automation

Someone suggested that today's airplanes can pretty much fly themselves.  That
may be so, but can they land and take off by themselves?  And would you want to
fly on an automated plane?  Not me!

No, *some* crew must be aboard to take care of emergencies.  I expect traveller
starships will be very similiar.

The other question I've had for a long time is that there seems to be an
assumption in general that on traveller ships that there is always someone on
watch 24 hours a day on the bridge and engineering.  Yet the crew on board is
no where near anything what would be required?

Are 24 hour watches really required?  I'd have a hard time sleeping, knowing
that their is nobody at the wheel, though.  I figure that at the least,
*someone* of even the most minimal skill has to be on the bridge at all times,
and they summon someone if anything anything bad or unfamiliar happens.  On the
other hand, on scouts, perhaps they simply set all the computer alarms, and
take a snooze, and possibly get a hell of a wake up!

Jim Baranski