star trek data father

The Life And Legacy Of Dr. Soong, The Creator Of Star Trek's Data

Early in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the android Data ( Brent Spiner ) explained his backstory to his new crewmates on the U.S.S. Enterprise-D. He knew that his creator was a man named Dr. Noonien Soong, and that he was discovered on a distant colony that had been destroyed. Data had no memory of his life on the colony. Later in the series, Data would learn he was not unique, as Soong also made an earlier model named Lore (also played by Spiner). Data had no emotions, but Lore did. Lore was also able to shake off his ethical subroutines and lives his life as a villain. He would recur throughout "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and would be up to no good in every appearance. Lore remembered Dr. Soong and the colony, but, being a devious liar, was coy about the actual details.

In the fourth season episode "Brothers" (October 8, 1990), Data and Lore were remotely "activated" to return to a secret laboratory deep in the galaxy. There, they found Dr. Soong (also Spiner) still alive and very, very old. It was in this episode where a lot of the Soong backstory and philosophy would be filled in, and Trekkies would take furious notes on the new canonical details about Data. 

Dr. Soong explains a few important things about himself in "Brothers." For one, he explained that making an android as advanced as Data is a careful and difficult affair. No cyberneticist has been able to recreate Data, and even Soong himself would have trouble perfecting the model (Lore's antisocial behavior was proof of his troubles). He also lays out, in plain language, why he wanted to make android clones of himself: By making offspring, Dr. Soong feels he can brush against immortality.

Dr. Soong's background

We eventually learn Soong was the result of a multi-generational obsession with constructing a "perfect human." The Soong family was long obsessed with eugenics, and when that failed, got into building androids. Dr. Noonien Soong was a curmudgeon and an eccentric. His ancestors were largely all supervillains. Perhaps Lore's propensity for evil was an unintentionally inherited trait that Noonien programmed into his brain without thinking about it. 

Some additional backstory: Dr. Soong once worked with a man called Ira Graves (W. Morgan Sheppard), who claims to have taught Noonien everything he knew. When Ira met Data in the episode "The Schizoid Man" (January 23, 1989), he described himself as Data's grandfather. It seems Dr. Graves merely wanted to shunt his consciousness into Data's body. After Dr. Graves and Dr. Soong split up, the latter moved to the above-mentioned colony. The colony was attacked from space by a massive intelligent crystal that consumed living matter, and Dr. Soong was assumed dead in the attack. Lore also escaped destruction by allying with the Crystalline Entity. As punishment, he was disassembled and locked in a blast-proof bunker. (Data later found and reassembled him.)

Dr. Soong was only able to chat with Data for a day before his death at Lore's hands. Dr. Soong aimed to give Data an emotions chip, a widget that would allow the android to feel for the first time. The chip was also meant to fill in Data's missing memories, allowing him to recall life on the colony prior to the Crystalline Entity attack. But Lore stole the chip and escaped. A lot of Data, then, remained a mystery. 

Other quirks of Data's brain

In later episodes, some of those mysteries were revealed. In the episode "Birthright Part I" (February 22, 1993), Data was zapped by a bolt of electricity, fell unconscious, and began hallucinating. It seems Dr. Soong programmed Data with the ability to dream. This was part of his "evolution," as Dr. Soong knew that Data would learn and grow and become more human over time. Dreaming was sort of like Data "leveling up." 

Dr. Soong was also married — in secret — to a woman named Juliana Tainer ( Fionnula Flanagan ). Data met her in the episode "Inheritance" (November 22, 1993). She died, but Dr. Soong was able to replicate an android clone of her, effectively making her Data's android mother. But she doesn't know she's an android, and her mechanical system is designed to trick medical scanners. In "Inheritance," it was also announced that Juliana had an aging program that would give her gray hair and wrinkles over time ... and that Data had a similar program. Dr. Soong, then, wanted his androids to look elderly over time. This was a handy way to incorporate actor Spiner's natural aging into a character that was ostensibly immortal. 

Oh yes, and in "Star Trek: Nemesis," it was revealed that Data also had a prototype older brother named B-4. His brain didn't work well. 

In recent "Star Trek" shows, ancestors of Dr. Soong began to emerge. The mystery of Data's creator was solved by a long-running intergenerational obsession that actually stemmed from unsavory motivations. Soongs of the past were miffed by humanity's imperfections and wanted to start tinkering with genes as a result. 

The other Soongs

Note: "Star Trek: Enterprise" takes place about a century prior to "Star Trek."

In a three-part episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise" — "Borderland," "Cold Station 12," and "The Augments," which aired in early November 2004 — audiences were introduced to Dr. Arik Soong (Spiner), a mad geneticist who had been altering and "enhancing" humanoid DNA. Because he was banned from his eugenics programs on Earth (eugenics are a big no-no in the world of "Star Trek"), he was forced to implant Klingons with enhanced human DNA. This is why the Klingons from the original "Star Trek" looked more human from the Klingons in "Star Trek: The Next Generation." There was finally a canonical reason, and it was because of a Soong. At the end of the three-part episode, after Arik is arrested for his genetic shenanigans, he announces that gene manipulation isn't the right path. Perhaps he'd try cybernetics instead. Of course, it would take several generations to perfect ... 

In the first season of "Star Trek: Picard," set several decades after "Next Generation," audiences found that Noonien Soong, in addition to building robot "children," also had a biological child. This was Dr. Altan Soong (yet again played by Spiner), who was still building androids, even though doing so was deemed illegal. He lived in hiding on a hidden planet with a secret colony of android children. In a very Gene Roddenberry fashion, the androids all wore diaphanous robes. They also all had emotions. Just like with Dr. Noonien Soong, however, the color eventually came under threat from a massive, destructive space deity. Altan would shunt the consciousness of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) into an android body. Picard and Data now have that in common.

There was at least one additional Soong besides.

In the second season of "Star Trek: Picard," the timeline reached back even further. In a time-travel story set in the year 2024, audiences met  Dr. Adam Soong (you guessed it: Spiner), who was already growing clones and tinkering with genes. He had already grown an adult daughter (Isa Briones), but she was only the latest in a long line of short-lived meat-bots. 

When a character from the future tells Adam that his genetic research was about to be halted by the show's protagonists — because eugenics is icky — Adam immediately began doing villainous things to them. He ran over Admiral Picard with a car. Eventually, Adam's villainy would be stopped by his latest cloned daughter. As she fled, she trashed Adam's lab. Later, out of the rubble, Adam Soong would extract a folder marked "Khan Project." It seems that Data's distant ancestor would be responsible for creating Khan, the villain from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." 

The above-mentioned Altan would return in a recorded message in the third season of "Picard," explaining he had scooped up the android brains of Data, Lore, B-4, and a few Soongs and shoved them all into a composite body (also Spiner) that looks like it's in its early 70s. That was how Data, who had died twice in the past, was able to return for the series. It's a little farfetched, but Spiner seems to be enjoying himself playing all his characters at once. 

So Dr. Noonien Soong may have been initially presented as a benevolent (if a little self-obsessed) engineer who wanted to build children and push the limits of mechanical consciousness. As "Trek" has progressed, however, he became part of a dark legacy. 

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Published Jun 15, 2023

Star Trek's Unlikely Fathers: Data and Odo

Our two figures came to discover, through trial and error, that fatherhood was a constant evolution.

StarTrek.com

Fatherhood is not a step one should take lightly. For two of Star Trek ’s least likely fathers, fatherhood began as clear-eyed choices, which would reveal to them truths about themselves and the world in which they walked.

For Data , in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “ The Offspring ,” his daughter started out as an experiment driven by a visit to a cybernetics conference. And for Odo , in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “ The Begotten ,” his adopted child was a chance-find brought to him by his main foil . Both knew almost immediately that what he was undertaking was not something done lightly, and yet, like all new fathers, neither had any idea what they were actually in for.

It is often said that being a parent is like having a piece of your heart walking around outside your body. Your heart (your child) is exposed and vulnerable, and every instinct inside you screams to protect it. You cannot let this piece of you come to harm because anything that hurts it hurts you. But you understand that you cannot protect it forever, and sooner than you wish, your child will have to learn to cope with the world and all its dangers on their own.

Data does this in the most logical way he knows, which is the only way he knows to do anything. He exposes Lal to as much of the world as he can as quickly as he feels she will be able to understand. He soon realizes that he cannot teach her everything she needs to know, becoming so overwhelmed by her constant quest for learning — “ Why is the sky black? ” — that he shuts her off for the night. (Human children, alas, come with no such switch, but that’s why science invented tablets and Cocomelon.) He decides, in that moment that, while Lal can learn from him, it is better than she learn on her own as other children do — in a social setting. He pushes his baby bird out of the nest, and in doing so, he learns that early difficult lesson of fatherhood — making friends for yourself may be hard, but making friends for your child is impossible. All you can do is step back, watch them fail, and then talk with them about why it didn't work out.

Odo felt the sting of his child’s failure much more sharply because of his own upbringing. While Data had no parent figure when he was a “child,” he has had a positive father figure in his own life in the form of Captain Picard. Odo’s sole father figure was Dr. Mora Pol , a scientist Odo came to resent and even hate. Why? Because Dr. Mora had no idea what he was doing as he raised Odo, and he made every mistake a father could make. He pushed, punished, and was neither gentle nor kind. He barely saw Odo as a person, but more as an experiment, a thing to be understood.

And so Odo, when given the chance, made his parenting choices almost out of spite. Sometimes being a father means putting into action the words, “Oh, I’ll show you.” In doing so, Odo overcorrected the sins of his father and cradled his child like an egg, terrified to do anything which would cause it any discomfort or pain, terrified to be anything like the man who raised him.

Only once Odo did what Data did, and allowed the child to come under strain and experience difficulty did the child grow and respond. But because of the lessons Odo had learned, he reacted with empathy and understanding. He guided the Changeling infant through the challenges it faced even as he was the one subjecting it to those challenges. Through this, Odo also came to an understanding of Dr. Mora because it is not until you are a parent that you can truly begin to understand your own parents. And through Odo’s journey, Dr. Mora came to understand his son like he never had before. Fatherhood is a constant evolution, rippling forward and backward through generations.

As their children begin to grow, both Data and Odo see their hopes and dreams for their children expand. Data understands his limitations — his lack of emotion and, on a more surface level, his inability to use contractions. While he never states his intention to make Lal better than he is, he does strive to help her understand that she can be the best person she could be. When Lal asks Data what their function is, he responds, “To contribute in a positive way to the world in which we live.” Much like Odo wants to be a better father than his was, Data wants Lal to understand she exists to make the world better. Macro and micro goals which both equal out to the same thing.

Lal uses a contraction for the first time, and Data realizes that his child has capabilities which far exceed his own. While this is never explored in the episode, it can be assumed that, at some point, Data would have to wrestle with the fact that there will come a time when Lal will experience things Data can no longer explain to her. What is a father to do when he no longer understands the world as his child sees it? The only thing a father can ever do — love the child unconditionally and be there for whatever the child needs.

Odo also glimpses this future, and in fact, it’s part of his stated goal from the very moment he learns of the baby Changeling. “You can be anything,” Odo says, a cliché all fathers say (and believe), but carrying with it a delightful double meaning for this infant shapeshifter. Odo tells his child that he can’t wait to teach it to change into all sorts of wonderful things, like a Tarkalean hawk, while admitting that he was never very good at shapeshifting. He knows that he can teach his child to exceed his own abilities, and, in fact, relishes the idea.

Data and Odo both also experience one of the most rewarding and unexpected joys of fatherhood; something you never really think about until it happens. For Data, it occurs when Lal understands the purpose of holding hands and, on her own, makes the choice to take Data’s hand in her own. For Odo, it's when the infant Changeling rises up and mimics Odo’s own face back to him. For both characters, these silent gestures mean one thing — “I love you, father.” And the first time your child tells you they love you unbidden, it is one of the most special moments in a parent’s life.

There is one more thing that Data grasps about being a parent innately that cannot be left unstated as too many parents in this present day do not understand it. Data understands that he will accept and care for Lal no matter what gender or appearance she chooses. He gives her that choice freely, and if she were to choose to change it later, we understand that he would accept that as well and care for them just the same. This is not a discussion Odo must have because he, by nature, understands the fluidity of his child’s person. Star Trek , it seems, will forever reach across decades and speak to discussions happening today.

Both fathers, in the end, must also experience the worst thing a parent can go through. But rather than focus on that, we can focus on the final lesson both learn. That through our children, we understand the world. That what they experience — how they live, learn, and grow — can teach us to be better ourselves. Through the experience of fatherhood, brief though it is for both Data and Odo, they are forever changed for the better. We can all hope that we teach our children to be better than we are, and they, in turn, teach us to be better than we thought we ever could be.

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Doug Robertson is a lifelong Trek fan and educator who has written several books about teaching, including "The Cardboard Classroom," which can be found anywhere books are sold.

Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Data

Exploring the deep lore of Star Trek's most famous artificial intelligence.

Data is one of the most beloved characters in Star Trek , as well as sci-fi in general. His top-notch writing combined with Brent Spiner’s acting style to create a truly unique take on the classic Pinocchio character trope.

Throughout his life, Data's main goal in life was to become more Human by observing and learning from the Humans around him. He made a lot of progress in this journey over time, and by the end of the third season of Picard has become closer than ever before.

Despite his popularity in the fanbase, there are many things that fans may have forgotten about Trek 's star android. In this list, we're going to discuss some of these details and what they mean to Data's character as a whole. Along the way, we'll learn a lot about what made Data so special to so many fans.

10. His Early Life

Data's first memories were wiped shortly before he was deactivated and left behind on Omicron Theta. Eventually, he learned about his early life when he was reunited with the android of his mother, Juliana Tainer, in the Next Gen episode Inheritance .

Juliana, along with her former husband, Dr. Noonien Soong, created Data and the other Soong-type androids, though Noonien typically receives all of the credit. Juliana was the one who decided to program Data to enjoy art and music, an interest she shared. After dealing with Lore's emotional problems, Juliana wanted their next creation to have an outlet to express himself. Some of her ideas were shot down by Noonien however, like the idea to make Data in a female form. Noonien of course favoured making these androids in his own form.

We also learned in Inheritance that Data really didn't like wearing clothing in his early life. Apparently, he didn't see a need for clothing since the temperature and weather didn't affect him, so he just walked around naked for a time. The other residents of the colony weren't too impressed by this phase of Data's life, so the Soongs wrote him a ‘modesty subroutine’ to correct his behaviour.

Marcia Fry is a writer for WhatCulture and an amateur filmmaker.

21 Years Later, Brent Spiner Helped Reboot Data For Star Trek Canon

Data is back. But for how long?

In Star Trek: Picard Season 3 , the saddest moment of Star Trek: Nemesis has seemingly been undone. After dying on the Reman warship, the Scimitar , in 2379, Data has been reborn in 2401. But, after the events of “The Bounty,” this new version of Data is decidedly different than the one we remember. Jammed in the same body as his evil android brother, Lore, the latest version of Data is fighting for his existential life in the episode “Dominion.” And, for actor Brent Spiner, the meaning of life and death for Data are very different than you might think.

Spoilers for Star Trek: Picard ahead.

Because Data’s living consciousness, which existed in limbo from 2379 to 2399, died at the end of Picard Season 1 , the presence of another copy of Data’s memory in this new human-ish body, might make you wonder if those other Data deaths counted . But for Spiner, it’s a bit simpler than all that.

“People have said Data's died twice now. But, well, Data didn't die . He’s not a human being!” Spiner tells Inverse with a laugh. “It's like if your computer blew up, and you were still able to retrieve the hard drive. That’s the essence of him. So, Data goes on because they were able to access his memories and his experiences.”

Brent Spiner as Data, Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker, Michael Dorn as Worf and Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker

Mental gymnastics aside, Spiner did have several conversations with Terry Matalas and the other Picard writers to determine that this resurrection made sense.

“I wouldn’t say I was resistant,” Spiner reveals. “But I was dubious , at first. The writers and Terry were so open and receptive. I don’t mean they just let me do everything the way I asked. I mean, we struggled. These are smart people and talented people, and so we would go back and forth. They were always wide open and available. And, finally, I think we came to something that satisfied all of us. Also, at the end of the day, I don't want to be home, wondering if my friends are having a really good time on the set, playing their characters again.”

In “Dominion,” we learn that Data's personality has been partitioned from Lore’s in this body, and the outcome of that struggle will determine, eventually, which persona will become dominant. In this way, the Data-Lore-Soong hybrid in Picard Season 3, is actually a new character, and not just a copy-and-paste of Data from Nemesis .

“It is a new character in a sense,” Spiner says. “But also, I think what we’re saying is that we are our memories. Obviously, we all have memories of things we love. But also of things that we don’t love. Of sad things. Of horrible things. Data is all of that now.”

In “The Bounty,” fans were reminded of Data’s love of Sherlock Holmes , something which feels appropriate in real life. After Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off the detective in “The Final Problem,” the sheer popularity of the character forced him to bring Holmes back. And Data is very much the same. “Well, we tried to off Data,” Spiner jokes. “But they keep tracking me down. They keep bringing me back in.”

Now that Picard Season 3 is warping toward its conclusion in just three weeks, it feels like the swan song for The Next Generation crew is truly coming to an end. With a (potentially) newly reborn Data, would Spiner want to continue doing more Star Trek? Or is this really, really it ?

Data and Lore in The Next Generation episode "Datalore."

“The thing about being an actor is no one ever retires,” Spiner says. “Cagney. He was retired after One, Two, Three . Then he came back and did Ragtime . Fred Astaire said he never wanted to do it again, and there he is in Finian's Rainbow. Nobody really wants to stop.”

In this way, Spiner is open to appearing in a future Trek project beyond Picard Season 3, should a hypothetical spinoff series materialize or not.

“We don't have any control over it. I know Terry would like to do more. Certainly, if there was a deal on the table, and they said we’d love you to come back, then I’d have another decision to make. I can't imagine that I would say no. Certainly, if everybody else was doing it, like I said, I don't want to be at home while they're having fun,” Spiner says. “But there’s also something to be said for going out with goodwill. This season has achieved so much goodwill from the fans and critics and everybody who’s seen it. It wouldn’t be a terrible place to stop if we had to stop.”

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams on Paramount+

• Science Fiction

Brent Spiner

• Born February 2 , 1949 · Houston, Texas, USA
• Birth name Brent Jay Spiner
• Height 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
• Brent Spiner, whose primary claim to fame is his portrayal of the beloved android Data on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) , was born and raised in Houston, Texas. His parents, Sylvia (Schwartz) and Jack Spiner, owned and operated a furniture store, and were both from Jewish immigrant families (from Austria, Hungary, and Russia). Jack died of kidney failure at age 29, when Brent was 10 months old. When he was 6 years old, his mother married Sol Mintz, who adopted Brent and his older brother Ron. Although his mother divorced Mintz after 7 years of marriage, Brent retained his adopted father's last name until 1975, when he took back his birth name. Spiner first began pursuing his interest in acting while in high school. There his inspirational drama teacher, Cecil Pickett, gave a great start to the careers of a remarkable group of aspiring young actors (and directors), including Spiner, Cindy Pickett (Cecil's daughter), Randy Quaid , Dennis Quaid , Trey Wilson , Robert Wuhl and Thomas Schlamme , all of whom later attained success in Hollywood. After graduation, Spiner followed his mentor to the University of Houston and other local colleges, while also launching his professional acting career in theater (The Houston Music Theater and other regional theater) and in film ( My Sweet Charlie (1970) , which was shot on location in Texas). After a couple of false starts in New York and Hollywood, Spiner eventually established himself as a stage actor in New York, appearing in a number of off-Broadway and Broadway plays, such as "A History of the American Film" (1978), "Leave It to Beaver is Dead" (1979), "Sunday in the Park with George" (1984), and "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1985). While in New York, he had a bit part in Woody Allen 's Stardust Memories (1980) and starred in an independent film called Rent Control (1981) . The play "Little Shop of Horrors "brought Spiner to Los Angeles in 1984, where he eventually took up permanent residence. In 1986, after a number of character parts in television series and movies, such as Robert Kennedy and His Times (1985) , Crime of Innocence (1985) , Manhunt for Claude Dallas (1986) , and Family Sins (1987) , Spiner snagged the role that would bring him international fame: Data, the endearing android, whom Spiner played "by tapping into his inner child." Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) , the sequel to the original television series Star Trek (1966) , became hugely popular, moving to the big screen for four films (so far) after its 7-year run on television. Aside from these films, Spiner has made cameo appearances in a number of films directed by his friend and old schoolmate Thomas Schlamme , such as Miss Firecracker (1989) , Crazy from the Heart (1991) , and Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long (1995) , and has appeared in small roles in more recent films, such as Dude, Where's My Car? (2000) and The Master of Disguise (2002) . Arguably his most popular film portrayal was Dr. Brakish Okun in Independence Day (1996) , a role that elicited his unique eccentricity and sense of humor. He reprised the character in the sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) . - IMDb Mini Biography By: Lyn Hammond
• Spouse Loree McBride (? - present) (1 child)
• Children Child
• Parents Sylvia Schwartz Jack Spiner
• Lieutenant Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
• He is one of two actors, the other being Patrick Stewart Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) regular to share scenes with all three original Star Trek (1966) series cast members who appeared on that series: DeForest Kelley , Leonard Nimoy and James Doohan .
• He is the only actor to be nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor twice in the same year, for both Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Independence Day (1996) ; he won for the former.
• Changed his last name to Mintz at about age six, readopted Spiner as a stage name at about age 20.
• He was a groomsman at Marina Sirtis ' wedding, and served as best man at Patrick Stewart 's wedding.
• Along with Jonathan Frakes , Marina Sirtis , Michael Dorn , Colm Meaney and Jeffrey Combs , he is one of only six actors to appear in the series finales of two different "Star Trek" series ( Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) ).
• [on his action figure of Lt. Commander Data] At first, I was reluctant. But then I figured, if it's good enough for Alec Guinness , then it's good enough for me.
• [September 12, 2006] I don't think I should play Data anymore. I think I'm too old to play him anymore to be honest. I think it would look stupid putting that make-up on me at this point. There are certain characters that I think work in a youthful way and I think I really skated along the edge in the last couple movies as it was.
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) - $5,000,000

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Who is Data’s Daughter on ‘Star Trek: Picard’: All About Dahj, Lal, and Soji

Where to Stream:

• Star Trek: Picard

CBS All Access’s Star Trek: Picard focuses on an unusually emotional mystery for Star Trek . Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) is struggling with grief and angst in his advanced age. His only comforts are his few surviving friends, his dog, and his wine. However, Picard gets a jolt to his system when an unusual young woman named Dahj ( Isa Briones ) shows up at his vineyard in desperate need of help. It seems that she might not be who she thinks she is. She might be an android.

All this begs the question for Picard: Did Data (Brent Spiner) leave behind a daughter?

** STAR TREK: PICARD EPISODE 1 SPOILERS AHEAD**

The idea that an android like Data could be a daddy isn’t so wild. After all, Data was a father in the Season 3 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , “The Offspring.” Her name is Lal. Now, however, Picard has evidence to believe that Dahj is Data’s daughter…and what of Dahj’s twin sister, Soji?

Here’s your guide to Data’s daughter from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lal, as well as the two women who may carry Data’s legacy within them: new synthetic humans Dahj and Soji.

Who Is Lal? Data's Daughter From 'Star Trek: TNG'?

Data became a daddy all the way back in Star Trek: The Next Generation , Season 3, Episode 16, “The Offspring.” Data decided to create a child, named Lal (Hallie Todd), without the knowledge of anyone else on the ship. Interestingly, Data let Lal choose their own species and gender, and Lal decided to become a human female.

At first, Picard was furious with Data for creating artificial life without looping in the Federation, but when another admiral tried to force Lal to leave the Enterprise (and Data’s safekeeping), Picard defended Data’s right to be a parent. Lal eventually superseded her creator, managing to use contractions and to feel emotions. However, feeling emotions resulted in a system collapse. Data honored his daughter by copying her memories to his neural system.

In Star Trek: Picard , Jean-Luc Picard realizes that Dahj looks identical to a figure in a painting that Data made entitled “Daughter.” He believes Dahj is somehow Data’s daughter.

PS: Yes, Data’s daughter was indeed played by Lizzie McGuire’s mother. Same actress! Hallie Todd!

Where to stream Star Trek: The Next Generation

Who is Dahj? The Mysterious Synthetic Girl in 'Star Trek: Picard'?

Star Trek: Picard ‘s first episode introduces Isa Briones’s Dahj. She’s a sweet nerd who we learn lives in “Greater Boston” and has a nice boyfriend. However, that falls apart when a group of mysterious assassins transport into her apartment, slay the nice boyfriend, and throw a bag over her head. Suddenly, Dahj’s AI programming kicks in and she kills the intruders. Shocked, she leaves and looks for the one man she can see in her mind’s eye: Picard.

It doesn’t take Picard too long to piece together that Dahj is an android and that she has some sort of connection to Data. However, as soon as Picard can swear himself to her cause, she is murdered by assassins.

Undeterred, Picard travels to the Daystrom Institute in Okinawa, a center for AI research. There Picard meets Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill), a stymied expert on androids. She reveals that if her mentor Bruce Maddox managed to create AI life, he would have done so copying at least one of Data’s neurons…and there would have been twins.

At the end of Star Trek: Picard’s first episode, we learn that Dahj’s twin sister is named Soji…

Who is Soji, Dahj's Twin Sister?

As of yet, we don’t know too much about Soji except that she exists, she lives, and she is on some sort of science mission on a former Borg cube that has since been dubbed a “Romulan Reclamation Zone.” At the very end of the first episode of Star Trek: Picard, she flirts with a handsome Romulan played by Harry Treadaway.

Dahj might be dead, but Soji lives…and it’s likely that Jean-Luc Picard will be on a mission to find her and her connection to Data over the course of the first season of Star Trek: Picard.

Where to stream Star Trek: Picard

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Posted: April 27, 2024 | Last updated: April 27, 2024

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The aunt of star trek: tng's tasha yar actress once romanced ds9's quark.

Despite leaving TNG in season 1, Denise Crosby has lasting ties to the Star Trek franchise, including her aunt, who fell in love with DS9's Quark.

The aunt of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Denise Crosby once had a brief romance with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Quark (Armin Shimerman). Denise Crosby played Lt. Tasha Yar in TNG , whose family continued to pop up in the show even after she was killed by Armus. Tasha's sister, Ishara Yar (Beth Toussaint), used the crew of the USS Enterprise-D to help her launch an invasion of the Turkana IV Alliance's territory in TNG season 4, episode 6, "Legacy". Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5 introduced Sela (Denise Crosby) Tasha Yar's half-Romulan daughter from an alternate timeline, who became a recurring villain on the show.

Tasha Yar's extended family appearing on Star Trek: The Next Generation was reflective of Denise Crosby's own family links to the wider Star Trek universe. Denise Crosby was the granddaughter of popular crooner and actor Bing Crosby, named after her father, and Bing's son, Dennis Crosby. Embarrassed by a high-profile child support case between Dennis Crosby and Denise's mother, Marilyn Miller Scott, Bing Crosby reportedly never met his granddaughter . Amid this court battle, Bing Crosby's second wife, Kathryn, gave birth to her second child, Denise's aunt and future Star Trek: Deep Space Nine guest star , Mary Crosby.

Star Trek: TNG's Most Hated Episode Still Traumatizes Denise Crosby

Star trek: tng's denise crosby's aunt played quark's love interest in ds9.

Denise Crosby's aunt Mary played Professor Natima Lang in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 18, "Profit and Loss" . Mary Crosby was a prolific TV guest star in the early 1990s, appearing in shows such as Murder, She Wrote and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman before being cast as Natima in DS9 . A specialist in political ethics, Natima was a prominent member of the Cardassian dissident movement, who wanted to overthrow their government's military rulers. Natima Lang was a character who brought out Quark's romantic and heroic side, something that DS9 writer and producer Ira Steven Behr disapproved of :

" I felt we didn't need another tough, sexy, swashbuckling character on the show. We had enough of those." - Ira Steven Behr, The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion

Mary Crosby is best known for playing Kristin Shepard in the iconic soap opera Dallas between 1979 and 1981 . Kristin Shepard was the character who famously shot J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) in the soap, with the reveal becoming one of the highest-rated episodes of any TV drama. In an interesting parallel between her character in Dallas and her character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Mary Crosby also shoots Quark in "Profit and Loss", albeit accidentally. It's a fun nod to Mary Crosby's best-known TV role.

Denise Crosby's Other Star Trek Family Links

Mary Crosby isn't the only member of Denise Crosby's extended family to appear in the wider Star Trek universe. Denise Crosby's brother, Paul, is married to actress and stunt performer, Spice Williams, who has made many appearances in the Star Trek franchise . Spice Williams-Crosby played Vixis in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , the first officer on Klaa's Klingon bird of prey. As a stunt performer, Spice Williams-Crosby doubled for Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine on episodes of Star Trek: Voyager.

Denise Crosby is also a distant relation of Family Guy creator and Star Trek: Enterprise guest star, Seth MacFarlane . Ancestry details of Seth MacFarlane reveal that he was a descendant of William Brewster, an ancestor of Bing Crosby. This means that Denise Crosby and Seth MacFarlane are distant cousins, a detail which must have pleased the noted Star Trek fan. In 2011, Seth MacFarlane revealed his desire to reboot the franchise on TV, a dream he never got to realize. However, his sci-fi comedy drama The Orville is the next best thing, a loving homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation that features many of its alumni.

All episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Long-Lost First Model of the USS Enterprise From 'Star Trek' Boldly Goes Home After Twisting Voyage

The first USS Enterprise has boldly gone back home, solving a decades-long mystery

Long-Lost First Model of the USS Enterprise From 'Star Trek' Boldly Goes Home After Twisting Voyage

Josh David Jordan

The first model of the USS Enterprise is displayed at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

DALLAS (AP) — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry's son decades after it went missing.

The model's disappearance sometime in the 1970s had become the subject of lore, so it caused a stir when it popped up on eBay last fall. The sellers quickly took it down, and then contacted Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to authenticate it. Last weekend, the auction house facilitated the model's return.

Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, said he's thrilled to have the model that had graced the desk of his father, who died in 1991 at age 70.

“This is not going home to adorn my shelves," Roddenberry said. “This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.”

Heritage's executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said the auction house was contacted by people who said they'd discovered it a storage unit, and when it was brought into their Beverly Hills office, he and a colleague “instantly knew that it was the real thing.”

They reached out to Roddenberry, who said he appreciates that everyone involved agreed returning the model was the right thing to do. He wouldn't go into details on the agreement reached but said “I felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that.”

Photos You Should See - April 2024

Maddalena said the model vanished in the 1970s after Gene Roddenberry loaned it to makers of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," which was released in 1979.

“No one knew what happened to it," Rod Roddenberry said.

The 3-foot (0.91-meter) model of the USS Enterprise was used in the show's original pilot episode as well as the opening credits of the resulting TV series, and was the prototype for the 11-foot (3-meter) version featured in the series' episodes. The larger model is on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

The original “Star Trek” television series, which aired in the late 1960s, kicked off an ever-expanding multiverse of cultural phenomena, with TV and movie spinoffs and conventions where a fanbase of zealous and devoted Trekkies can't get enough of memorabilia.

This USS Enterprise model would easily sell for more than $1 million at auction, but really “it’s priceless," Maddalena said.

“It could sell for any amount and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is," he said. “It is truly a cultural icon.”

Roddenberry, who was just a young boy when the model went missing, said he has spotty memories of it, “almost a deja vu.” He said it wasn't something he'd thought much about until people began contacting him after it appeared on eBay.

“I don't think I really, fully comprehended at first that this was the first Enterprise ever created,” he said.

He said he has no idea if there was something nefarious behind the disappearance all those decades ago or if it was just mistakenly lost, but it would be interesting to find out more about what happened.

“This piece is incredibly important and it has its own story and this would be a great piece of the story,” Roddenberry said.

Thankfully, he said, the discovery has cleared up one rumor: That it was destroyed because as a young boy, he'd thrown it into a pool.

“Finally I’m vindicated after all these years," he said with a laugh.

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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The Best Data Episodes Of Star Trek: The Next Generation

You can't really talk about  Star Trek: The Next Generation  ( TNG ) without talking about Data. Played by Brent Spiner , this sentient android appeared in all seven seasons of the series, has a recurring role in  Star Trek: Picard , and showed up in all four  TNG  films. Data proved to quickly be one of the most popular  TNG  characters, as fans enjoyed following the synthetic officer's struggles to understand humanity and grow closer to it. 

As for his backstory, Data is discovered before the events of the series on the otherwise lifeless Omicron Theta colony. About halfway through the first season of TNG , in "Datalore," we learn most of the colony was wiped out by a powerful spacefaring being known only as the Crystalline Entity (take Galactus, but make him look like a giant snowflake). Fortunately, the android is rescued by Starfleet, which heavily influences his choice to join the organization. On board the  Enterprise , Data regularly proves to be one of the crew's best assets, though occasionally his android origins allow villains to turn him into a crippling liability. 

Throughout the series, most of the crew's   senior officers were the focus of at least a couple of episodes, but Data's struggles and adventures proved compelling enough to fans that the Enterprise 's own Pinocchio could rightly be accused of hogging the spotlight. And today, we're going to look at the episodes where Data shined the brightest. Here are our picks for the best Data episodes of  Star Trek: The Next Generation .  

'Phantasms' is one of Data's weirdest and funniest episodes

In 1968, Philip K. Dick penned one of his best-known novels, one where the title poses an interesting question: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Well, after watching the 1993  TNG  episode "Phantasms," we can't tell you if androids dream of electric sheep, but we  can  report they occasionally dream of cakes made of out of crew members.

In season six's "Birthright," Data discovers a program that allows him to dream. And in the following season's "Phantasms," Data's dreams haunt him to the point where he appears to be losing his positronic marbles. His dreams are filled with absolutely bizarre images. For example, in one, he finds in a party on Ten Forward in which Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) is a cake whom his crew members are devouring. We eventually learn the weird dreams are actually giving Data the key to save the  Enterprise . After the ship takes on a brand new warp core, invisible parasites start feeding on the crew. Data unconsciously detects the creatures, and the strange imagery of his dreams is actually designed to alert him of the danger.

"Phantasms" goes into weird  Twin Peaks  territory that no one ever expected from  Star Trek , and for that alone, it deserves a spot on this list. But the episode also proves to be one of the funniest  TNG stories, particularly with some uncharacteristic off-color humor that begins to surface after Data discusses his dreams with a holographic version of Sigmund Freud (who had a reputation for linking most neuroses to sex) .

'Descent' puts Data against two of Star Trek's best villains

Two of TNG 's most compelling bad guys form something of an alliance in the two-parter "Descent." And this terrifying union starts early in part one, when Data surprises us by getting murderously enraged when attacked by Borg drones — to the point that he continues to beat on an already dead drone when he should be helping out his crew members. 

Data is puzzled by the spontaneous burst of emotion and concerned with his homicidal urges, and we eventually learn he's being manipulated by his brother Lore, a predecessor to Data who's programmed with emotions but suffers mental instability. Lore is gathering Borg drones detached from the Borg Collective and recruiting them into a cult committed to the rise of cybernetic beings over organic life. To this end, Lore is behind Data's murderous emotions, and he manipulates him to the point where he's almost willing to kill his best friend, Geordi (Levar Burton).

Bookending the penultimate and final seasons of  TNG , "Descent" not only gives us another chance to see the Borg, but it also marks the return of the free-thinking Borg Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco) who first appeared in "I, Borg." It also proves to be the final confrontation between Data and his twisted brother Lore. It's as sad as it is satisfying when Data deactivates his wayward sibling, whose final profession of love before his death is almost certainly a lie. 

'Hero Worship' explores the pros to being an android

When you first discover how badly Data wants to be a human, it's natural to at least briefly wonder why he would want to be something that — in so many ways — is inferior. That's part of what occurs to the young Timothy (Joshua Harris) in the season five episode "Hero Worship." Timothy is the sole survivor of the wrecked ship  Vico , and it's Data who saves him. Traumatized by so much death, Timothy takes comfort in pretending to be an android. Counselor Troi encourages Data to help Timothy find shelter in this temporary fantasy, and he teaches the boy what it's like to be a synthetic person, including finding Timothy appropriate clothes and combing his hair to look more like Data.

Data's time with Timothy is touching and bittersweet. We can tell from the beginning that Data enjoys the company of someone who wants to be more like him and that he'll miss Timothy when, inevitably, he emerges from the fantasy. Regardless, the exercise helps the boy open up to his rescuers. Timothy initially tells the  Enterprise  crew that his ship was attacked by aliens, but by the end, it comes out Timothy wrongly blames himself. Moments before the ship's destruction, Timothy fell and hit a console, and he erroneously believes that whatever he hit on the console is what destroyed  Vico . But in a nice twist, it's Timothy's memory of the  Vico 's final moments that gives Data the clues he needs to save the  Enterprise  from the Vico 's actual fate.

'The Quality of Life' asks some heavy questions

"The Quality of Life" is unique in that it puts Data at odds with his shipmates, but it's not because any villain infiltrates his positronic net. Instead, Data refuses the orders of a superior officer on his own free will.

Early in "The Quality of Life," we meet Dr. Farallon (Ellen Bry), the head of a project she hopes will be approved by the Federation. To help with her work, Farallon creates small, mobile, problem-solving machines called exocomps. After one of the exocomps refuses to perform a task, Data — while everyone else assumes the exocomp is malfunctioning — determines the machine is self-aware. Toward the end of the episode, Data locks horns with Riker over using the exocomps to save Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) and Geordi from an accident but in a manner that would destroy the machines. Riker solves the problem by suggesting that Data ask the exocomps to help rather than ordering them. The machines agree to help, and they find an alternative means of saving Picard and Geordi, though sadly one of them chooses to sacrifice itself for the sake of the others. 

"The Quality of Life" is an episode that challenges its audience. It doesn't take much to feel sympathy for Data. He may be a machine, but he looks like a person and is being played by a flesh-and-blood human. It's quite another thing to root for Data when he's treating the rights of three drone-like machines as inviolate enough to risk the lives of beloved regular characters. 

'Elementary, Dear Data' is The Next Generation having a whole lot of fun

Picard loves his Dixon Hill, and Data loves Sherlock Holmes. And in "Elementary, Dear Data," we get to see Data indulge in his love for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic detective, while Geordi LaForge plays his loyal companion, Watson. 

It begins, as most holodeck-gone-wrong episodes do, with the heroes just having a bit of fun. Geordi gets frustrated when Data, rather than going through an entire Holmes mystery, ends the story early by revealing the killer. Only instead of using deduction, Data knows who committed the crime simply by having read the story already. Dr. Pulaski (Diana Muldaur) gets involved when she overhears the two in Ten Forward, and she challenges Data to solve an original Holmesian mystery. That challenge inadvertently leads Geordi to give the holodeck a command that makes the holographic version of Holmes' nemesis, Professor Moriarty, sentient. And soon enough, the classic bad guy becomes aware he's a hologram on a space ship. 

Once the challenge gets interesting, Data and Geordi throw themselves into their roles, and their enthusiasm is infectious. But what makes the episode one of the  TNG 's most memorable is Daniel Davis' portrayal of Moriarty. Picard is forced to get involved after Moriarty figures out a way to briefly take control of the  Enterprise.  However, Moriarty's evolution makes him much more than a villain, and his portrayal is surprisingly affecting. When Moriarty tells Picard, "What I have seen, what I have learned, fascinates me — I do not want to die," it takes you off guard. Against all odds, you actually care about this holographic recreation of a Victorian-era villain. 

Brent Spiner shows off his acting chops in 'Brothers'

When Data's twin brother Lore threatens the  Enterprise , Brent Spiner does double-duty by playing both androids. But in the fourth season episode "Brothers," Spiner does  triple  duty as Data, Lore, and their enigmatic creator, Dr. Noonian Soong .

In "Brothers," Dr. Soong activates a homing device that summons both Data and Lore to his workshop deep in the jungle of an otherwise seemingly unpopulated planet. Soong is dying, and before his passing, he wants to give Data a chip he's developed that will give Data human emotions but without the flaws that lead to Lore's instability. Before Lore's predictable betrayal and Soong's death, we learn much of what Lore told us in the earlier episode "Datalore" was untrue. In particular, while Lore claims to be a perfected version of Data, Soong reveals Lore was built first and was deactivated because humans feared him. Data seems genuinely stunned to learn he isn't inferior to Lore, so much so that he repeats the revelation "I am not less perfect than Lore" out loud, much to his brother's aggravation. 

Spiner's performances in all three roles genuinely feels like a troubled family reunion. Data and Lore come off like two feuding brothers under the tutelage of an impatient father, including in the perfectly touching and funny moment when Soong orders them through clenched teeth to both sit down. "Brothers" is a testament to Spiner's acting abilities, and the episode is an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding Data.

'Data's Day' lets us look through the android's eyes

The plot of season four's "Data's Day" isn't particularly memorable. Data prepares for the wedding of Chief O'Brien (Colm Meaney) and Keiko (Rosalind Chao), while the  Enterprise  heads for the Romulan Neutral Zone with a Vulcan ambassador in tow. Really, "Data's Day" is pretty much a meat-and-potatoes TNG episode, but it's elevated by being told completely through Data's adorably hopeless point of view

"Data's Day" references the episode "The Measure of a Man," with Data writing a letter to Bruce Maddox, the same cyberneticist who caused the android so much trouble in the earlier story. Data writes his letter as a log entry, explaining everything that's happening, what he believes will resolve each situation, and inevitably how laughably wrong he proves to be. For example, Data tries and fails to understand the drama between O'Brien and Keiko when the latter gets cold feet and cancels their wedding. And the eventual betrayal by the Vulcan ambassador, who proves to be a Romulan incognito, seems almost unnecessary compared to the fun of Data learning to dance while wearing a Joker-like smile that is the stuff of nightmares.

"Data's Day" is equally sweet, sad, and funny in showing us Data's attempts to understand human behavior. One interesting aspect of the episode is when he describes Worf (Michael Dorn) as a "kindred spirit." With both often finding themselves confused by humans, the connection makes sense. Still, with both taking vastly different approaches to most situations, it's a surprising revelation. 

'In Theory' is a heartbreaking Star Trek episode

In the early first season episode "The Naked Now," Data famously gets intimate with Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby). After that, Data doesn't have a lot of chance at romance until the fourth season's "In Theory." 

As Data's friend Jenna (Michele Scarabelli) is getting over a break-up with an on-again/off-again boyfriend, it suddenly occurs to her that her synthetic buddy might just be her best new candidate for romance. As Jenna's interest gradually becomes clear to Data, he goes to each of his  Enterprise  friends in turn, asking their advice. He decides to move forward with the relationship and creates a program for it. Slowly, Jenna begins to realize that having a romantic relationship with an emotionless android means ... having a romantic relationship with an emotionless android. Data never knows how to react to what Jenna does, whether it's what to do when she brings him a gift or when he abruptly initiates a lovers' quarrel simply because he thinks that's what Jenna wants. 

The episode's final scene is gut-punching. Once Jenna tells Data their relationship is over, he responds emotionlessly with, "Then I will delete the appropriate program." Jenna is crushed while Data seems perfectly fine, as untroubled by the break-up as if it'd never happened. Most Data episodes end with some kind of sentiment hinting towards Data being more human than he appears. "In Theory" swerves hard in the other direction, letting you viscerally feel the impact Data's lack of humanity can have on those around him. 

Data goes looking for his father in 'Birthright, Part I'

As far as  TNG  two-parters go, season six's "Birthright" is a little different than most. "Birthright, Part I" is maybe 60 percent Data and 40 percent Worf, with the Klingon officer dealing with the reveal that his father Mogh — long presumed dead — may still be alive. In the meantime, Data is gifted with a strange dream-like vision of his father, Dr. Soong, after an accident involving Geordi, Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig) of  Deep Space Nine , and a mysterious device found in the Gamma Quadrant. 

Data and Worf's narratives come together when Data tells the Klingon about this experience, and Worf sees the event as a powerful vision. Taking Worf's advice, Data does everything he can to interpret his vision. At first, he tries to read his dream through art and is inspired enough to create dozens of paintings, many of which include images that Data didn't even see in his vision. Eventually, he recruits Geordi and Bashir to help recreate the accident that caused it in the first place so he can experience the vision in its entirety. 

The result is a powerful, tear-jerking reunion with Data's father, albeit not "in the flesh." By recreating the accident, Data unlocks a program that his father had set to be activated when Data reached a specific point in his evolution. As a result, Data not only gets to see and speak to his dead father, but he leaves the experience with the newfound ability to dream. 

'The Measure of a Man' is Star Trek: The Next Generation at its finest

Among the first two seasons of  TNG , few episodes are as impressive as "The Measure of a Man," in which Data finds himself on trial for his life — not for a crime but simply for being.

Starfleet scientist Bruce Maddox (Brian Brophy) wants to perform experiments on Data, but Data is worried he won't survive them. When Maddox forces the issue, Data tries to resign his commission. Maddox argues Data is Starfleet's property and doesn't have the right to resign his commission, so Picard is forced to face-off against Riker in a legal proceeding to determine whether or not Data has sentience. He famously tells the judge, "Your Honor, Starfleet was founded to seek out new life." Then, pointing to Data, he says, " Well, there it sits ."

Perhaps even more powerful is Data's defense. When Maddox visits Data's quarters in hopes of convincing him to submit to his experiments, Data tells him, "When Doctor Soong created me, he added to the substance of the universe. If, by your experiments, I am destroyed, something unique, something wonderful, will be lost. I cannot permit that." The lines' power comes from the fact that they're spoken by Data. If a human being were to describe themselves as "something unique" or "wonderful" that must be protected, it might come off as sappy or even self-important. Coming from an android without emotion to corrupt his logic, it seems like nothing but the wisdom it is. 

'The Offspring' is definitely Data's saddest episode

If "The Offspring" doesn't make your eyes sweaty, nothing will. The emotions all start when Data builds an android that he names Lal (Hallie Todd). As Picard predicts, Lal's creation attracts all the wrong kind of attention. Starfleet Admiral Haftel (Nicolas Coster) makes it clear he wants Lal to be supervised by Starfleet scientists, while Data is adamant that he will keep his daughter with him.

Lal's time aboard the  Enterprise  is marked by the same kind of well-intentioned confusion we're used to from her father. Unaware school children are laughing  at  her, Lal determines that because they laugh so much, she must have "mastered" the concept of humor. She then agrees to work in Ten Forward with Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) in an attempt to learn human behavior. Lal becomes something of a child to the entire crew, making her loss that much tougher to handle. Lal experiences intense emotion at the prospect of being taken away from her father, and it triggers a cascade failure . Data races to save her with such determination that even Admiral Haftel is struck by it, but in the end, Lal can't be saved. She thanks Data for her life and tells her father, since he can't feel love, that she will love for them both. 

Having transferred Lal's memories into himself, Data assures the heartbroken crew, "She is here ," and then points to his head. Unwilling to allow her fade into oblivion, Data keeps her memories in his positronic net so she'll always be with him. That right there is a truly tear-jerking Star Trek moment , and if you're not weeping, then you're probably an android.

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Vis-a-vis the current wave of pro-Palestinian protests, he suggested that those who care should start with the subjugation of women in many countries, showing a women in a burka. He also mentioned the starving in North Korea, China’s jailings, and the Burundi jihad against gays.

“Are you really speaking truth to power, or do you think you look cool in a keffiyeh?”

Maher said that activists should ask themselves whether the most important thing in my life is something I hadn’t heard about six months ago.”

In his one-on-one interview, Maher brought out Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent candidate for president.

Maher questioned RFK on several issues, particularly his controversial stance on vaccinations. While they did agree on some issues, Maher kept him on his heels several times with questions that used RFK’s prior quotes.

Although many see RFK as a spoiler in the election, he attempted to show polling numbers that give him strong support in battleground states, among younger people, and with independent voters.

RFK argued against the government’s attempts at stifling free speech, which he claimed would embolden big pharmacy and other corporations to similarly squelch unpopular issues.

“Once we say that’s okay, we let that genie out of the bottle,” he said.

The panel discussion featured Scott Galloway , professor of marketing at the NYU Stern School of Business, and  Don Lemon , the former CNN anchor and now host of the podcast The Don Lemon Show.

Their discussion focused largely on the campus protests and the difference between today’s activists and those of the past.

Lemon said the difference is the “horrible antisemitism,” and that most of the protesters don’t have the information they need, since they get their news from TikTok. “Kids should be given a wide berth, but when it crosses over into violence and antisemitism, that’s wrong,” he said.

Galloway agreed, and also blamed certain faculty for exacerbating the situation.

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Inheritance (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Cast and characters
• 3.3 Sets, props and costumes
• 3.4 Continuity
• 3.5 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.5 Stunt doubles
• 4.6 Stand-ins
• 4.7.1 Okudagram references
• 4.8 External links

Summary [ ]

When the Atreans discover that the core of their homeworld , Atrea IV , is cooling, posing a significant threat to the continued habitability of the planet , the USS Enterprise -D is dispatched to find a solution. Dr. Pran Tainer , an Atrean geologist, and his wife, Dr. Juliana Tainer , come on board to assist the Enterprise crew in this task.

After briefing the senior officers on the nature of the problem and revealing that the planet will become uninhabitable in 13 months , Geordi La Forge and Data suggest employing ferro-plasmic infusion to reliquify the planet's core, using the Enterprise 's phasers to drill through the surface and setting up plasma infusion units . Data believes that if the procedure is successful, the core will remain molten for centuries. After Captain Picard and Pran approve this plan, they, along with most of the other officers leave the observation lounge , leaving Data alone with Juliana Tainer. Juliana asks Data if he remembers her. When he says he does not, she reveals she was Dr. Noonien Soong 's wife, and involved in Data's construction, therefore making her essentially Data's mother.

Act One [ ]

In Ten Forward , Data and Juliana sit down at a table to talk. Juliana reveals details of Data's early days, which she considers to be his childhood. Data had trouble with his motor skills and sensory processing at first, and Dr. Soong tinkered with his programming until he'd corrected the problems. At this point, the Soongs deactivated Data, wiped his memory , and gave him the experiences and logs of the Omicron Theta colonists in an effort to aid in the development of Data's Humanity without the benefit of emotions. As mentioned earlier, they believed that he would retain nothing of his memory from before the wipe, but couldn't be sure that would be true. It was during this time that the Crystalline Entity attacked the colony, and the Soongs were forced to flee. Juliana explains that the escape pod in which she and Dr. Soong escaped only had room for two, and they had to leave Data behind.

Data is curious as to why, when he met Dr. Soong on Terlina III , Soong did not mention Juliana, and why there was no record in the colonists' logs of Soong's marriage to Juliana. Juliana tells Data the story of how she and Soong eloped on Malaya IV because Juliana's mother disapproved of the age difference between them. There was only a Klingon and a Corvallen trader as witnesses. It wasn't her dream wedding, but Noonien had a way of making the oddest things seem romantic. When Data agrees that his father had an unusual way of looking at things, Juliana is pleasantly surprised to find out that Data had met him , but then is shocked when Data states that he died soon after. She had no idea that he was dead and admits the news has hit her a lot harder than she thought it would, as they had not parted on the best of terms. Then Juliana tells Data that she eventually left Soong because he was more focused on his work than her, and their solitary life in the jungle of Terlina III was "no life at all." Keen to get to know him better, Juliana suggests they spend more time together, but Data brusquely tells her that he wants to corroborate her story first.

Data joins La Forge in engineering , and proceeds with verifying what Juliana told him. Reading the information at the master systems display table , Data finds records that show Soong and Juliana spent four days on Mavala IV, but there is no accompanying proof of marriage. Data notes to La Forge that the Registrar's Office could not confirm the wedding, as many of the documents were lost when the planet's government was overthrown. La Forge suggests that Data is looking for a lie, but Data protests that he merely can't figure out why Soong would never have mentioned his wife. Aware of the fact that Juliana left Dr. Soong, La Forge wonders if maybe Soong had his heart broken and wasn't eager to discuss the experience. Together, he and Data surmise that there may be hidden memories inside Data's emotion chip about his mother, which Soong intended Data to access when he was ready.

Data is still clearly confused by the situation, and La Forge notes that it's because it doesn't fit in Data's logical processors – there's no rational explanation. This, La Forge says, is life, and Data needs to get used to life not conforming to his preconceptions. Disturbed by a past he cannot remember, Data nevertheless says he's curious to know more about his mother. He goes back to her in Ten Forward and says he would like to know more about her, calling her "mother" to her delight.

Act Two [ ]

As Juliana and Data walk through the corridors , Juliana mentions that she had wanted a daughter while Soong had wanted a son. The dispute was settled when Soong created Data's head in his own image (yet again). When Juliana and Data reach Counselor Troi 's quarters , Juliana remarks that Soong would be relieved to see that Data's sexuality program was fully-functional. As Data attempts to correct her, telling her that Troi is merely a therapist , Juliana bids him goodnight and walks away with a teasing smile.

The next day in engineering, Data, La Forge and Juliana are getting ready as the ship moves to establish synchronous orbit over the drilling site. Since the magma pockets to be targeted are unstable, Juliana says she will monitor the rock layers and adjust the particle beam strength. When Data simply thanks La Forge for re-configuring the phasers, Juliana giggles, pleased with Data's manners; it wasn't easy to strike the right balance with his programming. She explains that Data didn't care about being polite and was in fact downright rude, something La Forge can't quite imagine. She continues on for a moment then stops, not wanting to embarrass Data in front of his friend, but he reminds her that's not possible for him and asks her to go on. She reveals that one thing she and Soong couldn't possibly have anticipated was that Data didn't mind being naked, although some of the colonists certainly did as he is anatomically correct. The Soongs asked him to dress, but he didn't feel it was necessary as he didn't "suffer from the elements." With a laugh, Juliana concludes that they had to resort to writing a modesty subroutine just so Data would keep his clothes on.

From the bridge , Commander Riker lets them know the Enterprise is in position. On overhearing Data's calculation for the phaser burst, after Riker acknowledges, Pran asks Riker if someone double checked Data's calculations, as he assumes that they would regularly do so. Riker states that they didn't but is sure that Data knows what he's doing; when Pran says that they should as Data is a machine, Riker remains professional and states his complete confidence in Data's "ability to check up on himself" and goes ahead with the drilling. It goes off without a hitch and Riker congratulates Data, saying he doesn't think it could have gone any better while giving Pran a meaningful sidelong glance. As Juliana also gives credit to Data's work and that she couldn't have done it without him, Pran keeps silent, his beliefs about Data having been proven unfounded. With several hours to wait before they can continue and Data having free time, Juliana suggests they spend some time together and asks to see his quarters.

In Data's quarters, Data plays a Handel violin piece for his mother who listens with her eyes closed, telling her that he will play the piece at a recital the next evening. Juliana says that Data's performance was beautiful, causing Data to wonder if she is exaggerating his abilities as most parents do of their children. Juliana also reveals that she was responsible for Data's creative aspect, a part of his programming which Dr. Soong considered irrelevant in the absence of emotion. Data confides in his mother that it is during his creative endeavors that he feels that he comes closest to Humanity. After saying that she's quite familiar with the Handel piece, Juliana offers to accompany Data on the viola at the recital next evening.

Data replicates a viola for her with which they can practice for the recital; she chuckles softly when he says "please" to the computer. She then notices Data's paintings, including one of his late daughter, Lal . When Data supplies the story of her inception and subsequent deactivation, Juliana looks slightly shaken. Data is unperturbed and asks if she would like to go practice. After practicing in Ten Forward, where the acoustics are most preferable, Juliana asks Data if he will ever try creating another child. Data still wishes to procreate, but Juliana begins recounting the difficulties she and Dr. Soong encountered. She relates to Data that she and Dr. Soong had created and lost three prototypes prior to Lore , and that Lore's cruel and evil nature had almost convinced them to stop trying. In fact, Juliana had cautioned against creating Data.

This causes Juliana to confess the reason that she had avoided contact with Data after realizing he'd survived the attack on Omicron Theta: guilt. She had deliberately left Data behind when she could have taken him with her and Dr. Soong in the escape pod. She feared at the time that Data would eventually become like Lore, and forced Soong to abandon him when the Crystalline Entity came to destroy the colony. Before Data can react, Juliana puts her hand gently to his mouth and rushes out of the lounge in tears.

Act Three [ ]

Drilling continues on the surface of the planet, with Data, La Forge and Dr. Tainer once again working from engineering. Suddenly the ship rocks: feedback pulses are picking up along the particle beam . Dr. Tainer believes the phaser beam must have impacted a pocket of magnesite ore, and tries adjusting the phaser harmonics to compensate for the pulse. Riker calls down, saying that they will have to terminate the beam if the feedback keeps up. Data explains that if they do, they would have restart the process in another suitable location; Dr. Tainer states that there are no other locations and asks for only a few more seconds. La Forge starts to say that it will take her a lot longer than they have, but she unexpectedly finds the right frequency and the feedback ends. Dr. Tainer just attributes it to luck, but doesn't notice Data giving her a long, pondering look. The Tainers and Data beam down to the first magma pocket to set up the infusion unit.

Later, as they are working in the magma pocket, Data notices something particular about Dr. Tainer's face. Pran Tainer then admits to Data that Dr. Tainer told him what she told Data. He begins to say that he understands if Data was angry with his wife, however Data explains that he possesses no emotions, including anger. Juliana confirms Data's question that had Data been a biological child, she would not have left him behind. However, when Data asks if that meant that she values biological life over artificial life, she adds, in an emotionally stung tone that it did not make it any easier. It had hurt every time she and Dr. Soong lost one of Lore's predecessors, and even shutting down Lore, although necessary, had taken a severe emotional toll on her. She was just afraid of how Data would turn out; if he had become another Lore, they would have had to shut him down too, and losing Data was something she was certain that she wouldn't be able to take yet again. She is not trying to justify leaving Data behind: she's just sorry that she did and hopes he believes her. Now knowing the truth, Data tells her that he understands and sharing a nod with Pran, who appears gratified that the matter has been resolved, they get back to work.

In the evening, Data and Dr. Tainer perform the recital in Ten Forward. The performance goes perfectly, a fact that Data, in the middle of their playing, seems to suddenly notice of Juliana with a double take that she and their audience miss.

Data apparently asks to talk with Dr. Crusher immediately after in sickbay , as she was attending the recital and they walk in with him still carrying his violin and bow. Data wants to see Dr. Tainer's medical records and see if there is anything wrong from her transporter trace pattern, for reasons he says that he does not want to specify but states that he does have a good reason. Dr. Crusher is initially reticent but likely relents because Data is considered a close relative. She replies, after looking at Dr. Tainer's records, that Juliana only seems to have a mild case of hypertension , a normal occurrence for her age. When she asks Data once more, he only says that he believes that Dr. Tainer may not be who she claims to be. Commander Riker calls Data at this point, reporting a cave-in in one of the magma pockets and they need him in Transporter Room 2.

Act Four [ ]

Data is informed that one of the magma pockets has become unstable. Pran and an assistant were doing a final check of the infusion units when one of the walls gave way; Pran sustained some injuries. La Forge reports that it's stable for the moment but seismic stress is building and at most, they have about 12 hours before the pocket collapses. The Tainers decide that they must finish configuring the remaining infusion unit and inject the plasma immediately. Riker is hesitant to send anyone inside, but the Tainers insist: it could take months to find another site, time they just don't have and he agrees, as long they finish quickly. Juliana goes in Pran's place.

La Forge transports down Dr. Tainer and Data into the pocket. After Data rearranges the pattern enhancers they make their way through the now treacherous pocket to get to the infusion unit. The unit was damaged, and they must restart the programming sequence. Riker soon checks with them, informing them of an increase in seismic stress. Data promises to expedite their work, and they quickly wrap up, finish the re-calibration and bring the unit online. As they proceed to the transport point however, they realize that it has sunk far below their current level due to the seismic activity . Data determines that since there is no visible hand holds in the rock face to climb down, they will have to jump. Dr. Tainer protests, fearing that it is too high, but there is not enough time. Data takes her down with him. But while he easily lands on his feet, he sees that Dr. Tainer's arm has been separated from her collapsed body at the shoulder – and circuitry flashes within it.

Act Five [ ]

In sickbay, La Forge examines the circuitry present in Dr. Tainer's head as Dr. Crusher scans her. It becomes apparent that Juliana Tainer is an Soong-type android , one significantly more advanced than Data. Her internal machinery includes a feedback processor that sends out a false bio-signal which gives off Human life signs to scanners, and it's self-adjusting to mimic Human aging: not only can she age in appearance like Data, but her life signs will also appropriately match as well. Dr. Crusher, however, is puzzled as to why she deactivated upon sustaining her injuries: as far as she can see, she should be conscious. Data suggests checking for a cascade anomaly in her positronic matrix . He clarifies to Riker that he had already worked out that she was an android, picking up on a few cues that were too subtle to be noticed by anyone other than him. During the feedback pulse incident, he reveals he saw her perform complex calculations without the computer's help: he agrees with Riker that it could have just meant she was good at math, but it was enough to get his attention. He later noticed in the magma pocket that her blinking is actually a pattern that is governed by the Fourier series mathematical formula that Soong had used for him to simulate the appearance of randomness, and she repeated the exact same performance on the viola from their private rehearsal, something impossible for a Human to do. Data doesn't think Pran knows the truth, and as he is busy monitoring the plasma infusion on the surface, Riker believes it's just as well that he's occupied and can't be present. Upon examining her further, La Forge finds an information chip built with a holographic interface.

A hologram of Dr. Soong talks to Data about his "mother" on the holodeck

Data activates the chip in the arch on the holodeck , and a hologram of his father, a graying Noonien Soong, appears, explaining that he would answer any questions as to the nature of the Juliana android. When Data identifies himself, Dr. Soong becomes pleased; he hoped Data would be the one to activate the hologram, and had indeed written a special response program just for him. Dr. Soong confirms that she was his wife, helped him to create Data, and is glad he got the chance to meet his mother. When Data points out that she was likely created after himself, his father states that this is correct, but that there was once a "real" flesh-and-blood Juliana O'Donnell. Dr. Soong explains that Juliana was severely injured in the Crystalline Entity's attack on Omicron Theta, and by the time they had gotten as far as Terlina III, fell into a coma. Once he knew she would never come out of it, he built an android and strove to perfect his synaptic scanning technique to encode a person's memories into a positronic matrix, so that he could somehow salvage her consciousness . He wasn't sure that it would work but he had to try, unable to stand the thought of losing the only woman he had ever loved. A few days after the real Juliana Soong died, he activated the Juliana android, complete with experiences and memory; the hologram shows the elation Noonien felt with how he had succeeded, but then his face soon falls. They were happy, but Dr. Soong's failure to adequately express his love for Juliana prompted her to leave him, something, he notes, that the original would have eventually done too. He designed her to shutdown if the truth was ever discovered, and all Data needs to do is to put back the information chip and make up some excuse, as she will remember nothing. Data asks why he didn't tell her what she was, but Noonien says that there was no need: he wanted her to be happy, and in every way that mattered she was Juliana Soong. In the end, Dr. Soong sternly admonishes his son not to tell her that she is an android, so that until she reaches her programmed termination point after a long life, she can live out the rest of her existence as a Human. He pleads with Data to not take her Humanity from her.

Data is confronted with a difficult choice and consults with Counselor Troi, Dr. Crusher, and Captain Picard in the observation lounge. He understands his father's motives that he felt she wouldn't be happy if she knew the truth, but feels that his father's wishes are not necessarily the most important, as Data is more concerned with Juliana's best interests. Dr. Crusher opines that she may be better off knowing the whole truth about herself, but Troi points out that she has believed herself to be Human all this time and the truth might be devastating. Picard ponders that there could be another situation in the future where the secret could be exposed anyway: perhaps it would be better that she should learn the truth from him now. Dr. Crusher adds that if it were her, she would want Wesley to be the one to tell her. However, Data admits that he is having difficulty separating what would be best for her from what would be best for himself. He wants to tell her the truth and not be the only one of his kind in the universe; they'd have something in common to share. Troi says while that she understands his reasons, she states that if he did in fact tell her, he would be taking away the one thing he himself has strived for all his life: being Human. Nevertheless, Captain Picard reassures Data that they will support whatever decision he comes up with.

Data replaces the information chip in Dr. Tainer's head, and just like Dr. Soong related with her activation, she comes to, looks up at Data, and smiles. As programmed, the last thing she remembers is the jump. Data tells her she lost consciousness and broke a bone in her arm from the fall, but Dr. Crusher repaired it and that everything is fine.

As Juliana Tainer prepares to be transported off the ship, she asks Data to visit her sometime and he assures her he can return to Atrea someday on his next leave . As she turns to step onto the transporter pad , he stops her for a moment. Data relates that Dr. Soong had told him that he had only one great love in his life and that he regretted not telling her how much he cared for her. Data says that he "is certain" his father was talking about her, to cover the fact that the Soong hologram directly confirmed it. Juliana is clearly moved, grateful for the knowledge. Juliana replies that she is consequently not surprised that Data developed and turned out so well – as the Atreans would say, he is the natural outcome of two parents who loved each other. Juliana bids her son farewell, asking him to take care of himself and Data tells her goodbye, calling her Mother as he does so.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" I helped create you and now… look at you. " " You were a colleague of Dr. Soong? " " I most certainly was… and I was also his wife. In a way, I suppose you could say I am your mother. "

" Data? " " I would like to get to know you better… mother. "

" I wanted to make you female but your father insisted on a son. Oh, we argued about it endlessly right up until we were ready to assemble you. "

" Some of the colonists objected to having an anatomically correct android running around without any clothes on. "

" The positronic matrix I designed for her was unstable. She only lived a short time. " " I see. " " In a sense, you were her grandmother. "

" I didn't want to bring you with us. I was afraid if we reactivated you, you'd turn out like Lore. I made Noonien leave you behind. "

" So... how are you, boy? "

" I programmed her to terminate after a long life. Let her live out her days and die believing she was Human. Don't rob her of that, son… please. "

" Take care of yourself, son. " " Goodbye… mother. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• First draft script: 14 September 1993
• Final draft script: 27 September 1993 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 22 November 1993
• First UK airdate: 13 March 1996

Cast and characters [ ]

• Fionnula Flanagan had earlier played Enina Tandro in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine first season episode " Dax ". She returned to Star Trek in 2002 , in the role of Vulcan Ambassador V'Lar , in the Star Trek: Enterprise first season episode " Fallen Hero ".
• The name "Juliana Tainer" was chosen by co-writer Dan Koeppel after mountain bike racer Juli Furtado . [2]

Sets, props and costumes [ ]

• Several costumes from this episode were later sold off at the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay including the costumes of Brent Spiner [3] [4] , William Lithgow [5] [6] , Fionnula Flanagan [7] , Jonathan Paley [8] , and Christine Anne Baur . [9]
• Several members of the production staff are referenced in the passenger manifests of the commercial transport database .
• The planet's surface used in this episode is the Persian Gulf of Earth, showing Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

Continuity [ ]

Painting of Lal

• This episode contains references to Data's past as seen in earlier episodes, including the Crystalline Entity from " Datalore ", Data's knowledge of the colonists' journals from " Silicon Avatar ", Lal from " The Offspring ", and Data's meeting with Noonien Soong on Terlina III from " Brothers ".
• While Data and Juliana Tainer practice violin and viola respectively at Ten Forward , Dr. Tainer reveals to Data that there were three Soong-type androids created before Lore . In Star Trek Nemesis , we meet one of these prototypes, B-4 .
• Data 's painting of Lal was made by scenic art artist Wendy Drapanas and can also be seen in Star Trek Generations .
• Though not mentioned in this episode, Doctor Ira Graves had attempted to transfer his mind into Data's body in " The Schizoid Man ". Graves claimed to have been Doctor Noonien Soong's mentor in "everything" regarding cybernetics, though the veracity of his claims was never specified. In any case, this episode would confirm that by the time of the Omicron Theta massacre, Soong was capable of performing a mind transfer at least once. Later on, " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 " would show Data's organic brother Doctor Altan Soong as having developed the idea further into the Soong Method on mass-producible golems .
• The holographic Dr. Soong mentions that Juliana left him. But the information chip was loaded before Juliana left Dr. Soong. It is unlikely that Dr. Soong would have got an opportunity to update the information chip after Juliana left.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 81, 6 June 1994
• As part of the TNG Season 7 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• Fionnula Flanagan as Juliana Tainer
• William Lithgow as Pran Tainer

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• David Keith Anderson as Armstrong
• Tracee Lee Cocco as Jae
• Elliot Durant III as Enterprise -D operations ensign
• Holiday Freeman as Enterprise -D civilian
• Fumiko Hamada as Enterprise -D command officer
• Grace Harrell as Enterprise -D operations officer
• Kerry Hoyt as Enterprise -D civilian
• Gary Hunter as Enterprise -D science officer
• Jonathan Paley as Atrean aide
• Keith Rayve as Enterprise -D civilian
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates
• Brent Spiner as Noonien Soong
• Oliver Theess as Enterprise -D command officer
• Enterprise -D female civilian
• Enterprise -D Ten Forward waiter
• Enterprise -D Ten Forward waitress

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Christine Anne Baur as stunt double for Fionnula Flanagan
• Brian J. Williams as stunt double for Brent Spiner

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Kenneth David Ebling – photo double for Brent Spiner
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

2328 ; 2370 ; ability ; anatomical correctness ; android ; artificial life ; Atrea IV ; Atrean ; Atrean government ; B-4 ; biological child ; biological life ; capillary ; cascade anomaly ; Celsius ; child ; childhood ; core ; Corvallen ; Corvallen trader ; Crystalline Entity ; density ; earthquake ; emotion chip ; energy transfer matrix ; escape pod ; feedback pulse ; ferro-plasmic infusion ; Fourier series ; French ; geological survey ; Händel, Georg Friedrich ; heart ; holographic information module ; holo-programs ; hour ; hypertension ; impressionist ; intonation ; Juliana's mother ; Lal ; logic ; Lore ; magma ; magma pocket ; magnesite ; mantle ; marriage certificate ; Malaya IV ; medical status ; Midsummer Night's Dream, A ; modesty subroutine ; motor skill ; Omicron Theta ; painting ; parent ; particle stream buffer ; Passacaglia for Violin and Viola ; passenger manifest ; pattern enhancer ; plasma induction coil ; positronic matrix ; Registrar's Office ; rock face ; rock layer ; social nicety ; Soong, Noonien ; Soong-type android ; Soong-type prototypes ; Spot ; sweat gland ; synaptic scanning technique ; synchronous orbit ; tear duct ; Ten Forward ; Terlina III ; Terlina system ; therapist ; transporter room 2 ; transporter trace pattern ; tricorder ; viola ; violin ; wedding ; Woman Holding a Balance, A

Okudagram references [ ]

Standard Definition : Alpha Drapanas ; Alpha Echevarria IV ; Alpha Fernandes III ; Alpha Roller II ; Alpha Rossi ; Alpha Zayra II ; Augyn , SS ; Balder's Planet ; Beta Magdaleno II ; Beta Wiltz III ; Brownfield, Dick ; Chronister II ; commercial transport database ; Coopersworld ; Deep Space 7 ; Delta Charnock IX ; Epsilon West IV ; Fleck, Jerry ; Fukai, Arlene ; Gamma Towles II ; Gausche, Steve ; Genovese, Cosmo ; Goldfarb, Dave ; Gravett, Jacques ; Johnson Station ; Knox, Ronnie ; Krosskove, Kris ; Lauritson's Planet ; Lehman's Planet ; Manila , SS ; McCrystal's Planet ; McKnight, Scott ; Neskoromny's Planet ; Omicron Alpha ; Omicron Beta ; Perez's Planet ; Purser's Planet ; Silvestri, Steph ; Simmons, Adele ; Smutko, Alex ; Starbase 47 ; Starbase Allen ; Stimson, Mark ; Theta Gluckstern III ; Thomsworld Spaceport ; Trotti, David

High Definition : Adala, Milan ; Adams, Ryan ; Adams, Wynsdey ; Alba, Eric : Alpha VII ; Alpha Balder IV ; Alpha Braga VII ; Alpha Majoris I ; Amos, Molly ; Anderson, David ; Antos IV Spaceport ; Astral Queen ; Axanar Starbase Terminal ; Backauskas, Michael ; Banks, Carl ; Barberio, Phil ; Barnett, Richard ; Barredo, Ana ; Baskin, Daryl ; Bauer, Joe ; Berndt, Jimmy ; Beta III ; Beta III Orbital Station ; Beta Berman I ; Beta Eminiar VII ; Bishop, Phil ; Bivens, Loren ; Blackman, Robert ; Brettner, Charles ; Bruno, Eric ; Burnett, Robert Meyer ; C-111 system ; Cabot, Zayra ; Cadron, Art ; Camus II ; Cape Canaveral ; Chattaway, Jay ; Class K ; Class N ; Coopersworld ; Cordry, Marion ; Crunsfeld, John ; Curry, Daniel ; Dallas ; Dante, Angelo ; Delta IX ; De Moraes, Lisa : Deneb II City ; Denkir Orbital City ; Donatu V Spaceport ; Drexler, Douglas ; Dytallix B ; Earth ; Earth Colony 2 ; Echevarria, Rene ; Echols, Mike ; Elba II Orbital Transit Station ; Eminiar VII Starbase ; Epsilon Wiltz IV ; Excalbia Tourist Resort ; Farrell, John P. ; Fatjo, Lolita ; Felker, Wade ; Foster, William ; Gabl, Max ; Galloway, Craig ; Gamma Trianguli VI ; Garza, Demitre ; Gluckstern, Cheryl ; Gothos Space Center ; Graf, Tony ; Grant, David ; Greiner, Abigail ; Groner, Hilary ; Hadjikhani, Jeff ; Hanley, Jeffrey ; Hengist, Claudia ; Hengist, Michael ; Holberg 917G ; Holt, James ; Hubble Deep Space Station ; Hubble Space Telescope ; Icarus IV Spaceport ; Ingraham B Transit Station ; Janus VI ; Joy, Amber ; Kalandan Outpost Transit Station ; Kennedy Space Center ; K Fernandes colony ; Knoller, Wendy ; Kogin , SS ; Kreitzman, Nicki ; Krosskove, Kris ; Lauritson, Peter ; Lay, Roger ; Lee, Janice ; Leonhardt, Nora ; Levinson, Robert ; Levinius V Transit Complex ; Lim, Michael J. ; Litchfeld, Jack ; low gravity suite ; M-113 Archaeological Center ; M-113 Tourist Center ; Macalintal, Mary Joy ; Makus III Spaceport ; Malurian System Medical Station ; Manoa , SS ; Manark IV City ; Marcos XII ; Mars (Sol IV); Mars City Station ; Marsport ; McCarthy, Dennis ; Mendell, Lorine ; Midos V Satellite City Spaceport ; Molnar, Peter ; Moore, Ronald B. ; Muirhead, Brian ; Murasaki 312 ; Noa, Giordana ; Neuss, Wendy ; New Fabrina Settlement ; New Kelva City ; New Paris Colony Starbase ; New Vegas colony ; null grav suite ; Ophiucus III ; Organia ; Paul, Sarah ; Pealer, Donald ; Pentacoff, Zoey ; Planet Q ; Platonius ; Pollux IV Orbital Station ; Powell, David ; Pyris VII Complex ; Quadrant 904 Central Station ; Ramirez, David ; Regulus V City ; Reeves-Stevens, Svetlana ; Rigel VII Lagrange colony ; Rocketboy, Scooter T. ; Roller, T. ; Ross, Kenneth ; Roth, Trevor ; Ruiz, Wendy ; Ryan, Kevin ; Ryan, Paulina ; Scotti, Keven ; Shankar, Naren ; Sherman's Planet Spaceport ; Shimizu, Suzi ; Sigma Draconis IV Tourist Center ; Simi Valley ; Sims, Alan ; Sirius Delta ; Spaceport Alpha Carinae II ; Spaceport Jonathan (W) ; Starbase 11 ; Sarstedt, Richard ; Stimson, Mark ; Stipes, David : Tantalus colony ; Talos IV ; Tarsas IV ; Tarsus IV ; Tau Ceti Deep Space Station ; Tellun star system ; Templeton, Mandy ; Texas (TX); Tezber, Christopher ; Tracy, Dennis ; Tranya, Molly ; Triskelion Orbital Station ; Tucker, Steve ; Tycho IV Spaceport ; Vackrinos, Amanda ; Van Citters, John ; Vega colony ; Velazquez, Dawn ; Vendikar Spaceport ; Vogt, Brian ; Vulcan ; Weiss, Craig ; Westmore, Marion ; Westmore, Michael ; Westmore, Jr., Michael ; Willer, Duke ; Williams, Eddie ; Wisconsin , SS ; Wray, Niel ; Zed Lapis Sector Spaceport

Anatomical Scan – 9861 : angular genus ; artery ; bpm ; blood circulation ; calcarian fissure ; cerebral axis ; cochlea ; coronal plane ; cranial mass ; frontal lobe ; frontal polar ; heart ; intestinal rotation ; lateral geniculate ; long association fiber ; lung ; lymphatics ; nerve ; occipital lobe ; olfactory bulb ; oxy recyclatory system ; parietal lobe ; sagittal section ; sagittal sinus ; semicircular canals ; short association fiber ; somesthetic sensory pathway ; temporal lobe ; vascular supply ; visual receptive area

Starship mission status : Ajax , USS ; Alderaan ; Alpha Laputa IV ; Ambassador -class ; Apollo -class ; Aries , USS ; Beta Cygni system ; Bradbury , USS ; Bradbury -class ; Charleston , USS ; Constellation -class ; Excelsior -class ; Fearless , USS ; Goddard , USS ; Hood , USS ; Korolev -class ; Merced -class ; Merrimac , USS ; Monitor , USS ; Nebula -class ; New Orleans -class ; pulsar ; Renaissance -class ; Repulse , USS ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; sector ; Sector 21396 ; Sector 21538 ; Sector 22358 ; Sector 22846 ; Sector 22853 ; Sector 23079 ; Starbase 134 ; Starbase 434 ; Thomas Paine , USS ; Trieste , USS ; Victory , USS ; Vulcan Science Academy ; warp drive ; Zhukov , USS

External links [ ]

• " Inheritance " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Inheritance " at Wikipedia
• "Inheritance" at StarTrek.com
• " "Inheritance" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Inheritance" script  at Star Trek Minutiae

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Daniel Ek’s Next Act: Full-Body Scans for the People

The Spotify chief has co-founded a new start-up, Neko Health, that aims to make head-to-toe health scans part of the annual health checkup routine.

Bernhard Warner undergoes a “Tissue Scan,” a procedure designed to assess microcirculation, or the blood flow in the arteries of his right forearm. Credit... Photographs and Video by David B. Torch

Supported by

By Bernhard Warner

Bernhard Warner traveled to Stockholm to interview the Neko Health co-founders, and underwent a full-body scan.

• April 27, 2024

In conversations with colleagues, fellow entrepreneurs and even musicians over the past decade, Daniel Ek would often abruptly shift the subject to something that really bugged him: health care. “I was like adamant to fix it,” Mr. Ek, the Spotify chief, told DealBook. He saw the industry as a bloated and inefficient colossus in need of disrupting.

The problem: Mr. Ek had neither a plan, nor the time or money to do much about it. He was busy taking on Apple, YouTube and Amazon Music in the streaming wars. In his spare time, Mr. Ek pored over medical journals. And he routinely measured his vital statistics with a Fitbit, an Apple Watch or Wii Fit tracker — the more data, the better to see how his body held up against the rigors of running a business. He thought that such tracking might hold some clue to living longer and healthier. “I was just toying around with ideas in health care,” he added.

That all changed in 2018. Spotify went public, making Mr. Ek a billionaire. It was time to turn his side focus into his next venture, he decided. He knew whom to contact: Hjalmar Nilsonne, a Swedish tech entrepreneur who Mr. Ek had met the year prior at the Brilliant Minds event, an annual gathering Mr. Ek started. Mr. Nilsonne was passionate about upending the status quo, too. At the time, he was focused on climate change and his start-up, Watty, which aimed to strip waste out of the energy grid.

At first, Mr. Nilsonne rebuffed Mr. Ek’s proposition. But Mr. Ek eventually won him over. (It helped that Watty was running out of money, and it was eventually sold to a German company.) Mr. Ek, a former computer coder, and Mr. Nilsonne, an engineer, zeroed in on building a better diagnostic tool. Their aim: disease prevention, and prolonging life. The company they founded, Neko Health, opened its doors in Stockholm last year, and it is set to open in London, its second market, this summer.

Longevity has become a kind of obsession with tech moguls. Sam Altman , Peter Thiel and Mr. Ek are among those who believe bright ideas, the right tech and bundles of capital can help humans live longer. Mr. Ek, 41, has invested millions personally and through his investment firm, Prima Materia, in such start-ups around Europe. Neko Health is the only one for which he’s taken the title of founder.

The company says its full-body scans can detect the onset of a host of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, as well as skin conditions. It calls its scans, which cost about $230, or 2,500 Swedish krona, “a health check for your future self.”

Whole-body scans have been around for a while. But they have taken off in recent years thanks to artificial intelligence and social media. Kim Kardashian helped put one buzzy rival, Prenuvo, on the map last summer when she referred to its M.R.I. scanner as a “life saving machine” in an Instagram post . Another, the New York-based Ezra, announced in February that it had raised $21 million to help it expand to 20 North American cities by year-end.

Despite the boom in interest, medical professionals say proactive screening technologies have yet to prove that they can achieve better outcomes for patient health or longevity. And the verdict is still out on the business model.

“I would be super happy if this turned out to make me no money, but we actually solved real issues in the world for real people,” Mr. Ek told DealBook in his first English-language interview about Neko Health.

He compared the challenge to the streaming wars. When Spotify debuted in 2008, the music industry was being ravaged by piracy and plummeting revenues. “Everyone told me, this is a horrible business. Please don’t do that,” he recalled.

Mr. Ek acknowledged that taking on health care may be even tougher. Like Spotify, Neko Health has big growth ambitions, but it faces a long slog in getting the green light to enter new markets. And in some ways, the Neko founders’ vision is more ambitious than their competitors. Their goal is to make early diagnosis of diseases affordable, so that full-body scans become as routine as an annual checkup. That could help reverse a depressing pattern where gains in life expectancy have slowed in many wealthy countries over the past decade, despite ballooning health care spending. “Almost every trend is going in the wrong direction,” said Mr. Nilsonne, 37, who is also Neko Health’s chief executive.

Inside a Neko Health Scanner

There are about as many approaches to body health scans as there are companies offering them. Most involve repackaging some pre-existing medical technology and adding proprietary software. Prenuvo, the startup that Ms. Kardashian promoted on Instagram, was founded by the entrepreneur Andrew Lacy, and its backers include Eric Schmidt, the former Google chief executive, and the supermodel Cindy Crawford. It sells hourlong magnetic resonance imaging sessions for $2,499 , and then uses an A.I.-powered software to examine the scanned images for warning signs of cancer, aneurysms and liver diseases. Ezra hopes to squish the full-body scan down to 15 minutes, and charge $500.

Neko Health, with its smaller price tag, doesn’t perform M.R.I.s or X-rays. Instead, it uses about 70 different sensors and a mix of proprietary and off-the-shelf technologies to non-invasively measure heart function and circulation, and to photograph every inch of a patient’s body.

“The visual metaphor early on was around the airport scanner,” said Mr. Ek.

At a Neko Health clinic in Stockholm where I recently paid for a scan, I understood the comparison. After being handed slippers and a thin cloth robe, I entered a room with a floor-to-ceiling scan chamber that looked straight out of “Star Trek.” Soothing instrumental music added to a spalike setting.

I stepped inside the contraption and was instructed to raise my arms out to my side. The circular door slid shut, and a voice recording — a female with a soft English accent — told me to shut my eyes, take a deep breath and prepare for a blast of bright light. A series of wall-mounted cameras flashed. The entire scan, which took over 2,000 high-resolution images of my body, mapping and indexing my every blemish, lasted about 20 seconds.

Outside of the chamber, the second part of the examination commenced. It involved a blood draw, as well as tests for grip-strength, eye-pressure, and blood pressure. At one point, a device spying out of a grate in the ceiling measured my heart rate using a laser sensor. When a green light honed in on my outstretched arm, a live magnified image of my forearm showing the blood pulsing through my arteries appeared on a monitor on a nearby wall. (The illuminated patch of skin was being measured for blood flow and arterial stiffness, an indicator for cardiovascular health).

Most Neko patients have passed the scan with a clean bill of health. But, in a recent sample of 2,707 patients, life-threatening issues were found in about 1 percent of the cases, according to the company. (About one-quarter of those were under age 50). And for 9 percent of that cohort, previously undiagnosed issues were found that were later determined to be ailments such as heart disease, skin cancer and diabetes.

Dr. Andreea Valdman, Neko Health’s lead general practitioner, walked me through my results at the end of my exam. All of the 400 suspicious looking blotches and moles on my body that had been mapped with the help of A.I. were benign, Neko’s dermatologists confirmed.

Type 2 diabetes runs in my family. And, my father had his first stroke at 54, so the anticipation around my blood-glucose reading — HbA1c — had me on edge. The verdict: no risk of diabetes or stroke.

It felt reassuring to know I was doing something right, and what I needed to work on.

The company said the waiting list in Sweden has swelled to 20,000.

‘Bend the cost curve’

In the United States, most major health insurers don’t typically cover such scans. And some in the medical field question their effectiveness. “To date, there is no documented evidence that total body screening is cost-efficient or effective in prolonging life,” the American College of Radiology said last year. One issue is false positives, Dr. Nils-Eric Sahlin, a professor of medical ethics at Lund University in Sweden, told DealBook. He said that could lead to a wave of healthy people seeking a second opinion, potentially overwhelming the most stressed parts of the health care system, and adding costs for potentially unnecessary follow-up treatment.

Mr. Nilsonne pushed back on these criticisms, calling the status-quo health care model in which a patient often receives treatment well after the disease has progressed bad public policy. Preventative health care, he said, should bring with it a new data stream: from healthy people. That will inform smarter policy, he argued.

“We need to bend the cost curve on health care,” Mr. Nilsonne said. “The cheapest dollar to spend on health is not when you’re super sick; it’s to help you not get sick in the first place.”

Investors see potential. Venture capitalists invested a record $4.7 billion in longevity start-ups in 2022, according to Pitchbook. But in the wake of Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes’s failed blood-testing startup that promised to usher in “ a new era of preventative health ,” scrutiny is also sky high. “Blowouts” like Theranos, Mr. Ek said, risk undermining the public “trust in all of the subsequent companies that are coming.”

Last summer, thanks in part to Mr. Ek’s connections, Neko raised 60 million euros ($65 million) from investors that include Atomico, General Catalyst, and Lakestar. Mr. Ek has pitched in an additional €30 million. But the capital requirements for a brick-and-mortar expansion of health clinics are unlike the economics of unveiling an app like Spotify. The regulatory hurdles are arduous, too. “Hundreds, if not thousands, of documents need to be submitted,” Mr. Nilsonne noted.

The start-up says it will be on pace to deliver roughly 50,000 scans by the end of the year. When pressed, Mr. Ek didn’t want to talk five- or seven-year growth targets, or return on his investment. Instead, he focused on the technology. “You can actually save lives with this,” he said, adding, “and we have.”

Bernhard Warner is a senior editor for DealBook, a newsletter from The Times, covering business trends, the economy and the markets. More about Bernhard Warner

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