Doctor Richard Daystrom in 2268.
Doctor Richard Daystrom (played by William Marshall) was one of the most influential human scientists of the 23rd Century. Daystrom who was born ca. 2219, was considered a genius in his day, and was compared to such minds as Albert Einstein, Kazanga and Sitar of Vulcan.
In 2243, at 24, Daystrom made the duotronic breakthrough that won him the Nobel and Zee-Magnees Prizes. However, he felt underappreciated by his peers and successors, and resented them for developing improvements based on his work, while he was in essence left behind.
In response, he devoted his full vigor to the development of the multitronic computer system to create a successful artificial intelligence. This culminated in the M-5, a computer system sophisticated enough to smoothly control a starship by itself, possibly precluding the need for organic crews.
In 2268, during the test run with the system on the USS Enterprise, the M-5 started displaying erratic and violent behavior. This includes seizing control of nonessential systems, attacking the freighter, Woden, without provocation, reacting to war games with other starships with full strength attacks, jeopardizing 1,600 lives, and resisting efforts to be disconnected.
It was revealed that Daystrom's programming of the system used his own personality engrams as a model for the computer's personality, which included his psychological problems. Unfortunately, Daystrom was mentally unstable and had a nervous breakdown aboard the Enterprise that required him to be subdued, while M-5 was convinced that the death it caused required it to commit suicide. Dr. Daystrom was committed to mental rehabilitation facility in 2268 after the incident.
None of this appeared to have much impact on the esteem granted Daystrom and his work. The Daystrom Institute, one of the most prominent Federation research centers, is named after him, as is the Daystrom Award.
References
- TOS: "The Ultimate Computer"
- TNG: "The Measure of a Man"
- TNG: "Booby Trap"
- TNG: "The Offspring"
- TNG: "Captain's Holiday"
- TNG: "Data's Day"
- DS9: "Q-Less"