Heather's Starlog

  Margaret asks, “What new technologies are making us more self-sufficient?” Why is it necessary to be self-sufficient in these areas? How will this help us progress as humans and as explorers? When I think of self-sufficiency, my mind goes automatically to "of the land" skills, not to technology in the way we're using it here.  I think of growing and foraging our own food, start fires, being able to collect and purify water, growing medicinal herbs and being able to provide basic and advanced first aid in medical emergencies.  Perhaps this is because it feels like we're living in the end-times, but there you have it.   If I have to think about technologies that are making us self-sufficient, I think of (related to the tricorder prize in the video) things like the EKG I just saw an ad for that individuals can run on themselves with a small piece of equipment and an app on their cell phones.  The idea, of course, is that any change in the heart rhythm can be reported t

As we explore the frontier of space, how can we approach the peoples and environments that we encounter? Can we reconcile our instinct to explore with an awareness of our impact on space, planets, and potentially, other species? Honestly, I have concerns about how we're going to reconcile exploration vs potential influence/exploitation/ignorance.  We're not doing a great job here on Earth, now.  Part of the reason Star Trek is so meaningful to me is that it shows a future I aspire to, not one that I see as a natural progression from where we are as a species right now.  Xenophobia, racism, bias against LGBTQ+ folks, carelessness and greed guiding our environmental behavior and policy--I'd hate to see how any or all of these play out on an interplanetary scale.  I do hope that, if/when we do make first contact or even establish a meaningful human presence on another world, the potential for it to unify us and make us see ourselves as "teammates" is realized.  As D

When talking about  Star Trek: Deep Space 9  at the end of the video, Scott says that, “while some people argue that the series’ occasionally more conflict-laden relationships went again Gene Roddenberry’s dream of a utopian future, it’s more confrontational nature highlighted the complexities of cross-cultural communication and how it could benefit social and business interactions.” Which side of the argument do you agree with? Why?  DS9 , by virtue of its setting and the mixing of the many races which  inhabited  the station together, shows that, while cross-cultural communication can be complicated and fraught, having those difficult interactions creates a positive tension that fosters growth and genuine understanding.  The fact that the station is an emblem of a long and brutal conflict, on which members of both sides of that war now reside together under the expectation of peace and civility, is a powerful foundation for storytelling.  I've already written about the "Duet

Do you think we will find alien life? Is there another Earth or something similar out there? Do you feel studying space brings tangible benefits to us?  I think we will definitely find alien life.  It might not be in my lifetime, and it might not be sentient life as we understand it, but there's enough water in the Universe that something else has  to  be out there.  NASA has been able to create amino acids in a deep-space-like environment.  Amino acids have been discovered in meteorites.  As Dr. Martin says, the frozen ocean worlds are promising.  We've only studied the tiniest fraction of the possibilities.  As our technology advances, it seems inevitable to me that we'll be able to expand our reach and broaden and deepen our scientific capabilities enough that we find life elsewhere in our galaxy/universe.  

How does Klingon compare to other fictional languages? Is it the leading fictional language or have other franchises like  Lord of the Rings  surpassed it? Would you use Klingon in your everyday life?  I think Klingon occupies a unique spot in the world of fictional languages in that it's able to be used conversationally (and IS used that way among fans).  It's dictionary is readily available to any curious learner.  Like the languages of Lord of the Rings , Klingon was created by a linguist, and both the LOTR languages and Klingon have well-developed structure, syntax, and vocabulary.  I do think Klingon is more accessible, though.  I fully intend to become fluent in Klingon, using a combination of this dictionary (pictured), the Duolingo app, and all of the resources the Klingon Language Institute has to offer.  My goal is to be able to read through the Klingon version of The Wizard of Oz before too long.  

Scott asks if you have any phrases in Klingon you’d like to share. What are the most important phrases to know in another language? How does learning another language provide insight into learning a new culture? I don't  know  Klingon yet (beyond Qapla'), but I will soon.  More on that in the next unit.  I think the most important phrases to know in any culture are basic courtesy: greetings/farewells; who am I/who are you; daily niceties; being able to inquire politely and acknowledge responses in like manner; and any questions/replies related to health, help, and safety.  These set a foundation, but knowledge of a culture is  important in language study, and vice versa.  I have two favorite examples of this.  This first one, of course, is the "Darmok" episodes of The Next Generation .  I love that what the crew of the Enterprise is slowly figuring out using historical and literary databases, Captain Picard is also figuring out by interacting with and getting to know