Richard Daystrom

Doctor Richard Daystrom was one of the most influential Human scientists of the 23rd century. He invented the comptronic and duotronic computer systems.

Born in 2219, Dr. Daystrom was a genius, and was compared to Albert Einstein, Kazanga, and Sitar of Vulcan. He received the nickname "boy wonder" at age 24, when he made a breakthrough in duotronics, which won him the Nobel and Zee-Magnees Prizes. However, he still felt under-appreciated by his peers and successors, resenting them for developing improvements based on his work. He devoted all his time to the development of the multitronic computer system, creating a successful artificial intelligence, named M-5.

A test of his invention caused it to display erratic and violent behavior, killing several hundred Starfleet officers from the USS Excalibur and USS Lexington. Dr. Daystrom had a nervous breakdown, and Captain Kirk was forced to confront the machine himself, convincing the machine that it needed to deactivate / self-destruct. After the incident, Dr. Daystrom was committed to a mental rehabilitation facility in 2268.

Despite his being committed, Daystrom was still revered for his genius, esteem and work.
The Daystrom Institute, one of the most prominent Federation research centers, was named after him, as well as the Daystrom Award.