I am currently working my way through season 1 of StarTrek the Next Generation. I loved to follow the adventures of the Starship Enterprise as a child. Now as an adult it is with equal appreciation that I revisit this TV-series.
The imagination of what future technology would entail, back in 1987 when this was filmed, is quite interesting to analyze now in 2011. Flying in space, beaming-technology, supercomputers etc. I even saw the good Dr Crusher using iPad like computer devices in her daily work. So the thought of surfpads has existed for quite some time!
However, I just realized that there is one kind of technology which the StarTrek series has not taken into consideration: video. All communication is audio only, no digital video communications (besides large screen communication from the bridge to alien civilization). So when crew members go on missions outside the starship they can only report back to the captain through audio.
This may have been a concious decision back in the 80′s to make the dramaturgy more interesting. Or it may in fact have been a result of the writers not anticipating the growth of video, and more specifically the combination of computers and video. (So no video skyping in the StarTrek universe!)
I wonder how the sci-fi series being aired today will reflect future society and how accurate their predictions will be. Some ideas will probably be spot on, while others will be seen as ridiculous or impossible. Only time will tell.
Well, enough philosophical thinking, I need to see if captain Jean Luc Picard can save his crew from the dangers of an unknown enemy. Engage!
