The Twilight Zone: Probe 7, Over and Out

Work Title: The Twilight Zone: Probe 7, Over and Out
Medium: TV Episode
Episode Title: Probe 7, Over and Out
Year: 1963
Writer(s): Rod Serling
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

A crash landed space explorer learns his home planet has been destroyed by nuclear war. from comcast info.

  • Self-Written?:
  • Source Name: Comcast
  • Source URL:
Era/Year of Portrayal: present_day
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

I assume this is set in present day 1963.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: Communication module
  • Description of the technology: The communciation module is built into the wall of the space craft. It consists of a screen and several knobs and buttons. It records and saves all transmissions. Somehere in it there must be a camera, because the people Cook communicates with comment on seeing him. The user faces the screen and speaks directly to it, as if he was having a conversation with the person on the screen as if he was present. The picture quality is very good. The technology is not mobile and lacks emotions.
  • Nature of task or activity: Communication with the people at base.
  • Performance of the Technology: It works fairly well - communication ceases due to the people at base.
  • Description of creator(s): unknown.
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): to provide a method of communication between astronauts in space and the people on the planet base.
  • Description of users of technology: Cook is an astronaut, referred to as Captain. He is white, male in somewhere between age 30 and 50. He is an explorer.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: social_presence
  • Description of presence experience: The user is able to communicate and speak with his peers on the home planet, although they are quite far in distance from each other. The experience is nice, to alleiviate boredom and loneliness and ask for help, someone to come get him.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: yes.
  • Valence of experience: pleasant to talk to someone, unpleasant to learn no one can help him.
  • Specific responses: involvement, more intense parasocial relationships, relief, companionship.
Long-term consequences:

Communication ceases and the audience is to believe this is due to everyone dying on the home planet - nuclear war. Cook is trapped on a strange planet, but he finds he is not alone - there is, of course, a beautiful woman there as well.

Other:

Coder name: Amanda Scheiner
Coder email: amandags@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University