Object
Data's Anterior Cortex Neural Filaments
A lattice/bundle of hair-fine positronic/neural filaments embedded in Lieutenant Commander Data's anterior cortex: interwoven microconductors, lattice connectors and tiny bonding nodes composed of ultra-fine metallic, polymer and positronic strands. The assembly appears fragile and intricate when exposed (roughly the size of a human fist when mounted in its housing) but is too fine for casual inspection without surgical access. Engineers reference these filaments as loci of abnormal electron resistance. Narratively, these filaments are the technical fulcrum of the Observation Lounge scene in “The Measure of a Man” where Dr. Maddox demands access to study/disassemble them and Picard objects on ethical grounds.
3 appearances
Purpose
To interconnect and transmit signals across Data's positronic neural architecture—serving as the core physical substrate for memory storage, processing pathways, and the anterior cortex's information routing—thereby enabling cognitive functions that researchers intend to map, dump, and replicate.
Significance
These filament links become the focal object of the episode's central conflict: their proposed removal transforms a scientific procedure into a juridical and ethical showdown over Data's personhood. They embody both the technical key to replicating artificial consciousness and the intimate vulnerability that forces characters to confront identity, ownership, and the limits of scientific ambition.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used