In our final episode of 2019, we open up the mailbag and answer listener questions on Star Trek episodes, fandom, and comic books; whether to continue watching a Trek series if it’s become a chore; and our individual paths to podcast hosting.
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Hosts: Grace, Andi, Jarrah, and Sue
Editor: Andi
Transcription: Grace
Hi all – Great episode, & thanks for answering my mail! I agree with Andi that the mystery of how hologram sentience happens is so fscinating. Like in the TNG episode Emergence, where the Enterprise develops consciousness as an “emergent property”, I’d like to think this is true of Vic, the Doctor & Moriarty – and that Lal develops emotion in a similar way. Maybe they’re all more than the sum of their parts, as it were. After all, as far as I know, what causes consciousness in humans and other animals is barely (if at all) understood, so like you said, it’s yet another way in which Star Trek explores the endless question of what it is to be human – just as the various species or “races” in Star Trek could also be seen as allegories for the multitude of different cultures in the real world.
I could think about these things all day! 🙂 Great to hear all your personal stories, and thanks as always for the podcast. And Happy New Year!