Ensign K. Barlow Starlog

Entry 9: DIVERSITY IN STAR TREK Why is it important to see yourself on television?  It is vitally important to see "yourself" on TV, because that shows you how you can achieve anything. In the 1960s, when Star Trek was made, it was very rare to see people of color, or even women, in roles of importance. Seeing someone who looked like you made it seem more possible to break out of the stereotypical roles. As stated in the interview, "All of us would go."  Not just the white men. Why is television an important subject for scholarly study and how does what we watch shape the world we live in? From the NY Times: " A wave of new social science research shows that the quality of shows can influence us in important ways, shaping our thinking and political preferences, even affecting our cognitive ability." ( https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/upshot/social-effects-television.html ) If we watch shows that do no stimulate thinking, we will have a harder time to cr...

Think of a global issue that we are facing today that causes fear or concern. What would be the plot of a television show that depicted a utopian and optimistic vision of the future of that issue?  There are so many global issues currently, that all cause fear and/or concern. Pandemic aside, I think a more far-reaching one is Global Warming, or climate change.  The plot of the TV show will show the problem resolved, because by the time it takes place, people have worked together to solve Global Warming. We will see all methods clean energy, trash collection, zero emissions, etc. However, the Enterprise visits a planet that was like Earth in the 21st century. Pollution, trash, general destruction of the planet is running rampant. Spock, of course, reminds Kirk about the Prime Directive, and urges him not to interfere. Kirk, however, cannot help himself. So, he figures a way to "casually" leave behind clean energy information. So the people in charge will find it, realize i...

Starlog Entry 5 Must-Have Technology From Star Trek Transporter - I personally would love to have transporters exist. The hassle of travel would greatly diminish, and our real exploration could commence! If the transporter did not exist in the Star Trek universe, I'm sure the universe would still exist; it does not depend on the existence of a transporter. But, the universe would definitely not be the same. They would have to shuttle everywhere they wanted to explore (as in Enterprise), and the exploration in  all the series would have seriously slowed. They would not have met all the different species, and the Federation would not have been near as diverse.  Starlog Entry 6 Where do you see Artificial Intelligence going? Will it be Data, The Doctor or something new? Do we need to fear it, embrace it or something in between?  I see AI heading toward The Doctor and Data, simultaneously. The Doctor shows how AI will eventually evolve in the medical field, while Data should ...

Christopher Pike "It turns out that the story of a good man is still one that's worth telling." https://www.startrek.com/news/captain-pike-represents-future-discovery-needs Of all the hundreds of characters in the Star Trek franchise, my favorite is Captain Christoper Pike.  Captain Pike is introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series, as a character set to lead the series. However, as mentioned in my first blog, Star Trek moved from first pilot with a new captain, James T. Kirk. This new captain was more charismatic, more engaging, and tested better with audiences. But, that doesn't mean he was the better character.  In the original pilot, we get a small sample of Captain Pike, and we see him as an outstanding leader. Later in the Original Series, we get to see much more of Captain Pike's character, as an episode unfolds an account for his being in a wheelchair. He knowingly exposed himself to radiation, in an effort to save cadets from a training vessel. These e...

https://miro.medium.com/max/4320/1*1g2Cl8WGQ3ADPxsVWRe80w.jpeg Cannon and Star Trek Stardate: 60420.3 Canon and Star Trek Canon is defined by two definitions, both of which suit the Star Trek franchise. There are several "general rules or laws" about the Star Trek universe established in The Original Series, that carry over into all the series following. As the franchise grew, a "collection or list of sacred [rules]" formed, and became "accepted as genuine" throughout.  Having this canon helped Star Trek grow into what we know it now. Because there are continuous "facts" throughout the story lines, there is an air of continuity that brings Star Trek: Discovery into the same world as Star Trek: The Original Series , though they were made decades apart. The existence of the Federation, having the bright colors on the uniforms, and even the Prime Directive show the kind of world the characters live in. This all also helps promote viewership. View...

Starlog Entry 2 Stardate 52920.2 - Promoted to Ensign Business Model of Star Trek: The Original Series , Influencing audiences  In its conception, Star Trek: The Original Series, was a product of the television networks of the time. This fact contributed to the popularity, and ultimately the cancellation, of the series.    In 1962, the Telstar Communications Satellite was launched into space, which allowed Transatlantic communication for the first time. Because of this, Star Trek: TOS was able to reach an audience, and eventually gain popularity, all over the world.    Once networks could broadcast to a much wider audience, they chose to focus their programming on family-friendly content, with gripping stories that made audiences want to watch through the commercials. The original pilot episode of Star Trek: TOS, aired in 1966,    did not adhere to many of those standards; it was deemed "too cerebral" by the network. As stated by Scott Mantz, "Y...