Starlog III: Data Entry Four: Two

I think that the most important social issue today is the societal, as well as the physical, effects of climate change. As the current Covid-19 crisis is showing, we are able to respond positively at times, but we also seem to either pretend that the crisis is not happening, or to ignore information and instructions that would benefit us and the rest of the human race, as we work through this frightening situation. This type of response can also apply to climate change, since, while many people are trying to mitigate the effects, others seem to want to 'bury their heads in the sand' and pretend that if they ignore it, the virus will go away in a few weeks.

As for how Star Trek might take on the issue of climate change, I guess it would depend on what world or universe the show is situated in. It is possible that the use of defamiliarization, which is defined on Wikipedia as “the artistic technique of presenting to audiences common things in an unfamiliar or strange way in order to enhance perception of the familiar” might be a useful technique to use. Perhaps the 'common thing' could be the resistance to change, or to improvement, and the Star Trek approach would then be to show the deniers how they might learn to face the problem, whether it be a virus, or climate change, with courage and innovation.

Starlog III: Data Entry Four: One

Given the events of the last several months, especially in the past two or three weeks, I would say that as a human race we are are both selfish and helpful to others, brave and terrified (often at the same time), foolish and wise, fatalistic and optimistic. 
 

If I was to send any objects on a starship going to another solar system, I would try to include items that might be recognizable to other species who are not like us, difficult as that might be. I suppose if the starship was like the ones on Star Trek, there would be a mechanism that would translate any information into the languages used in that other solar system. If that was so, I would want those beings to see us as as a multi-faceted people, with a variety of approaches and interactions between each other. The objects we send could be described and visualized through the information that accompanies them so that, for instance, a cup would be shown as an implement for drinking water, or at least some type of fluid.

Starlog: II. Data Entry Seven. One

I really don't know if we will find alien life on another planet. Life alien to that of humans exists on Earth, from fish that swim to birds that fly, from amoeba to elephants. On other planets life will likely have forms totally different from those we see on Earth, so it might take great skill on the part of explorers to recognize those beings as living, let alone as being sentient. One of the things that really annoys me about Star Trek is that most, maybe all, of the aliens in the different series look quite a lot like humans, in spite of pointed ears and various versions of eye ridges. An assumption that beings from other planets must be similar to us may make it difficult for explorers to recognize sentient beings when and if they are found.

Among the billions of planets in the Universe, there may be one that is similar to Earth, or many that do not share Earth's characteristics. One of the problems in recognizing other planets capable of supporting life, is that we may expect those lifeforms to be similar to us.

Studying space may bring us “tangible benefits” but it remains to be seen if explorers can recognize the benefits inherent in learning about and from other species rather than simply exploiting those beings and their planets.

Starlog: II. Data Entry Five. Two

When I chose the two episodes ("Journey to Babel", Original Series, season 2, episode 10, and "Cost of Living", The Next Generation, season 5, episode 20) that I intended to watch for this section of the course, I meant to examine the relationships of Spock and his father, Sarek, in the first program, and that of Worf and his son, Alexander, in the second. As I watched each show, I found that I was drawn to the more subtle examples of intersectionality in two of the female characters. As the mother of two grown children, I think that the characters who resonated most with me was Spock's mother, Amanda, in the first episode, and Lwaxana Troi, Deanna Troi's mother, in the second.

Amanda must retain her own human identity while dealing with the Vulcan-centred world outlooks of her husband and son. Lwaxana may seem link a frivolous and exasperating character, but she works quite expertly to teach and support Alexander. Her relationship with her daughter mayhave some difficulties, but they are able to reach out and and interact well with each other by the end of the show.

And although she seems to have decided on an odd approach to a marriage arrangement, she manages to get herself out of that relationship by shocking her perspective husband into refusing to marry her by her use of a Betazed custom of nudity as a bride.

These two characters represent, in my opinion, the intricacies of interactions between mothers and children, where the woman must be, in these examples, parent to important crew members while preserving her own individual identity.

Starlog: II. Data Entry Five. One

The episode of the original series (“Arena”, season 1, episode 18) that I watched includes a confrontation between Kirk and a member of an reptilian species who seems to consider complete destruction of his enemy as his only option. The Captain and the alien manage to injure each other, but when Kirk has the opportunity to kill the Gorn, he refuses to do so. When the Metron appears, having sent the Gorn back to his ship, he offers to “destroy him for [Kirk]”. The Captain refuses the offer and then magically returns to the Enterprise, after which the ship is moved by an outside force (the Metron) to the other side of the galaxy.

Of course. there is also an inter-species encounter (or several encounters) between other species, both friendly and 'conflict-laden' and the crew of Deep Space 9 in episode 26, “A Call to Arms”, of season 5. While the multiple story lines and layers of this episode make it a bit more difficult to follow than “Arena”, I must say that I prefer this representation of relationships between species. It does reflect more realistically the complications of interactions (both friendly and confrontational) between different cultures in the world today.

Starlog: II. Data Entry Four. One

Since Star Trek is likely the only series that I've watched where there is a substantial use of fictional languages, I really have no opinion on Klingon's comparison to other languages of that type. I would not likely use Klingon in my daily life since I don't really know anyone who would be using the language. I did check a site https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/klingon.php which claims to contain “ a collection of useful phrases in Klingon, a constructed language created by the linguist Marc Okrand for the Star Trek films” to see if I could decide which words I might need to learn if I was to encounter a Klingon, or a person who knows the language. From that list I would likely try 'bIpIv'a' ' (the English equivalent is How are you?), and a few other terms which seem to indicate an interest in the person being spoken to.

Starlog III: Data Entry Three: One

In the video for this section, reference is made to technologies that may have translated from those used by the crew of star ships to those used in the present day, specifically the relationship of the 'communicator' to mobile phones of whatever version which is now being used. This technology may have made us more self-sufficient, but it has also meant that we spend a great deal of time concentrating on whatever form of communication that we use. While some may think of this as wasting time, the use of devices which allow us to relate to other people can also have many benefits.

The technology which I would say is making us more self-sufficient, while also causing us to be dependent on others (not always is a good way) is not a new one. I am referring to the internet, now mostly thought of as the World Wide Web, although the latter is based in the former. Like any communication technology, it can be be used to waste time, spread misinformation, and generally be annoying. It has also be extremely useful in learning new things, as in this MOOC and the many others which would not be accessible were it not for the internet. Whether we become more self-sufficient, and progress as humans through the use of this technology, or not, is entirely up to us, the user.

Starlog: III. Data Entry Two. Two

I'm not sure which Star Trek captain we need most in today's society, only that the leader needs to show an intelligent and compassionate approach to the problems that he or she is faced with. In one of the episodes (“Dear Doctor”, Star Trek: Enterprise) that I watched, Captain Archer insists on giving Dr. Phlox enough time to find a cure, or at least a path toward a cure, for the fatal illness faced by the Valakians on their planet, which was being visited by Enterprise. Even though the doctor doesn't believe that he should interfere with the serious problems faced by the Valakians, he and the captain are able to reach a compromise while acknowledging conflicting views which need to be dealt with. This ability to understand the other person's viewpoint is sorely needed in today's world.

As for Discovery's take on not focusing on the captain in season 1, I came to observe that some episodes put more emphasis on the opinion of the captain than others. In the episode, “Into the Forest I Go”, the captain is present, and has a certain point of view about the mission central to the story, but his crew members have other approaches to the problems that they face. This occurs to some degree in most of the episodes that I have watched – think Captain Kirk and Spock in the original series, for instance. I think that, if anything, the different approaches to the centrality of the captain, shown in this lesson, and others, caused me to think more carefully about the interactions between him, or her, and the crew.

Starlog: II. Data Entry Three. Two

The episode I watched in an attempt to answer the question posed in this section of the course was That Which Survives from Season 3 of the original series. The character of Losira at first is depicted as part siren and part destroyer, killing at least one crewman, D'Amato, on the planet,. When she appears on the Enterprise, she knows about the functions of the ship, and is able to kill Watkins with the touch of her hand. It seems that she must touch the men she is sent to destroy, but when she touches Kirk, he survives. She says that she doesn't “want to destroy”, but she “is for Lieutenant Sulu” and “must touch him”. When she very briefly touches Sulu and Kirk gets in the way, Losira has, as the Captain explains, “the power to totally disrupt biological cell structure”. Later, she does try to touch Kirk (and likely to kill him), although she doesn't want to kill, and only 'touches' because she is “sent” and “must defend this place”. Near the end of the episode, Losira becomes three copies of herself, each one designated to touch Sulu, Kirk, or Dr. McCoy. Then she is is revealed as having been replicated to protect the planet where the occupants have been long dead, so her mission seems to have evolved to be more of a protector than a destroyer.

This episode caused me to rethink my stance on sexuality in that I became even more aware of how sexual attractiveness, especially in women, is used to hint at danger or seduction, or seems to do so. The way that the plot in this episode developed, and the changing depiction of Losira, showed that the device of 'woman as seductress' is not always as negative, or as uncomplicated, as it first appears.

Starlog: II. Data Entry Three. One

I would say that the most important phrases to learn in another language are those that relate to the individual who is being spoken to. While it is important to have a knowledge of the structure of a language and the meaning of a word or phrase or sentence, to form a relationship with the people who speak that language, it is necessary to be able to relate to the person to whom you are speaking. So simple phrases that show an interest in the person being spoken to, and therefore their culture, are important. After all, the first thing we do when meeting new people within our own culture is to ask their name, and then go on to discover their personal details and those of their family and the places where they live.

Attempting to learn the language of a new culture shows that we are interested in that culture and the individuals who are included therein. Each language has different nuances, and while new learners may not understand the intricacies of an unfamiliar language, through persistent attempts to understand both words and speakers, they can show that they are truly interested in both.

While I really like the Ferengi as alien characters in Star Trek, their use of 'universal translators' in the Deep Space Nine episode “Little Green Men” does just the opposite to what I would see as being useful in providing understanding between cultures, since all it seems to be used for is promoting and facilitating trade relationships.

Starlog: III. Data Entry Two. One

As I watched “Tattoo”, Voyager 2/9, I attempted to examine how the episode approaches the interaction between Chakotay and his father, and also the relationships between the crew and the inhabitants of the planet that the ship eventually visits. In my opinion, these interactions address the basic question posed for this section of the class, in that the earlier earthbound experience provides the basic for understanding the appropriate responses during later exploratory ventures.

Throughout the episode there are alternating sections between the story line of the visit to the planet in 'the present' and Chakotay's memories of his earlier disagreements with his father, Kolopak, who explains to his son early in the show that the customs of the 'rubber tree people' need to be respected.

From his father, Chakotay learned to respect the customs of others, although the younger verson of the son didn't seem to realize it at the time.

In Chakotay's youth, Kolopak approached the tribe that he found on his planet, and, using their common language and use of symbols to communicate and interact with the 'other' who shared a common ancestor. When Chakotay, as Commander, meets the people who inhabit the planet that the Voyager was attempting to visit, he is able to use the lessons he learned from Kolopak to negotiate with them and eventually discover their cultures' common history. When the crew of the Voyager first visited the planet they were attacked by birds and met with a storm that sent them back to their ship. On their second attempt to land, they are met with storms that are much more severe. He also used his negotiating skills to ensure that the storms are abated and the Voyager's landing crew can approach and land safely. Through understanding that listening to the concerns of others and seeking ways to reconcile their differences will benefit both sides, travellers in many contexts can mitigate their impact on their environments and the people who live there.