> Al Smith wrote:

>>> Al Smith wrote:

>>>>>>> Bones wrote:

>>>>>>>>> Given that there were other non-medical doctors mentioned in
>>>>>>>>> the series -- Dr. Daystrom comes to mind -- we can use that as
>>>>>>>>> evidence that Spock did not have a doctorate.
>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> No, you can use that as evidence that Spock was a Starfleet
>>>>>>> officer who is normally addressed by his rank. Dr. Daystrom was
>>>>>>> a civilian and calling him "doctor" is the norm. I don't know
>>>>>>> if Commander Spock had a doctorate at that time of the
>>>>>>> series, but your "evidence" is less than useful.

>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Realistically, Spock must have acquired academic degrees. I mean,
>>>>> the man is a walking science library. He probably has a string of
>>>>> degrees as long as a Rigelian Bloodworm.

>>>
>>> Why?
>>>
>>> Just because he's studied a subject, it doesn't mean he's sat an
>>> exam and earned a piece of paper saying "This is to certify that Mr
>>> Spock is awfully clever".
>>> Lots of people study things without ever taking an exam or test at
>>> the end of it all..
>>> These are people who love to learn...They crave knowledge...For
>>> them, the thrill of becoming more intelligent is reward enough.
>>>
>>> He might have jut studied a subject and satisfied himself with the
>>> fact that he fully understood it.
>>>
>>> Perhaps Vulcans don't believe in formal qualifications....
>>> Perhaps the rest of the galaxy don't see the need for Vulcans to
>>> hold formal qualifications...After all, Spock himself and several
>>> other Vulcans are heard to say "Vulcans are incapable of lying", so
>>> it might be taken as read that if a Vulcan tells you he's an expert
>>> in molecular biology, he's telling the truth....Perhaps a Vulcans
>>> word is regarded as more reliable than a piece of paper which anyone
>>> could produce on a 24th century inkjet printer.

>>
>> Are you kidding. Spock? The original Mr. Pointy Head? Spock couldn't
>> help accumulating degrees if his life depended on it. I bet he's got
>> PhDs in half a dozen areas of science and probably a few for
>> literature and philosophy as well.

>
> Well, as no-one ever mentioned his formal qualifications in the show or the
> films, I'd be inclined to say that the weight of evidence is against you.