Observation about Star Trek

[skygazer]

My SO and I are watching The Next Generation on DVD - we're midway through the sixth season now and one thing I've really noticed watching it this way, one after another, is how often they talk about mining!

Every other episode, you hear Picard intone, "We were ferrying supplies to a mining colony on Sigma Gamma IV..." (which brings up another thing - why in the world would they use the Enterprise like a common cargo ship?) or "... we'd received a distress call from a mining operation in the Watusi quadrant..."

Rather discouraging to think that in this supposedly more enlightened time, we'll be travelling around the galaxy raping planets for their natural resources....

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Actually, very few episodes had mining

there were also terraformers, and many colonists.

But yes indeedy - all that material for space ships and space stations and starbases and colonies has to come from somewhere. And I'm sure that even in the 23rd century they won't have any way other than mining to get it out.

It's the cost of not being a hunter-gatherer.

[skygazer]

2. More than "very few"

And I realize the logic of it but find it interesting that it's mentioned so repeatedly on a show that goes out of its way to evoke such an optimistic view of the future.

I love Star Trek - just found it kind of interesting.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Out of ~170 episodes on TNG, and 70+ on TOS,

I can think of only two that had miners (the first Harry Mud episode, and one from TNG the name of which is escaping me). I'll assume that I've forgotten more than half, so let's say five episodes make mention of miners.

That's very few.

Unless my memory is totally wrong.

[skygazer]

7. I'm not going to argue with you about the numbers

Hell, I'm not going to argue with you at all - it was just an observation. But as I said, I've been watching TNG every night for the last I don't know how long and it's struck me how many episodes it's been. I don't have an exact count - didn't think of keeping track until several had played which is when I noticed how often it occurred. But it's been enough to notice which is all I was trying to say.

I certainly wasn't trying to offend anyone - I was just making an observation.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. No, not offended at all.

My surprise with TNG was how many times they had the story line of "PLanet has two groups of people, they don't get along, one group asks the Federation to help with the "terrorists" or "luddites" or whatever bad people, then Enterprise arrives and discovers it's the OTHER group that is righteous and good, and the group asking for help are evil oppressors of the other group".

And season 6, I believe it was, had three of 'em right in a row!

[skygazer]

9. Yep, that one does show up a lot

We did start keeping track of all the times Enterprise crew members were taken over by aliens of one sort or another. We figured they must have a support group on board for those people.

"Hi, I'm Deanna and I was taken over by an alien who impregnated me with itself."

"Hi, Deanna."

I do love Star Trek and I'm already feeling withdrawal symptoms because I'm halfway through season six and I know there's only one more season to go. :cry:

[hfojvt]

11. there was The City in the Clouds

and also the Horta (silicon rock creature) that also involved miners in the original series. I think there was another one where the Klingons and the Federation were enabling an arms race on some planet which they both were interested in because of its mineral riches. Those are from TOS and there are probably more that I am forgetting.

[NewJeffCT]

26. in how many episodes did they go hunting for Dilithium?

I'm sure it was more than a few...

[EstimatedProphet]

20. There is one problem with that

TNG posits that there is matter-energy conversion, since this how Picard gets his Earl Grey tea. If they have that, and can make matter at will, why do they need to mine anything?

[eyesroll]

3. If a planet has no life on it

(a "mining colony" would suggest that at least there's no intelligent life, and most of the universe is barren anyway), then why not?

They'd need to get the resource somewhere; might as well pull them out of a planet that doesn't have life on it.

Also: What should they build their spaceships from, wood? They're going to need to get metal somehow.

[hfojvt]

12. exaclty

how do you 'rape' a bunch of rocks?

Still, imagine looking up at our own moon and seeing a bunch of huge gashes in its surface where minerals have been extracted, and artificial craters in the sea of tranquility. Or harvesting the minerals in the rings of Saturn. Over my dead body!

[XemaSab]

13. So, mine the Dark Side of the Moon

:D

While playing some cool, trippy music.

And have a laser light show.

:D

[hfojvt]

21. that would take alot of

Money. It's a gas. Grab that cash with both hands and buy a stash.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

27. I think you just had an idea for a SF story.

Mining operation on Saturn is going to wreck the beauty of the rings. Controversy ensues.

I wish I had more talent patience to be a writer.

[Jara sang]

5. TOS episode

With Kirk, called 'Mudd's Women' they were transporting hookers to a mining colony.

[Deja Q]

6. Um, go watch the episode...

Mudd had his own ship and was transporting hookers who took drugs.

Kirk intercepts andbeams them aboard after a cat'n'mouse chase that ultimately destroy's Mudd's ship and leaves the Enteprise nearly powerless.

Kirk calls out to the nearest mining colony to get replacement crystals or else his ship will run out and they will all die in the coldness of space.

Meanwhile, Mudd's hoes do some recon, get him some info on the mining planet and a communicator so he can make a shady deal with the mining administration, who in turn harass Kirk over Mudd and 'his' women... (who weren't happy either over Mudd's treatment of them...)

Good grief, you make it sound as if Kirk is the grand poobah of pimps!

[Jara sang]

10. I got the major points of the plot correct though.

Kirk, Mudd, hookers.

[khashka]

14. Yep, those are the salient points....

Khash.

[Jara sang]

17. ...and don't the hookers end up at the mining colony?

ergo, the Enterprise transported them there.

[khashka]

18. I think that's how it worked out.....

Classic Trek, in spite of it's pretensions, was often a let down.

It's treatment of women? Not exactly great. But it was the sixties.... (It did have a multi-ethnic cast - but look who got screen time and character development. Straight white boys! The only girl who got a chance was Nichelle Nichols (and she was the token black.)


You know if you sit down and think through the sexual politics of the show....... it's the same old, same old.


I keep most of my venom for the "gay" episode in Next Generation where the "gay" issue is should a straight girl be allowed to fuck a straight boy. They pass it off as a transgender thang - but I think most transfolk probably felt it to be insulting.


As for the hooker/sex worker thang.....


Khash.

[pokerfan]

23. Mudd's Women = Crack Ho's?

It all makes sense now.




Harry Mudd and Cheech Marin, seperated at birth?

[khashka]

15. Trek has a reputation for being progressive

in all it's forms. That's just simply not true....

I think Gene wanted it to be....


Khash.

[Terran]

16. Hey, it takes a lot of minerals

to build a galactic civilization. I know the world of the Federation doesn't have "money", per se, but I figure it only achieved that utopian state by having almost unlimited material to build with. Thus, mining (and other matter-conversion efforts). Admittedly, "mining" sounds primitive, but it would take time to bring all the material benefits of the federation to outlying planets. In the meantime, they engage in some fairly old-fashioned economic activity to keep it together.

[DanCa]

19. Deep Space nine was good and I think the mistake they made

was that they didn't take a short rest before launching voyager. In other words I think that the general audience began to feel trek burnout.
Speaking of STNG I love that picard quote saying "In a day and age when science and technology can feed and house them all." I am not sure the episodes name I think it was the one where he and ensign Ro or admiral cain now- was on bajor trying to get the planet to join the federation.

[Bamboo]

22. It is called a "Thin Plot"

The military motif of science fiction has to do with the cold war.Star Wars and Bond films have weak characters.Nobody on a Starship is morbidly obese or a high functioning alcoholic.Bond kills the enemy then screws the women this is the cinematic version of a happy meal.Star Wars is over the top which Americans want like supersizing,how come outer space is so damn noisy? Americans vote themselves onto their roof after a disaster but there is no swelling soundtrack and free refills.Warhol said a Coke tastes the same to a rich man as a poor man maybe we are expressing our egalitarian nature by giving everybody a bottle of sugar water instead of healthcare.

[pokerfan]

24. Two words

Babylon 5

Plenty of flawed characters:
Alcoholic Security Chief
Chief Medical Officer addicted to amphetimines
Captain Lochley = former crack ho

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_5

"no kids or cute robots"

Prolly the best SF I've ever seen on screen and I've read the best. Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, Pohl, Niven, Forward, Le Guin, KSR, Bear, Dick, Brin, Benford, Silverberg, Moorcock, Bradbury, Vonnegut, Herbert, Haldeman , Bester, etc.

[Orsino]

25. But we'd have the luxury of raping lifeless planets instead.

That's gotta be worth something.

[hyphenate]

I would attribute it

to the lack of imagination of the writers more than any implied trend in the 23rd century. In general conversation, within an episode, the writers are obviously devoid of locations to where the Enterprise might have gone other than to anonymous "mining colonies" and Risa, the pleasure planet. I guess it's not exciting to talk about previous expeditions because either they haven't been written yet (during the course of the show) or it wasn't the focus of an episode.

[hyphenate]

28. I would attribute it

to the lack of imagination of the writers more than any implied trend in the 23rd century. In general conversation, within an episode, the writers are obviously devoid of locations to where the Enterprise might have gone other than to anonymous "mining colonies" and Risa, the pleasure planet. I guess it's not exciting to talk about previous expeditions because either they haven't been written yet (during the course of the show) or it wasn't the focus of an episode.