Enterprise Season 2 - Essential Trek Philosophy. 

Season 2 of Enterprise contained numerous fun and interesting and science-fiction concepts and ideas, as the crew of the NX-01 encountered novelty and adventure going where no humans had ever gone before. But this season also explored a number of important philosophical and ethical issues, from the Kantian principle of not using other sentient beings as a means to your own ends in "Dead Stop" to the politics of gender and sexual identity in "Stigma." 

In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling recount their choices for Essential Trek Philosophy from season 2 of Enterprise, along with proverbial life lessons learned from this season, such as the importance of getting down in the trenches with people who are struggling, standing up to bullies, and going the extra mile (or the extra light year) to rebuild damaged relationships. 

Chapters 

Intro (00:01:21)
Essential Enterprise: Season 2 (00:09:08)
Dead Stop (00:11:04)
Stigma (00:22:22)
A Night in Sickbay (00:34:25)
Cogenitor (00:47:31)
Marauders (01:01:28)
Dawn (01:07:49)
The Crossing (01:12:33)
Horizon and First Flight (01:18:19)
Minefield, The Communicator, and Carbon Creek (01:23:13)
Recap and Final Thoughts (01:32:14)
Closing (01:33:24) 

Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling 

Production
Mike Morrison (Editor) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Shaw (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager) 

Future Human Cultural Evolution with Patrick Devlin.  

In the Star Trek universe, the cultural progression of alien races is remarkably deterministic, as cultures proceed from their own versions of the stone age, to the bronze age, to the industrial age, and culminating in warp-capable civilizations that are fully fledged members of the galactic community.  

But what reasons do we have for thinking that our own diverse human cultures will progress along the path laid out for us in the Star Trek universe? What are the different possible trajectories of future human cultural evolution? And what are the different causal factors that produce cultural change over time (societal, political, technological, or otherwise)?  

In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison are joined by Meta Treks associate producer Patrick Devlin to discuss future human cultural evolution, both inside the Star Trek universe and in our own world today.  

Chapters 
Intro (00:02:12) 
Welcome to Patrick Devlin and Initial Thoughts (00:01:20) 
Is Cultural Evolution Predictable? (00:02:06) 
Ebbs and Flows (00:10:39) 
Possible Trajectories (00:14:13) 
Mechanisms for Cultural Change (00:25:20) 
"Blink of an Eye" and Cultural Progress (00:28:56) 
Thought Bubbles (00:36:52) 
Death is the Best Invention of Life (00:39:18) 
Vulcans and the Struggles of Reason (00:40:22) 
The Ba'ku and Post-Warp Society (00:47:22) 
From Consumers to Makers (00:50:52) 
External Change vs. Internal Change (01:03:31) 
Final Thoughts (01:10:56) 
Closing (01:22:39)  

Hosts 
Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison  

Guest 
Patrick Devlin  

Production 
Mike Morrison (Editor) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Shaw (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

Cardassian Virtue Ethics.  

Throughout the Star Trek universe, the various alien races serve as a mirror for the best and the worst of our own human natures, and the Cardassians are no exception. But which character traits do the Cardassians find most virtuous? And which characters in the Star Trek universe are the best candidates for the ideal or most virtuous Cardassians, based on the unique character traits that Cardassians themselves recognize as virtues?  

In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling discuss Cardassian virtue ethics and what we can learn about ourselves from a look into Cardassian culture.  

Chapters 
Intro (00:01:21) 
Cardassian Virtue Ethics (00:04:22) 
Next Generation Cardassians vs. DS9 Cardassians (00:12:11) 
Body Language and Projecting Values (00:18:14) 
The Cardassian Übermensch (00:29:37) 
Tribunal and the Ethics of the Cardassian State (00:35:08) 
Industrial Design as a Reflection of Cardassian Values (00:48:50) 
Self Sacrifice vs. Self Service and The Philosopher-King Paradox (00:57:32) 
The Hero of His Own Story (01:07:35) 
Final Thoughts (01:08:28) 
Closing (01:15:20)  

Hosts 
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling  

Production 
Mike Morrison (Editor) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Shaw (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)