Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
The original series of Star Trek premiered in 1966, and even then it was ahead of its time. From machines that create food out of thin air, to medical devices that can diagnose you with the wave of a wand, Star Trek has accurately predicted several technological advancements. The Brain Trust takes a look at the major gadgets from the series, and shows you how they were the inspiration for the technology of today.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
TNG revived in the Star Trek franchise and lead it in all new directions, including the introduction of one of the most iconic Star Trek enemies: The Borg. Listen as we discuss all the cybernetic advancements this series introduced, including the advantages of a cubed ship, removing biological parts in favor of superior technological ones, and how to digitize the brain and upload it to the entire collective at once.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Deep Space Nine was the first of the Star Trek series to be set on a space station, and not on a traveling space ship. The stories centered around a battle between The Federation, and The Dominion. This is important, because The Dominion was a race of people who used genetic engineering to both enhance other races, and develop their own from scratch. In this episode we take a look at the benefits and pitfalls that one would encounter if they tried to create an entirely new species. We also discuss pod people, memory templates, and how dogs fit into this conversation.
Star Trek: Voyager
When is comes to hologram technology, Voyager really perfected the application of this into their everyday lives. They were the first series to have a hologram crew member: The Doctor. As the Chief Medical Officer, he outranks the Captain on matters of health and well being, which is odd because he doesn’t physically exist. Not only that, but their holodeck is something to be marveled. The interactive stories, or holonovels, are very similar to our virtual reality technology, except that they can physically touch the surroundings. It is also not uncommon to fall in love with holograms. Listen to this episode, and be prepared to question the very nature of reality!
Time Travel in Star Trek
Everybody loves a good time travel story, and Star Trek has MANY to choose from. Whether it’s Red Matter, Black Holes, Anti-matter, or performing a slingshot technique around a giant planet, if you make a major mistake, there are many ways to fix it. In this episode, The Brain Trust looks the original series and the 2009 movie, and explains what happens using the Block Universe theory. There is even mention of ‘The Noodle Effect’, as well as the Frank Capra classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, so they cover all the bases in this one.