285 - Holographic Intelligences

Published: Jan. 20, 2023, 11:15 a.m.

b'Hologram Rights

Star Trek is often at its best when exploring philosophical debates about the very nature of existance. Holograms, especially the Doctor from "Voyager", litter the franchise - but what rights should they have? Are they "people" (whatever the means)? Are they more than they appear? Or does their very appearance make us believe they are more than these computer programs are?

The trio goes through the holographic panthoeon of Trek and other artificial lifeforms, exploring how our organic characters treat holograms and what that says about them. How should we treat holograms? Let\'s under the holodeck and learn more about what this "sentience" thing is all about.'