People will of course have said this in the past, but seeing as I'm the first one here...
Quite obviously, the Ancient Humanoids seeded all the major planets in all four quadrants because one of them became the Changeling Colony in the Gamma Quadrant. The person who recorded the message even made sure that her DNA would pass on to become that of the Female Changeling...

When they recieve Galen's distress call, Data says he has located the shuttle. Picard says to put it on screen, and then they unleash a phaser blast. So they were there already? I guess that Galen did not get too far away. Also, Why didn't they see the freighter coming?

I don't know if this happened in other episodes, but I couldn't help but notice the variable number of chairs in the observation lounge.

In the opening scene when Galen and Riker surprise Picard, there are no chairs around the table as Picard examines the artifact. When Picard meets with members of the senior staff following the destruction of the freighter, there seems to be a full compliement of chairs. Then, when the Cardassian and Klingon captains come aboard, there are clearly three (it's obvious in an establishing shot).

Perhaps it may make life easier behind the scenes to remove unneeded chairs, but it does make you question the realism.

I wonder if the recent findings in the Genome Project will affect the nitpicking of this episode?

In The Nit-Picker's Guide Phil says that the artifact given to Picard by Galen is simply tossed away by Picard in the destroyed Enterprise in 'Generations'. This is so out of character, from an obviously fanatical wannabe-archeologist like Picard. Even damaged artifacts are displayed in museums, so his careless attitude is terribly irresponsible.

I wonder if the recent findings in the Genome Project will affect the nitpicking of this episode?

What findings would that be?

I can't believe you missed the news reports about it. I think it was one of the top of the news/front page items when it was released.

Things like the majority of a person's DNA comes from bacteria, and that there is only something like 30,000 genes that make up a Human (twice as many as a tapeworm). Stuff like that.

Isn't it strange that Prof. Galen is the only person in the Federation who knows of and is looking to piece together this puzzle on his own without the help of Federation or Starfleet authority, yet there are a handful of government sanctioned agents from the Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians each with partial intelligence information on the subject, and are so far ahead of Picard and co. in their search for the answer?

I thought I posted this way back, but...

NANJAO: Was it just me, or was the ending (with only the Romulans "getting it") pretty obvious? I seem to recall thinking that I could have called that one.

I noticed a continuity error. Near the end of the episode Picard uses his tricorder to gather a DNA sample. The ancient program is now complete and the tricorder starts to project an image accompanied by a flash. After that flash Picard closes his tricorder. In the subsequent shot the camera pans to the projected image and you can see that Picard's tricorder is open again. Then there's a medium wide shot of Picard and Crusher, and the tricorder is closed. In the same shot Picard opens the tricorder without making any sound.

I say again: The Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians each had intelligence agents working on this puzzle, but Prof. Galen appears to be secretly working alone without Federation or Starfleet's knowledge. Did he even know anyone else was looking too? It seems he did when he went to Picard for assistance.

Picard says that the Master of Tarquan Hill produced art 300 years ahead of his time. I hate that phrase. All that it really means is that somebody created, wrote, drew, etc., something that people of the time were not interested in and only later did people realize how wonderful it was. Sometimes the phrase is also used to describe inventions that were forgotten and had to be reinvented. The Egyptians had batteries, ahead of their time, the Mayans had child proof caps, ahead of their time, the Ancient Greeks had a type of computer, ahead of their time, etc., etc., etc. It is an arrogant, idiotic phrase that should be eliminated.

Professor Galen thinks that his discovery will be heard halfway across the galaxy. Apparently not. In the two part story Gambit, Picard pretends to be an archeologist named Galen and no one in the pirate crew seems to think it odd that he has the same name as a famous archeologist who has, just a few months earlier, made an incredible galaxy-shaking discovery.
(Or is Galen a fairly common name for archeologists in the 24th century?)

On page 380 of the NextGen Guide Phil says that Professor Galen leaves the Enterprise in a huff. Actually he leaves in a minute and a huff. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

If Galen took a disrupter blast point blank, then why does his outfit just look a little dirty? Shouldn't there be a hole and charred flesh? (Perhaps with some smoke rising from the hole?)

Picard says that species from different worlds shouldn't be compatible. Well, tell that to Mr. Spock, Counselor Troi, K'Ehleyr, Alexander, B'Elanna Torres, Simon Tarses, Devinoni Ral, Sela... the list goes on.

Loren III is the only planet in the Kurlan system capable of supporting life, but what about Kurl itself? Or is archeology on that planet done in space suits? Also planets are usually numbered after the star name so one would expect Loren III to be in the Loren system.

The Klingon destroys Indri VIII's lower atmosphere to destroy the life so no one can get a DNA sample, but since the bodies still exist on the planet it would still be possible to extract a DNA sample (Heck, a few years ago there was a report that some dinosaur bones had been found and that they might contain some DNA.) However, that Klingon captain didn't seem too bright so he probably didn't realize that killing the life would not necessarily destroy the DNA.

It's also amazing that the Cardassians and the Federation showed up at the same planet at nearly the same time (I'm assuming the cloaked Klingon ships followed the Enterprise, and who knows what ships the Romulans followed.) Another five minutes and the Cardassians could have beamed up the DNA sample and left.

Why does Dr. Crusher think it would take several hours to set up and figure out the positions of stars 4 billion years earlier? The speeds and directions of stars are known and there are now estimates of where stars have been and will be. However, I suppose this is what happens when you have the ship's Doctor figuring out this information instead of someone from Stellar Cartography.

Instead of beaming down to take a sample, why not just beam a sample up?

What really amazed me was how such a few fragments of DNA not only contained a message, but was able to reconfigure a tricorder and project a hologram. They must have had a very sophisticated computer language to put so much into it.

Are we supposed to believe that the aliens behind this message only put the pieces on the worlds shown in this episode? No duplicate pieces on other worlds in case a planetwide catastrophe destroyed all life and left no DNA? On the last world they only just discovered some viable DNA. Some time later, there may have been none.

In the Classic Trek episode, The Paradise Syndrome, Spock mentions a race called the Preservers, who went around moving dying civilizations from one world to another. Is it possible that they discovered this message and were trying to increase the chances of later races discovering it? Or possibly obscuring it?

Does it bother anyone that the Klingons destroy life on an entire planet and we're still cosy with them? The only condemnation came from the Cardassians.

Well, some radical environmentalists did go to Qo'noS to protest, but they haven't been heard from since.

Near the end they trick the cardassians into going to Ramizad , is this the same Ramizad from voyagers "year of hell part 2" ? (At one point Red , I mean Annorax eliminates the ramizad species) , I seem remember the names sounding the same , or have I just remembered wrong?

I guess it's back to the Galatic Court of Race Name Conflict Resolution.

This episode kinda reminds me of "2010: The Year We Make Contact"...I was kinda waiting for the image to say, "All these worlds are yours to share except Europa, enjoy them in peace"

NANJAO: Yet another "bravo" episode directed by Frakes. Geez, Mr, Frakes, what happened with "Insurrection"? Why wasn't that movie as good as some of the episodes you directed?

he also directed first contact.

Yeah, but First Contact was good!

I wonder where they got the idea from: Data stored in multiplying bacteria

Just finished watching it, one of my favorite episodes.

In the nitpicker's guide, Phil Farrand notes that they never explain why the Yridian ship was destroyed so easily. It seems pretty obvious to me, and not Worf's fault: THe Yridian ship didn't have it's shields up! Was Riker just not paying attention, or was he looking for an opportunity to yell at Worf? For that matter, doesn't it seem pretty obvious to Worf too?

It always seemed to me that the weapons on any starship would take out a ship without shields pretty easy.

Great line: Prof. Galen: Graciously! You could accept it Graciously!

The Loren/Kurl thing bothered me too. I suppose that according to the usual naming system used in the Star Trek universe, they should have said the Kurlan Cluster (or Kurl Cluster, but that sounds like a hairstyle) of which Loren might be one of the stars, or which Loren III is the only one that sustains life. That's the only way it makes sense.

This bothers me in a lot of episodes, but Indri VIII (i.e. the eigth planet of the star Indri) is covered in vegetation? It better be orbiting a very hot star. (or perhaps a Indri is a double or triple system of cooler stars)

I'm not completely sure of the science, but it seems to me that Loren III should't have much if any oxygen left in the atmosphere if there is no plant life left to replenish it. (Would a very mineral-poor crust make it more likely to keep the oxygen?)

I do like the ancient being in the projection compared to the current races. The extremely reduced facial feature do make a good rationale for why all the aliens seem to have various types of "forehead doohicky". They do however have a suggestion of the Cardassian "eye goggles."

Pentalarc: It always seemed to me that the weapons on any starship would take out a ship without sheilds pretty easy.
Luigi Novi: Not if you aim a narrow beam at a very low setting at a specific area on the target ship that should not cause the entire ship to explode.

The Yridians just may have been careless in their weapon storage procedures; if Worf had accidentally also hit the photon torpedo launcher or some other explosive point I can see how the entire ship could have gone up.

Why does Dr. Crusher think it would take several hours to set up and figure out the positions of stars 4 billion years earlier? The speeds and directions of stars are known and there are now estimates of where stars have been and will be.

Well, solving N-body problem analytically is impossible when N>2 (proved by Poincare, according to
this article I found). Determining the positions of stars 4 billion years earlier amounts to a reverse 200,000,000,000-body problem (even assuming that everything extragalactic can be ignored). This has to be done numerically. I can see this being a problem for even 24th century computers.

Plus with so many objects and so much time its conceivable that quauntum effects many come into play, making it impossible to track all the way back. In any case chaotic processes would have a an effect, also making it impossible to track back.

Wow! I never knew Tom Bombadil (a) knew about quantum physics and (b) posts on Nitcentral!

Salome Jens (Humanoid) is probably best known as the Female Changeling on DS9. She was also Martha Kent on the short-lived Adventures of Superboy.

Linda Thorson (Gul Ocett) was secret agent Tara King on the last season of The Avengers.

Norman Lloyd (Galen) has done a little bit of everything, but is probably best known as Dr. Auschlander on St. Elsewhere.

Hello, I just saw this episode.
Apart from what has been said above, there's one more thing that bothers me.
Why did Picard have to refuse Galen's offer? Couldn't he have simply taken some extended shore leave? This would IMO be more plausible and it wouldn't have even spoiled the plot, since Picard could have been with him on the shuttle...
Besides, the Enterprise is primarily a science vessel, is she not? I don't understand professor's insistence on conspiracy since, apparently, half the quadrant already knows about his work. Shouldn't he have requested the whole ship to be dispatched for his mission? Being such an established archeologist, surely he could have pulled on some strings even without revealing the details?

When Galen is discussing his plan with Picard in the lab room, he points to a map as he steps through the proposed travel arrangements. The map is obviously of the entire alpha quadrant, yet Galen is clearly pointing to various locations that criss cross both ends of the quandrant. Considering he mentioned to Picard earlier that this expedition would only last between 3 months to a year (or only weeks if he had Federation help), the distance he proposes to travel does not meet the time frame he estabished earlier in the episode.

The most absurd moment comes when he says, "An Al-Leyan transport is scheduled to arrive at the sation three weeks later. They'll take us as far as Caere and we can use the shuttle to get to Indri Eight, our first stop." The distance he gestures between Caere and Indri Eight is clear across the quadrant, and in a shuttle no less?! Also, let's not forget, this is just the FIRST stop!

The Enterprise is officially an "Explorer". It does have a large amount of scientific equipment, but is designed for a wide variety of missions from first contact to survey to defence.

Galen might have managed to get himself a normal science ship, maybe an Oberth, but not the Enterprise - it's the flagship! And Galen would probably think an Oberth wouldn't be able to defend him against all the people who want to kill him.

About KAM's mention of the Genome Project about 25 years ago (): to me the Project's findings only reinforce this episode's plausibility, as it has found that all the life forms studied so far - even as far apart as bacteria and higher eukaryotes such as humans - share a few common genes. That certainly suggests life had a single origin, which this episode simply takes to the next level by saying that ALL life had a single origin.

Thande: Galen might have managed to get himself a normal science ship, maybe an Oberth, but not the Enterprise - it's the flagship! And Galen would probably think an Oberth wouldn't be able to defend him against all the people who want to kill him.

Marka: I'm not sure about that. After all, this mission is supposed to be very important - the discovery's implications would be heard half way throughout the galaxy - surely it's important enough to engage the flagship? After all, how many times have we seen the Enterprise carrying out missions far less important? :-)

Galen says 'I am not a young man', and he wants Picard's help. I think Galen needs glasses, because Picard is no spring chicken. There isn't a single archeologist in the entire Federation that could accompany him on his search?
Picard mentions he hasn't seen Galen in 50 years. FIF-TY YEARS!!! Galen had great expectations for Picard to become a great archeologist, but Jean-Luc joined Starfleet instead; Galen even quotes an exam question that Picard got wrong FIFTY YEARS ago!!! Does this seem possible? Can you recall a question on an exam from even 20 years ago that you got wrong? Let alone could one of your teachers recall it?
To quote Captain Pike's Number One, 'Shall we do a little time computation?';
Using the Star Trek Excyclopedia as a reference, it says that Picard was born in 2305, and this sixth season episode should be in 2370. That makes Picard 65 years old. That means he last say Galen when he was FIFTEEN years old! How 'brilliant' an archeologist could Picard have seemed in his middle teens, and why would Galen, unless he's just a crazy old, secret admirer think that Picard was worthy of receiving that extremely valuable artifact? Shouldn't it be in a museum? Doesn't Galen know of any other career archeologist that deserve to keep it in their homes, rather than aboard an accident-prone Starfleet ship with someone he hasn't seen in five decades?!
The timing makes alot of this stuff crazy, and should have been shortened to at least 30 years since he last saw him.
I understand that in the 24th century humans have been established as having longer lifespans than those of us in the 21st century, but 65 years is still 65 years, and even if he's not considered a senior citizen, Picard still isn't the one to join Galen.

I agree 100% with you on that point.

This is one of the main problems with a lot of TV series (ie, making the main characters super-humans). Picard has been shown to be strong academically, athletically, have all sorts of friends (many in high places), have gotten to do everything etc. It certinally does seem unlikley that a 15-year-old is going to be getting this level of attention.

Then again, perhaps it isn't unrealistic. Even today, we have people that age (or younger) age getting that level of attention (although it often seems to be the 5% getting the 95% of the attention). opportunities etc. They've established the future to be a time or opportunity and privlege for everyone where it's not the lucky few that get to do tons of cool things while everyone else slips though the cracks, it's everyone that gets the chance to be something special.

While it may seem eye rolling cliché that Picard is a Renaissance man that's a superstar at everything he does, he is the captain of the flagship of the Federation. Riker and others have indicated that even getting aboard the Enterprise as an Ensign is hard and that people wait years to serve aboard her. To attain a posting as Captain of such a ship, one needs to be the best of the best.

My point being that Picard is not a typical human, even in the 24th centuries time of privlege and opportunity, Picard is one in a million (heck, maybe one in a billion). Galen was probbaly that way too. While it may seen unrealistic that he remember a test from fifty years ago, I think we need to remember that this guy is amoung the best of the best if not the best. While such a capability is certinally rare and not one to expect out of an average person, neither Galen or Picard are average Joes.

You know, I haven't seen this episode in years, but are you sure Galen said fifty years and not fifteen?

If it really is fifty, I'll have to break out the ol' Encyclopedia.

Many, if not most people, have one clear memory of their childhood. I remember lots of things from when I was in grammar school, for example.

As for Picard's genius, couldn't he very well have been been one? At least in certain classes that he was particularly interested in?

Tom; I'm pretty sure he said 50, and not 15, simply because Picard was supposed to be his 'student'. Also, 15 years prior to this episode Picard commanded the Stargazer, which would still place him out in space and not in an archeology class.
Luigi; I have memories, too, but I just think that out of all the papers he's read, all the exams, all the questions, he could recall a specific one from 50 years prior from someone that should have been just one young student out of hundreds or even thousands that he's taught down through the 18,250 days that make up 50 Earth years.
I love this series, but they had me rolling my eyes many times with their logic or coincidences to make a story work.

I am not a native speaker, but I could swear that right after the opening credits Picard says: "Captain's log, supplemental. It's been over THIRTY years since I last saw my Archeology Professor."

As to remembering a student from 30 or 50 years ago, Picard claimed that they had been like a father and son - clearly he must have been special to Galen.

Are you Polish, Marka? Your English is very good.

Just went back and looked - it was thirty years.

Thank you, Thande. Yes, in fact I am Polish.
Just curious - how did you know? I don't recall mentioning it anywhere here, have I?

(taps nose mysteriously) Magic.


Actually, your e-mail address shows the Polish country code.

D'oh!

Will: Luigi; I have memories, too, but I just think that out of all the papers he's read, all the exams, all the questions, he could recall a specific one from 50 years prior from someone that should have been just one young student out of hundreds or even thousands that he's taught down through the 18,250 days that make up 50 Earth years.
Luigi Novi: But again, I’m suggesting that this particular memory was a special one, not just any ordinary, run-of-the-mill day out their careers. For example, I remember a specific incident when I was in second or third grade. It was after school, and I don’t remember why I was there after school (I think maybe I was hanging around because my sister had cheerleading practice), and I wanted to know how to spell “scissor” or “scissors,” I think for some project or something I was writing, and I was not fully acquainted with how (or perhaps I was not motivated) to use a dictionary. One of the priests of the parish was present, and showed me how to use the dictionary. I remember expressing hopelessness at the situation, and he good-naturedly admonished me not to feel that way, and showed me how to use the reference book. I’m 32 now (I’ll be 33 in August), and I remember the incident, the word in question, etc.

It is not impossible, if Picard was Galen’s favorite student, and if this was one of the seminal incidents from which their special relationship was derived, for them to both have remembered it.

I have been married to my former teacher for 12 years now and he remembers exactly what I had to say during his lessons on many occassions! :-)

I have been a teacher myself for almost 11 years and I, too, remember a few of my former students fairly well. I also remember some of the tests I wrote for them.

When I first saw this ep, I assumed the question was pretty basic, especially if Picard used to be a good student. Remembering a particularly good student fail to answer a very easy question is not uncommon for teachers, believe me.

Like Bashir and the preganglionic fibre/postganglionic nerve.

HMM..The proto-human holographic person looks a lot like the Female Shape-shifter from DS9.


(Both parts were played by Salome Jens)

Apparently the relic isn't as cherished by Picard as it would seem...seeing he tosses it aside in favor of his family album in "Generations"

The planetary scene at the end looks very similar to the one used in "The Most Toys" and "Lessons"

Have you by any chance watched a certain Generations review recently ?

Does it show?

Only just a bit . Loved that part of his review though. Smashie smashie.

I recently watched a YouTube video where Data totally "pwns" Nu'Daq. First at Bahat'Qul, and then when Nu'Daq headbutts him and he bounces right off him and lands on the floor with a thud!

And Data then calmly explains that is skull is composed of (whatever futuristic substance Dr. Soong used to construct him), like nothing had happened. I thought that was really funny!

I also wish Picard had salvaged the Kurlan Naiskos artifact from the Enterprise-D wreckage. It really seemed out of character for him that he didn't!

I'm not sure-but don't we see it in either his ready room or his quarters on the Enterprise-E???

We see the Mintakan Tapestry in Insurrection, I think. But I don't recall seeing the Kurlan Naiskos in the three Enterprise-E appearances.

Didn't Picard also have a large book containing the collected works of Shakespeare? I don't know if that is seen again, either!

I also wish Picard had salvaged the Kurlan Naiskos artifact from the Enterprise-D wreckage. It really seemed out of character for him that he didn't!

At the end of Generations, he picks up and drops it, you even hear it smash (well you do in a certain reviewer's review :p)

So close to getting some Andre thoughts on this one......

Meanwhile, love this episode and I think Gul Ocett was an awesome Cardassian...

Look above what you wrote, Rod. I contributed two posts two years ago!

Are you using the right prescription for your glasses? Maybe you could check that, yuk yuk!

Yeah but you were responding to something about Picard throwing away the statue and a tapestry- not about what you thought of the episode.

I thought it was cool. There, you happy now? (grins)

The planetary scene from "The Most Toys" & "Lessons" appears again.

Is a Klingon skull really sturdy enough to withstand headbutting Data's immovable cortenide and duranium skull with no worse effect than said Klingon merely being knocked out? I would have expected such an ill advised action to result in a skull fracture, possibly with brain damage.

Hmm. Data's skull is composed of cortenide and duranium, huh? As well as the other substances mentioned by Varria in "The Most Toys" when she scans him, but I forget what they were. In this case, Memory Alpha is my friend.

Anyway, remember when Worf as a youth accidently caused the death of a boy when their heads collided playing soccer, and he had felt deep regret from the incident ever since, so he had always restrained himself from using his full strength when around humans? That was from an episode of DS9. I believe Worf once said that the sturdiness of the Klingon skull was an evolutionary advantage, in the non-canon PC game "A Final Unity", if you have him in the away team to the Mertens orbital station, as he says it to the engineer when he remarks that among Klingons, head-butts are a typical greeting. I thought that was interesting.

In any case, in this episode, Nu'Daq did survive his head colliding with Data's and with no apparent ill effects. But he was knocked for a really good loop, that was for sure!

Is a Klingon skull really sturdy enough to withstand headbutting Data's immovable cortenide and duranium skull with no worse effect than said Klingon merely being knocked out? I would have expected such an ill advised action to result in a skull fracture, possibly with brain damage?
Luigi Novi: Depending on how the impact went down, he could've sustained a concussion. Or perhaps Klingon skulls are sturdier: I mean, look at those thick ridges they have covering them!

I'll be posting this in the Sink, but I wanted it here ad well. Norman Lloyd, one of my all time favorite actors, passed away yesterday at the age of 106. More on his exceptional career from The Hollywood Reporter here.