Discussion no.08, Darmok

Link to the Viewing

Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 05, Episode 02, Darmok)↗

(This link is from a random repository I found linked online, it is not mine, and I link it here only for *educational purposes. If you'd like to watch it without any risk you can find it on Paramount+)

Introduction

We're going to take a break from heady material to talk about Season 5, Episode 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation which is entitled Darmok. Here's the trailer:

So this episode is about the crew from the Enterprise encountering an alien species (The Tamarians) with whom they cannot communicate. This is unusual because, in the Star Trek world there is a technology called the universal translator, that allows one to understand what an alien is saying, and in the show, this appears as if everyone is speaking English. The issue with the aliens they encounter in this episode is not that they don't understand the words they are saying, but the content of what they are saying. This doesn't really spoil the episode, but the crux of the episode is Picard (the Captain) and alien leader unerstanding how to communicate.

The thing that I'd like to use as a guide for is communication and intention through code and in general. That is to say, thinking about how Picard's struggle in the episode mirrors (or does not mirror) your experience with programming. Additionally, how might this relate, or not relate to your experience with other forms of communication, more directly language, but designing graphics, and the like?

Things to Think About

  • What were your general thoughts on the episode? Like it? Hate it? Love it? Gotta have it? Do you watch "old timey" television like this? Do you watch other Star Trek or science fiction media?
  • In the episode, how does Picard's experience learning the language of the alien relate to your experience with programming? How does it not?
  • What other kinds of communication experiences are similar to the experience shown in Darmok? Graphic Design? Visiting a foreign country? Learning a language with unfamiliar roots or expressions?

What to submit

Please provide a .PDF, .TXT, .MD, or .RTF file that evidences your reading and comprehension of the material