The Q Continuum.
From the The Original Series onward, Star Trek has had a preoccupation with false gods, culminating in the introduction of Q and the Q Continuum in Star Trek: The Next Generation. But although members of the Q Continuum have many of the properties usually ascribed to deities—such as omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and so on—do they posses these qualities to sufficient degree to be considered genuine deities of the Star Trek universe?
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling give a philosophical analysis of the Q Continuum and the deity-like attributes of the Q. From paradoxes of omnipotence, such as the Q being powerful enough to create a prison another Q cannot break out of, to the many things the Q don't seem to know despite their supposed omniscience, Mike and Zachary debate, and perhaps debunk, the status of the Q as deities.
Chapters
Intro (00:01:19)
Should We Consider the Q to be Deities? (00:02:42)
Q and the Q Continuum (00:07:34)
The Tension Between Transcendence and Immanence (00:14:44)
Contrasting The Q Continuum with the DS9 Prophets (00:20:08)
Are the Q Omnipresent? (00:23:18)
Are the Q Omnipotent? (00:27:32)
Are the Q Omniscient? (00:35:00)
Attributes Not Found Among The Q (00:43:34)
Should The Q Have a Moral Obligation? (00:47:48)
Star Trek and False Gods (00:53:23)
The Visualizations of the Q Continuum (01:03:54)
Closing (01:11:07)
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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
"Sacred Ground" and Religious Explanations.
What happens when a scientist has a religious experience not fully explainable by science? When Kes's life falls in jeopardy, Captain Janeway, with tricorder in hand and eagerly willing to face any challenge she might face, volunteers to participate in a religious ritual to petition the Ancestral Spirits of the Nechani (or rather, the Bajorans of the Delta Quadrant...) and plead for Kes's life.
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss Captain Janeway's journey of self-discovery, as she learns to reconcile her faith in science with her openness to new experiences, including the question of whether the relationship between scientific explanations and religious explanations is one of contradiction, complementariness, or coherence.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 57 (00:01:06)
Initial Thoughts on Sacred Ground (00:01:50)
The Nechani - Delta Quadrant Bajorans (00:06:00)
Sciencing the Religion - Bring Your Tricorder (00:08:27)
Is Science a Type of Faith? (00:10:56)
Modes of Explanation (00:14:16)
The Voyager Files - Kathryn Mulder and Dr. Scully (00:18:39)
Scientific Explanations for Miracles - Spirits of the Gaps (00:22:23)
Falsifiability and Private Religious Experience (00:35:58)
Kirekegaard and Religious Conviction - Comparison of Janeway/Kes to Abraham/Isaac (00:38:10)
Physical Challenge! The Mouth of Truth (00:41:57)
Analyzing Past Religious Experiences (00:47:21)
Janeway's Expectations and Waiting on the Spirits (00:50:10)
One Universe = Unified Explanations (01:00:55)
Final thoughts (01:02:27)
Hosts
Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison
Production
Mike Morrison (Editor) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Shaw (Associate Producer) Norman Lao (Associate Producer) Kit Loffstadt (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
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Borg Perfection.
Resistance against the Borg quest for perfection is usually futile. But what does perfection mean to the Borg, and how does this quest for perfection compare with the human quest for betterment? In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling share a philosophical analysis of the concept of perfection, including its meaning for the Borg, its relation to the human condition, the spiritual role perfection plays for the Borg, and arguments from the history of philosophy relying on the concept of perfection to prove the existence of an ens perfectissumum, or "most perfect being."
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 44 (00:01:07)
Initial Thoughts (00:01:58)
The Borg Quest for Perfection vs. the Human Quest for Perfection (00:04:32)
The Hubris of Perfectionism vs. Human Limitations (00:08:04)
Humanism and Perfection (00:13:17)
Defining Borg Perfection (00:18:52)
Calling BS on the Borg Queen (00:23:14)
The Symbolic and Spiritual Role of the Omega Molecule (00:26:02)
Perfection and Arguments for God's Existence - The Ontological Argument and the Argument from Degree (00:40:58)
The Higgs Boson - A.K.A. The God Particle (00:52:37)
Final Thoughts (01:01:31)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling
Production
Mike Morrison (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Janeway (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
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Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
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Kevin C. Neece and The Gospel According to Star Trek.
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling are joined by author and speaker Kevin C. Neece to discuss his new book, The Gospel According to Star Trek: The Original Crew. This first book in the Gospel According to Star Trek series explores the constructive connections between Star Trek and Christian theology. Kevin C. Neece argues that the humanism expressed in Star Trek is compatible with a rich tradition of Christian humanism, and that Star Trek's relationship with religion is more complex and nuanced than the typical atheistic interpretation recognizes. From Spock as a Christ metaphor in Star Trek II, III, and IV, to false Gods in The Original Series, Kevin C. Neece, Mike Morrison, and Zachary Fruhling explore the many-layered connections between the adventures of the original crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise and the worldview held by people of faith.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 42 (00:01:07)
Introducing Kevin C. Neece (00:02:00)
Finding a Coherent Worldview (00:03:32)
Christian Humanism and Star Trek (00:09:35)
Eschatology, Human Agency, and Star Trek Idealism (00:16:59)
Kevin's History with Star Trek and The Undiscovered Country Project (00:23:18)
Star Trek II, III, IV, and Surprising Connections (00:28:40)
Pluralism and Universal "Human" Nature (00:35:07)
From the 1960s [TOS] to the 1980s [TNG] (00:45:46)
False Gods in The Original Series (00:55:06)
The Star Trek IV Connection (00:58:55)
Gene Roddenberry and the Divine Spark (01:03:58)
Staying Grounded in Star Trek Dialog (01:09:04)
Key Takeaways from The Gospel According to Star Trek (01:10:51)
Finding Kevin C. Neece on Social Media (01:14:08)
Watching Star Trek "Religiously" (01:18:19)
Final Thoughts (01:24:31)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling
Guest
Kevin C. Neece
Production
Mike Morrison (Editor and Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Janeway (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
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Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
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Support the Network!
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm