Hair plays an important role in science fiction, and Star Trek is no stranger to wild and crazy hair. Plus, pointed sideburns! But Nicole believes that hair is bigger than that. She believes that the better the hair, the better the captain.Star Trek Properties Referenced:Star Trek: The Old ScientistsStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: EnterpriseStar Trek: DiscoveryStar Trek: PicardStar Trek: Strange New Worlds🖖Nicole's Captain Rankings:James KirkChristopher PikeBenjamin SiksoJean-Luc PicardKathryn JanewayGabriel LorcaMichael BurnhamJonathan Archer💈Nicole's Hair Rankings:Christopher PikeKathryn JanewayJames KirkBenjamin SiskoJean-Luc PicardGuest Links:Nicole Wakelin: TestMiles.com, Wheel Bearings Podcast(Note: We may earn from qualified purchases through affiliate links.)

We criticize because we care, right? Star Trek: Picard had a lot of potential as a series, and executed some things well. But other concepts just didn't work the way the show intended. We break down the pros and cons of the streaming series and pitch ideas of what we'd do differently if we were the showrunners. Star Trek Properties Referenced:Star Trek: PicardEpisode Links:Jean-Luc Picard - Memory AlphaStar Trek: Picard - Memory AlphaGuest Links:Benjamin Hunting: Dead Air, BenjaminHunting.com, The Unnamed Automotive PodcastMike Austin: Road & Track(Note: We may earn from qualified purchases through affiliate links.)

Elim Garak is a fan-favorite character, and his friendship with Julian Bashir was queer-coded as more than just friendship. How did that ultimately end up with them being in a relationship (at least in an alternate reality) in Lower Decks? With the help of fan fiction.We talk about how great Garak is, and also explore how Star Trek fan fiction got started, how women were a driving force behind it, and how it helps fill in the blanks of a vast universe that everyone can enjoy.Note: This particular episode carries the "Explicit" tag for some light, unedited swearing.Star Trek Properties Referenced:Star Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: Those Old ScientistsStar Trek: Lower DecksEpisode Links:Elim Garak - Memory AlphaJulian Bashir - Memory Alpha"The Wire" - Memory Alpha"Improbable Cause" - Memory AlphaA Stitch In Time - Andrew J Robinson"Amok Time" - Memory AlphaHephaestion - WikipediaUrsula K. Le Guin - WikipediaN. K. Jemisin - WikipediaGuest Links:Erin Marquis: Jalopnik(Note: We may earn from qualified purchases through affiliate links.)

Bonus: Did you know that Bill Nye -- that science-affiliated guy -- has a family relation to the whaling industry? This is a sample of the extra discussions that take place before and after each podcast recording, and it is normally only available to members. We thought the conversation was too good not to share with everyone and to show non-members what they can get when they upgrade. 

Science fiction, especially Star Trek, has a close relationship with the oceans and whales. We talk with a deep-sea ecologist about why that is, and explore how whales have been perceived in popular culture over the years.Star Trek Properties Referenced:Star Trek IV: The Voyage HomeStar Trek: Lower DecksStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: Starfleet AcademyEpisode Links:"A Natural History of the Starwhale" - Southern Fried ScienceSeaQuest DSVMoby Dick - Herman Melville"Cetacean Ops" - Memory Alpha"The Enterprise Is Insanely Huge" - EC Henry"Google Bombing" - WikipediaProbe - Margaret Wander BonannoGuest Links:Andrew - OpenCTD, PatreonBen - Model UN, Dead Air, Website, Unnamed Automotive Podcast(Note: We may earn from qualified purchases through affiliate links.)