says something along the lines of "my programming isn't designed to handle this". As he gets experience using the emotion chip, he understands more and more emotions, and even becomes fascinated by exploring new ones as he feels them.

I, too, can pinpoint the time in my life when I "installed my emotion chip" (November 28, 2008, the mark of a true Aspie that I actually know that hahaha). Obviously, this isn't an actual chip, but it is the day on which I decided I wanted to actually experience life. And I realized that in the few months after that day, the things I was capable of feeling after I opened myself up to the world did indeed freak me out a bit. That was over four years ago now, and I've gotten used to allowing basic things like positive events making me happy and negative events making me angry or sad or afraid to occur, and I know what to do in those situations now. Now, I'm exploring some of the more complicated ones. The latest one is affection

Anyway, not really looking for advice, sympathy, or really even a response to this thread. Just kind of throwing this one out there. Food for thought.

Also, the smiley faces on this site are kind of creepy looking. Thought I'd throw that one out there too hahaha

Brent Spiner is not an aspie, so the android characters he portrayed were simply extrapolations of the 'Spock' character.

I'm going to recommend that the OP never watch the movie Star Trek: Nemesis.

Like I said, I've never been a hardcore Trekkie, so I don't even know what either of those are. I'm just pointing out something I happened to notice.

Well not trying to give spoilers, but the Nemesis movie completely misuses the character Data so badly. If you find the character interesting I wanted to spare you from watching that movie.

Ahhhhh OK... well thank you sir

I'm more of a Spock, or Q...

I've noticed similarities between me and Data but he's an android. Of course he's going to be confused by humans.

im a HUGE Star Trek nut... you have been warned. i feel a kinship with both Spock and Data for completely different reasons. with Spock its the sheer loneliness of the character. hes neither human nor Vulcan and at home nowhere but this little niche he has carved out for himself in Starfleet. with Data its the social cluelessness and attempting to become more like those around him. i know, im a dork.

PS what kind of spellcheck doesnt have "Starfleet" in it?

Technically, Data is a robot - "android" is merely a descriptor, specifying that he is shaped like a man. (Lal should therefore have properly been referred to as a "gynoid", but that would have confused too many people in Hollywood.)

If we're talking characters who would be aspies if they were human, Spock and Data fit the bill, yes, but Seven of Nine is undeniably HFA, at least she would be if her borg personality were still intact and she was fully human. Seven is my favourite character specifically for that reason, I just wish the others on Voyager's crew could have understood her better.