I guess I’m one of the other two

So such assumptions as
1.) There are an enormous number of planets that humans can beam down to and have no problem breathing the atmosphere (20% oxygen, 80% nitrogen, 101,300 pascals, ~288 deg Kelvin, etc.)

2.) There are an enormous number of planets in the galaxy containing humanoid life forms (two arms, two legs, one head with a mouth, a nose, two eyes, and two ears) who either speak English as a second language or can be understood via a universal translator

etc., etc.

There were small differences in these assumptions between TOS and TNG such as Warf getting a skull crest instead of the cheaper makeup that Klingons had in TOS, but for the most part the assumptions were pretty much the same – transporter, warp drive, subspace communication, etc., etc.

I think the TNG series would have been much better if they had started with a blank slate in terms of these assumptions. No more beaming down to planets with an earth-like atmosphere. Now, the crew must wear spacesuits and land via shuttlecraft. You can have several scenes where crew members die when their spacesuits fail or get punctured by hostile action. No more human-like aliens. Instead, six-legged creatures with exoskeletons that use bioluminescence for communication and not sound waves. Etc. Etc.

They could also have dealt with more real science issues such as what are the properties of a large Jovian-sized planet, planets with rings, planets or moons with frozen water crusts, cratering, stellar flares endangering the landing party, etc., etc. Perhaps a real classification of planets rather than the make-believe Type M, etc. Real spectral classification of stars (O, B, A. F, G, K, M). Detection of biospheres from a long distance via spectroscopy, etc., etc. I think it would have been more interesting as well as more educational. Of course, it would have required a panel of astronomers, NASA people, etc. kept on permanent retainer to keep the scripts honest.

I would have set the stories in the not-too-distant future, let’s say the year 2118 or something like that. Perhaps the aliens have only been contacted via SETI and no face-to-tentacle meeting has yet taken place. So there was a lot of stuff that could have been done if they had ditched the original 1960’s show concept. Of course, that was unlikely to happen while Gene Roddenberry was still alive (he didn’t die until 1991) so I guess I understand why it never happened.

Wesley needs to interact, as a sort of human ambassador, with higher beings- there were all sorts in the Trek universe- to take care of larger issues way beyond mortal men.

Trek didn’t really deal with interactions between higher species, just one on one with us. But the Q, the various evolved-into-energy types, that one guy who wiped out an entire alien civilization with a single thought. Trek brought together normal aliens into a common cause, the Federation. Don’t the folks on the next plane need human intervention too to achieve a greater unity?

Jess Tauber

1) In the event of an emergency, the holodeck SHUTS DOWN. Priority.
2) In the event of an anomalous object being discovered in the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason that looks completely normal, engage warp 9
3)DATA’s off switch is not to be used for recreational purposes
4)All single female guests are to be given a full security escort in the event that Commander Riker shows up
5)Picard should just make friends with Q, and let him help next time the galaxy is under threat one of the many powerless and non-omnipitent life forms which inhabit it
6)Whorf should not be allowed to carry an entire armoury in his quarters, in case he decides to a)kill other kilingons for revenge or honour b) kill himself for revenge or honour C) kill one of his family members for revenge or honour
7)Deanna should stop pretending she has psychic powers just because she senses that the Klingon is angry! Why else would he be shouting! Crew members should inform the computer exactly when an intership communication has been terminated, as they never seem to do this and just keep on talking. How does the computer know what to transmit and what not to?
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