I'll give you that probably some of what Rodney does, Zelenka could manage. But see, I don't in anyway see that as diminishing Rodney's intelligence. Carter and Rodney are said to be the two most intelligent people in two galaxies. Zelenka is maybe one step below that. So if he can do most of what Rodney does, it doesn't make it any less amazing, it just means that Altantis has two of the most brilliant people around. They're both super smart, amazing! Rodney is just a bit better. Which there is evidence for:
Zelenka doesn't always think quite a quickly as Rodney, or as creatively. In "Duet", he's very jumpy off-world, is working 'round the clock on the solution, but it's Rodney, with his already taxed brain, that comes up with the answer. In "Seige 3", when they give the estimates of how long they think the adjustments will take, Zelenka, who's usually very honest, who doesn't seem inflate the difficulty of things to make himself look better, says "A week". Rodney says a "couple of hours". Rodney's the one who's right. Likely because it WOULD have taken Zelenka, on his own, a week. Rodney, a couple of hours.
Now a list of all the times Rodney saves the day. Yes, maybe Zelenka could have done some of them. I list some feats that Zelenka helps with. So there's three people in the galaxy, Carter, Rodney, and Zelenka who could do it. That's...um...still pretty damn unique. Also, I include in this list times that Rodney is perhaps not doing science, but thinks really damn quickly on his feet, coming up with problems/solutions faster than anyone else. Because that's a lot of genius as well, not just how well you think, but how quickly, how fast you perceive things. IQ tests are traditionally timed, after all.
"38 Minutes": Rodney keeps coming up with ideas, *before* the whole team of scientists. Zelenka assists, though they're working in totally different environments, Zelenka has the ability to experiment while Rodney doesn't have the luxury.
"Underground": Mention of building a nuclear device when he was in grade 6. Figures out the doors on the Wraith ship when no one else has a clue.
"The Storm/The Eye": Rodney and Zelenka together, two smartest people, come up with the solution. Rodney implements it, then has to troubleshoot/do repairs under extreme conditions. Also, very fast thinking when he puts his hand on the radio to let Sheppard overhear, and when he bluffs his way through the shield not working to get Koyla to leave.
"Hot Zone": First to, very quickly, come to the conclusion it’s a disease, first to diagnose it and the one who comes up with the immediate solution.
"Sanctuary": Only one who realizes Chaya is not what she seems, and the one to realize that she's an Ancient.
"Letters From Pegasus": He has the psycho amazing compression program, and is the one who has the idea to send all that they know home. Which leads the SGC to know they're in trouble and send a rescue mission.
"The Siege, part 1": fixes the satellite, Grodin says he's the best one at it. Grodin dies, but they make those repairs awful damn fast and are able to take out one of the hive ships.
"The Siege, part 2": Rodney and Zelenka fix the nukes. They also figure out how to fly the puddlejumpers with the chair, but the loss of power makes that plan impossible
"The Siege, part 3": Rodney predicts where the Wraith ships will be (he makes a joke about if his math is correct...which since the ships appear where he predicts, he's RIGHT), John, him and Zelenka, bouncing ideas off each other come up with the plan to convert shield to cloak. Rodney himself comes up with the plan to fake the self-destruct and correctly calculates when it's safe to convert shield to cloak. And as stated above, seems able to do this conversion faster than Zelenka. If there was no Rodney, and it took Zelenka the week he says, there's a question of whether the shield might have held out.
Re: My part two to your part one...
I'll give you that probably some of what Rodney does, Zelenka could manage. But see, I don't in anyway see that as diminishing Rodney's intelligence. Carter and Rodney are said to be the two most intelligent people in two galaxies. Zelenka is maybe one step below that. So if he can do most of what Rodney does, it doesn't make it any less amazing, it just means that Altantis has two of the most brilliant people around. They're both super smart, amazing! Rodney is just a bit better. Which there is evidence for:
Zelenka doesn't always think quite a quickly as Rodney, or as creatively. In "Duet", he's very jumpy off-world, is working 'round the clock on the solution, but it's Rodney, with his already taxed brain, that comes up with the answer. In "Seige 3", when they give the estimates of how long they think the adjustments will take, Zelenka, who's usually very honest, who doesn't seem inflate the difficulty of things to make himself look better, says "A week". Rodney says a "couple of hours". Rodney's the one who's right. Likely because it WOULD have taken Zelenka, on his own, a week. Rodney, a couple of hours.
Now a list of all the times Rodney saves the day. Yes, maybe Zelenka could have done some of them. I list some feats that Zelenka helps with. So there's three people in the galaxy, Carter, Rodney, and Zelenka who could do it. That's...um...still pretty damn unique. Also, I include in this list times that Rodney is perhaps not doing science, but thinks really damn quickly on his feet, coming up with problems/solutions faster than anyone else. Because that's a lot of genius as well, not just how well you think, but how quickly, how fast you perceive things. IQ tests are traditionally timed, after all.
"38 Minutes": Rodney keeps coming up with ideas, *before* the whole team of scientists. Zelenka assists, though they're working in totally different environments, Zelenka has the ability to experiment while Rodney doesn't have the luxury.
"Underground": Mention of building a nuclear device when he was in grade 6. Figures out the doors on the Wraith ship when no one else has a clue.
"The Storm/The Eye": Rodney and Zelenka together, two smartest people, come up with the solution. Rodney implements it, then has to troubleshoot/do repairs under extreme conditions. Also, very fast thinking when he puts his hand on the radio to let Sheppard overhear, and when he bluffs his way through the shield not working to get Koyla to leave.
"Hot Zone": First to, very quickly, come to the conclusion it’s a disease, first to diagnose it and the one who comes up with the immediate solution.
"Sanctuary": Only one who realizes Chaya is not what she seems, and the one to realize that she's an Ancient.
"Letters From Pegasus": He has the psycho amazing compression program, and is the one who has the idea to send all that they know home. Which leads the SGC to know they're in trouble and send a rescue mission.
"The Siege, part 1": fixes the satellite, Grodin says he's the best one at it. Grodin dies, but they make those repairs awful damn fast and are able to take out one of the hive ships.
"The Siege, part 2": Rodney and Zelenka fix the nukes. They also figure out how to fly the puddlejumpers with the chair, but the loss of power makes that plan impossible
"The Siege, part 3": Rodney predicts where the Wraith ships will be (he makes a joke about if his math is correct...which since the ships appear where he predicts, he's RIGHT), John, him and Zelenka, bouncing ideas off each other come up with the plan to convert shield to cloak. Rodney himself comes up with the plan to fake the self-destruct and correctly calculates when it's safe to convert shield to cloak. And as stated above, seems able to do this conversion faster than Zelenka. If there was no Rodney, and it took Zelenka the week he says, there's a question of whether the shield might have held out.
(Continued in next part...)