Difference between revisions of "2007-08 ASM Star Trek (1965-2005)"

Revision as of 15:37, 11 December 2007

• Time: We 4-6 pm
• Place: A10 1-121a
• Contact: Olaf Simons

Star Trek is far more than a TV-series. It is a cultural phenomenon with enormous ramifications marked by substantial plot developments, and it is a powerful piece of fiction due to its wide range of cultural, philosophical, aesthetic and political allusions. The original series became a cult classic, the Star Trek universe it created does in retrospect bridge generations and political gaps such as the Cold War with its East/West-confrontation (mirrored within the series by disruptions of original interstellar confrontations).

The Seminar will deal with the following topics. If you have plans for seminar papers list them bellow. (Discuss the present course outline on the course's discussion page if you feel you cannot see under which heading your topic could appear).

Do mention individual episodes (refer to english wikipedia - you find links bellow) wherever you feel that this is a sequence we must deal with under the given headline (I am not so well informed about the later sequels):

Oct 24 2007: Brainstorming

Oct 31 2007: The Star Trek Universe I: The Original Series (1966–1969)

Preparation:

• Production background
• The Cage, the unsuccessful pilot - filmed in November-December 1964, but not broadcast on television in its complete form until 1988.
• The Man Trap, aired on Thursday, September 8, 1966.

Topics to discuss:

• Captain Kirk vs. Captain Pike - types, roles, heroism
• Women
• Spock I and Spock II

Possible topics of Seminar papers:

• Comparison of The Cage - the original pilot - and and The Menagerie pts. 1-2 aired November 17 and November 24, 1966.
• The composition of a successful team - a seminar paper which might take a special look at Mirror, Mirror broadcast on October 6, 1967 - where we get a positive and a negative Enterprise crew.

Nov 10, 2007: The Star Trek Night - The Movies

As I have to disappoint you on Wed 7: a night at my place (Tannenkampstr. 12) - we'll try to see as many of the movies as possible, eat and drink wine (you might provide the latter).

We might begin around 6pm - those who will have to arrive later can do so and join us any time - it will probably be a long night. --Olaf Simons 21:08, 6 November 2007 (CET)

Nov 14, 2007: The Star Trek Universe II: Next Generation (1987–1994) and Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)

The Sequels The Next Generation (1987–1994) and Deep Space Nine (1993–1999). Where does the ongoing production reflect ongoing historical developments? A comparison of the different generations.

Next Generation

Hi everybody! Since we were not able to present all the information of our presentation in the session, here are some points that might be interesting.

Info about the series

• First episode: 1987 in the US

• 7 seasons, 176 episodes

• It was longer on screen than TOS (80 episodes – 176 episodes)

• Encounter at Farpoint (the pilot): received by 94 % of all households in the US

• Later still very successful, 1st place of the TV series (18-49 years)

=> Advertisement

=> 1 Mio $ per episode

=> Stars like Whoopi Goldberg, Steven Hawkins, Dwight Schulz (A-Team) etc. acted in some of the episodes

Content:

• Single episodes with an action which is self-explanatory

o But: some episodes refer to the content of other episodes, e.g. Season 3, “The best of both worlds”, season 7, “Bloodlines”

• 100 years later

• Different characters

• Some episodes (e.g. the second episode) have similar plots as episodes of TOS or refer directly to them

• Sometimes visits from characters of the old Enterprise

Introduction of the main characters

• Picard: Captain of the new Enterprise, different to Kirk, strictly sticks to the Prime Directive, total loyalty to his crew, dislikes children, develops to a more sympathetic man during the series

• Riker: 1st Commander, love affairs, attractive to female characters, sympathetic

• Data: 2nd Commander, the only Android of the Starfleet, counterpart to Spock (e.g. does not understand any sarcasm), asks for definitions, tries to be human

• Troi: Counsellor, Beta Zoid, feelings/emotions, very attractive, later she is the only woman on the bridge

• Dr. Crusher: Doctor, family values, “mother” of the crew, together with Troi: more female power on the ship than in TOS

• Worf: Lieutenant Commander, Klingon, high moral Klingon values, later chief security officer, integrated, sympathetic, represents action and strength on the Enterprise

• LaForge: Lieutenant Commander, later chief engineer

Family

• families on board who are being evacuated (in the pilot)

• Wesley: child becomes a main character

• Picard dislikes children

• Throughout the series: the crew appears more and more like a family

=> Riker refuses to ship commands several times to stay with the crew of the enterprise

=> Crusher as mother

• Other family-topics in the series:

=> Worf + son

=> Data + daughter

=> Picard + son

In The Next Generation, which was produced at the end of the 1980s, and the beginning of the 1990s, the family as a topic has been used more often than in TOS of the 60s.

Other references to our reality:

They try to conserve the earthly culture, they drink Earl Grey tea, they read and cite James Joyce, Shakespeare, and Sherlock Holmes, they listen to classical music and talk of the 80s and 90s as the good old times.

Question: The crew of the Enterprise presents our reality in a positive way. What kind of message does the producer convey?

Hi folks, it would be nice, if you watch the first two episodes ("The Emissary pt.1 &2") of DS9 as a preparation for the Wednesday session. They should be available at the Mediathek... If you want to see more episodes, feel free to watch some post-season-three stuff, because the plot dramatically changed then. Watch out for topics like Religion, Interpersonal conflicts and differences between DS9 and other Star Trek stuff...Manuel Saralidis 14:58, 12 November 2007 (CET)

Hello, just to remind you... I put the Deep Space Nine Introduction slides and summary as a PDF on StudIP where you can download them... Cheers... Manuel Saralidis 22:05, 29 November 2007 (CET)

Nov 21, 2007: The Star Trek Universe III: Voyager (1995–2001) and Enterprise (2001–2005)

The Sequels Voyager (1995–2001) and Enterprise (2001–2005) same question: Where does the ongoing production reflect ongoing historical developments? A comparison of the different generations. ´

Voyager Interesting subjects could be that of terrorism, fear of communism (as the Borg play an important role in voyager), Human values, the Prime Directive, a parallel Universe (Species 8472), Collaboration of species that are enemies but that become allies when a species more powerful than them appears,

Also: Female positions

- Voyager is the first of all Star Trek Series, that has a female Captain! 
- Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres is the first Chief Engineer on board of a Star Trek Vessel

Also: The Maquis rebellion

Dear Participants. I put the presentation on "Voyager" on Stud IP under "Dateien"

Ann-Kathrin Uden

Nov 28, 2007: God in a World of Miracles - Star Trek and Religion

Is there a God out there? What is the Federation's religion? None or that of a secular state granting religious freedom? Why don't we have Arabs on board of the Star Trek vessels? How do the Federation's travelers react when confronted with religions out there?

I would like to write a paper on Star Trek and Religion. As i haven't read any literature yet, my ideas are still pretty general. But mainly I think i will be dealing with questions like: what view on religion and belief is conveyed in Star Trek (pro or con religion, atheist?) and HOW is it conveyed? This could probably be based on DS 9 and the whole "wormhole aliens vs. phrophets (bajoranian belief)" issue. (Stephan Schmidt 14:16, 7 November 2007 (CET))

Hey. I just skipped through some webpages to find pieces of information about the religious content in Star Trek and its spin-offs. Here are some webpages that deal with religion. While the majority is fan-made, others document the topic from a more objective point of view.

• http://www.star-trek-religionen.de/index1.htm
• http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/religion.htm
• http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Human_religion
• http://www.newstrekker.com/archiv/startrek_02_03.htm
• http://www.ibka.org/node/603
  • and here the speech: http://ibka.org/en/files/Braga.mp3

Just take a look Tobias Penski 22:10, 21 November 2007 (CET)

TOS on Religion

• Who Mourns for Adonais, September 22, 1967
• The Apple, October 13, 1967
• For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky, November 8, 1968

Movies

• The Final Frontier, 1989

Literature

• Ros S. Kraemer, "Is there a God in the Universe?", in Kraemer, Ross S./ Cassidy, William/ Schwartz Susan L. (eds.), Religions of Star Trek. Cambridge MA: Westview Press, 2001, p.15-56 link

Dec 5, 2007: Technotopia

Star Trek is (from warp-drives to beaming facilities) full of inventions we are still waiting for - and peculiarly lacking others we developed instead (like those mobile phones we use for normal conversations rather than short commands). It is said to have motivated research - yet it is too simple to see it as a simple glorification of technological progress...

• Alan Shapiro, Star Trek. Technoloies of Disappearance (2004)
• [DS9 Special Episode on with religious emphasis

• The Way to Eden Spock makes friends with a sect of hippies.

Dec 12, 2007: Technologies of Disappearance — Fan Research and Criticism produced in the Humanities

Debate with Alan N. Shapiro. Course reading: Shapiro, Alan N. Star Trek: Technologies of disappearance. Berlin: Avinus-Verlag, 2004.

Summary: Chapter Two "THE LAST COMPUTER" (John Müller)

In chapter two, “The Last Computer“, Shapiro talks about computers and their functions/capabilities in the 23rd century. In a second step, he compares those future computers to our late 20th century computer technology and draws some interesting conclusions as far as own perception is concerned. In order to support his point, Shapiro takes a look at two episodes from TOS (“A Taste Of Armageddon” [Ep. 23] and “The Ultimate Computer” [Ep. 53]).

In “A Taste Of Armageddon” there are two computers which are war with one another, or, in other words, there are two neighboring planets which have been at war for centuries, but, instead of waging a real war with real weapons, they have chosen to let computers simulate their war for them. The computers on both worlds are linked and independently launch attacks on each other. But even though the fighting remains in the realms of virtual reality, the consequences do not: The perfection of this war is taken so far that both computers calculate damage and casualties on their home worlds and force the people who are registered as victims in the simulation to also become victims in real life. Once a citizen is “killed” in the simulation through a hostile attack, he/she has to report to a “disintegration machine” and then vanish in order to obey to the rules of the simulated computer-war.

Apart from the moral implications of this virtual war and the stance Kirk and his crew take towards it (needless to say the computers are dismantled in the end and the warring parties start real peace negotiations for the first time), Shapiro compares the computer-war with our late 20th century reality and the role computers play in it. He uses the example of the 1991 Gulf War and, citing philosopher Boudrillard and his works, Shapiro states that the allied actions taken against dictator Hussein are not too different from the computer-war displayed in “A Taste Of Armageddon”. Before even one missile was launched in the Gulf region, hundreds of military strategists were “endlessly analyzing scenarios” (p. 87) and the many casualties they foresaw in their simulated attacks became to be viewed as inescapable losses that served a greater cause. “Their deaths are pre-calculated. They are ‘collateral damage’” (p. 87). Besides this cold and “mechanical” view at the lives of innocent citizens, the Gulf War and the computer war in the TOS episode have one more thing in common: Like with the two computers in the episode there hardly was any “real” encounter between the two warring parties in the Gulf War: For the far more technologically advanced allied forces the war was won in advance in realm of simulations, for the far less advanced Iraqi soldiers the war had already been lost before it fully broke out at all. In Shapiro’s opinion the same logic also works for the “war on terrorism”: The American idea of the preemptive strike against anyone who might support or become an ally to Al-Qaida or the even more elusive concept of the “axis of evil” show that, at the beginning of the 21st century, US military operations are more and more withdrawn into the realm of calculations and probability, where a “potential attacker and enemy [...] exists as informational entity or statistical propensity, endlessly speculated on and reported in the virtual realm of the media” (p. 88).

In the second episode, “The Ultimate Computer” the TOS crew is once again faced with a situation not unlike the one described above: An all-new computer, “M-5” designed to be capable of replacing an entire starship crew, is to be installed and tested aboard the Enterprise by its creator, the brilliant but arrogant Dr. Daystrom. During the test the “M-5” takes over for the humans and then performs a variety of standard procedures, including both scientific and strategic operations – which at first work well. During the strategic drill, however, the “M-5” mistakes an unarmed and unmanned freighter for a real enemy and destroys it. Due to the fact that, for some reason, the computer cannot be switched off at that point, things start to turn for the worst: The computer assumes complete control over all of the ship’s systems, displays an arrogant and superior “personality” (not unlike that of its creator) and then attacks the four sister ships of the Enterprise which had been gathered for the simulated drill. After the “M-5” has almost destroyed the ships and many lives have been lost, Captain Kirk finally has a talk with the resilient piece of machinery. Convinced that it is the “ultimate achievement in computer evolution” (p. 93) the “M-5” believes that it must survive by all means in order to be able to protect man. Kirk finally manages it to convince the “M-5” that it has already committed murder, and, by doing so, it has lost its rights to survive. The “M-5” eventually sees the logic in Kirk’s words and, in an act of self-punishment, destroys itself.

“The Ultimate Computer” deals with the human fear to one day be replaced and/or threatened by super-intelligent computers that exceed human capacities by far. Shapiro states that in TOS there generally was a rather negative attitude towards super-intelligent computers (be it false-god-computers like Vaal in “The Apple“ and the Oracle in “For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky” or be it the superior machines like M-5 in “The Ultimate Computer” and Nomad in “The Changeling”). He points out, however, that this fear of being outwitted and replaced one day only “deters us from the fact that we are already computerized (or deeply enmeshed with digital technology)” (p. 94). Despite the fact that his thesis makes sense to some extent (i.e. Internet, cell phones, computer games etc.) he fails to give the reader some clear cut examples to support his idea. I can only guess that it has something to do with the digital and computerized world we live in today. However, his point (if there is any) remains much more elusive than with the comparison between the Gulf War(s) and the computer war – which makes a lot of sense and, in my opinion, is a very interesting way of looking at post-modern (and western) warfare.

Summary: Chapter Six Wormholes

In chapter six Shapiro discusses wormholes in Star Trek and general SF as well as the scientific practicability of wormholes in reality. Firstly, he gives a broad overview on the DS9 pilot Emissary that is the basis of his discussion. By doing so, he stresses Commander Sisko's encounter with the wormhole aliens that in Shapiro's words, ultimately leads to a “true symbolic exchange between Commander Sisko and the wormhole aliens […] (p. 200)”.

Secondly, he begins his discussion on the physics of wormholes by commenting publications dealing with Star Trek technologies such as Lawrence M. Krauss' The Physics of Star Trek. In opinion those publications endorse Star Trek's key technologies in order to satisfy the fanbase and at the same time they refer to pataphysical praticability - that is, some sort of philisophical physics. Furthermore, Shaphiro brings to light that in many papers on the subject wormholes are regarded as time travel devices (p. 202). Especially, in Voyager and DS9 beaming and wormholes are combined in order to travel in time as it is shown in the episodes Trials and Tribble-ations and Eye of the Needle. Technically, time travel scenarios are created with digital recomposition, set reconstruction, frame-by-frame shadow masking and the likes.

Looking at SF film in general Shaphiro points out that many film makers and writers have been obsessed with time travel stories and parallel dimensions for decades (see Dr. Who, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, 12 Monkeys, Back to the Future etc.). And often they pursued the psychological goal to exterminate the "radical otherness of history and other cultures, to short-circuit the difficult course of mourning, to meet up with none other than myself (yourself ?) (p. 202)"

Moreover, he explains this psychological goal by outlining the scientific works of so-called philosopher physicists like Richard Feynman who have dealt with wormholes and time travel on a scientific level refering to the frontier possibilities of the laws of physics (Einstein's theories of 1905 and 1915). As he further emphasizes the development of time travel pataphysics up to the 1970s and 80s, Shaphiro argues if these theories cannot be held up in a real world context, even if they seem plausible in generic SF settings (p. 211).

Dec 19, 2007: The Politics of Star Trek I: From the United States of America to the Federation

• What happened between 1966 and the year 2300?
• A culture that does not (want to) rely on imperialism, technical superiority or the strength of its capitalism - and a winner even though.

Jan 9, 2007: The Politics of Star Trek II: Power on Board

• Power on board: Collisions of interests, personal loyalty and professional obedience
• Power on a universal scale: Star ship vs. Federation
• Different races
• Gender politics

Jan 16, 2008: Is the "Prime Directive" the prime directive?

What are the real ideals of the Start Trek Universe?

Jan 23, 2008: Genres: What can happen in the Star Trek universe and what cannot?

• The original shows were not really free when it came to the way of how stories had to be told. The episode had to be over within 45 minutes, it had to offer a problem and a solution. We shall look at generic questions and narratology: What kinds of episodes existed (from comedy to drama), what perspectives do we get on the plotlines? How did the art of story telling evolve from TOS to DS9?
• Is Star Trek a Utopian series? What is Science Fiction compared to Fantasy? What otions within the genre does the Star Trek universe realise?

Jan 30, 2008: The Fan World

• On the interaction between the Star Trek Universe and its fan community.
• Startrek and kids - a special look on children and adolescents in the Star Trek universe
• Perhaps most outrageous fan project: Star Trek: New Voyages - a continuation of TOS.

Feb 5, 2008: A Look Back on our Seminar

Topics

• Concepts of Evolution and Progress

Literature

• Engel, Joel. Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek. New York: Hyperion, 1994.

One of the first critical biographies that appeared after Roddenberry's death.

• Shatner, William/ Kreshi, Chris. Star Trek Memories. New York: Harper & Collins, 1993.

Offers insight into the production.

• Tulloch, John/ Jenkins, Henry. Science Giction Audiences: Watching Doctor Who and Star Trek. London: Routledge, 1995.

On the fan community and interaction.

• Solow, Herb and Justman, Robert H. Inside Star Trek: The Real Story. New York: Pocket, 1996.

One of the critical revisoions which appeared after Roddenbery's death.

• Gentejohan, Volker, Narratives from the Final Frontier: A Postcolonial Reading of the Original Star Trek Series. Frankfurt a. M./ Berlin: Peter Lang, 2000. 161 pp.

Dissertation, German in its structure: What is postcolonialism? Then apply the theory an see it works. The readings create a congruity where there might be not so much of it. Character analysis and special questions revealing the basically American cultural centre, the phalLogocentrism of the series.

• Gregory, Chris. Star Trek: Parallel Narratives Houndsmills/ Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2000.

Good Bibliography. Central idea: Star Trek evolving into a mythological system. Written with the awareness of immense changes within the Star Trek universe – changes due to changing options under which TV-shows and movies could be produced over the years. Analysis of interaction and differences between main producers of TOS Roddenberry Coon (he produced much of the Federation’s political framework) and Frieberger (third season with its many recycled shows).

• Kraemer, Ross S./ Cassidy, William/ Schwartz Susan L. Religions of Star Trek. Cambridge MA: Westview Press, 2001. 246 pp.

Multi facetted and extremely inspiring.

• Kanzler, Katja. "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations", The Multicultural Evolution of STAR TREK. Heidelberg, Winter, 2004.

Explores the multiculturalism of the Star Trek universe – as a popular and commercial concept. Written with a good deal of fascination.

• Shapiro, Alan N. Star Trek: Technologies of disappearance. Berlin: Avinus-Verlag, 2004. 369 pp. ISBN 3-930064-16-2.

Technologies of the Star Trek universe from "beaming" to warp spead. Question what they betray if read by a cultural historian.

• Broderick, James F. The literary galaxy of Star Trek: An analysis of references and themes in the television series and films. Jefferson, N.C. [etc.]: McFarland & Co., 2006. vi, 233 pp. ISBN 0-7864-2571-7

Intertextuality and literary motives from quest to vampirism.

• Relke, Diana M. A. Drones, Clones, and Alpha Babes: Retrofitting Star Trek's humanism, post-9/11. Calgary: Univ. of Calgary Press, 2006. xx, 168 pp. ISBN 1-552-38164-1, ISBN 978-1-552-38164-9

What does Star Trek tell us about the US?

• Geraghty, Lincoln. Living with Star Trek: American culture and the Star Trek universe (London [etc.]: Tauris, 2007), VIII, 232 pp.

Esp. on fandom.

• Geraghty, Lincoln (ed.). The influence of Star Trek on television, film, and culture. [=Critical explorations in science fiction and fantasy, 4]. Jefferson, N.C. [etc.]: McFarland & Co., 2007. ISBN 978-0-7864-3034-5

"Examining Star Trek from various critical angles, the essays in this collection provide vital new insights into the myriad ways that the franchise has affected the culture it represents, the people who watch the series, and the industry that created it" (Publisher).

Links

• Star Trek on en.wikipedia.org

• The Original Series episodes
• The Next Generation episodes
• Deep Space Nine episodes
• Voyager episodes
• Enterprise episodes

• Memory Alpha, Star Trek Wiki
• Which is the definitive Star Trek?
• BBC Star Trek Cult Page
• More BBC Star Trek Results
• Guardian Article: Beam me up Scotty: Star Trek actor's ashes sent into space