Spoilers Star Trek Academy [spoiler thread]

[Dire Bare]

I mean, it might really be all about their deaf leader, but I wonder if that psychic shield might also come at a prize to the Betazoid telepathic abilities.

They definitely need ways to communicate non-telepathically if they are also protecting several non-Betazoid worlds. Unless those all happen to be species with psychic abilities.

I was surprised that the Betazoid brother joined the Academy. I expected the characters to be one-time deals. So we might learn even more about the Betazoids, and possibly the War College.

The betazoid leader was deaf. The other betazoids (outside of his family) only used ASL when communicating with him. Both of his children used ASL when talking with him, and with each other. It's only about being able to communicate with the betazoid leader, and the two siblings used it with each other out of familial habit.

It's Star Trek being inclusive, that's it. I thought it was pretty cool.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The betazoid leader was deaf. The other betazoids (outside of his family) only used ASL when communicating with him. Both of his children used ASL when talking with him, and with each other. It's only about being able to communicate with the betazoid leader, and the two siblings used it with each other out of familial habit.

It's Star Trek being inclusive, that's it. I thought it was pretty cool.

But Betazoids are telpaths, so they don't really need sign language among each other, they can just talk telepathically.
However, if the daughter must suppress her telepathic abilities for health reasons, she can't use it with her father, so that's why they picked up sign language as communication tool in their family.
But it appears she actually still can communicate telepathically with the whales to figure out one is pregnant, so it doesn't seem her abilities are entirely blocked?

So maybe there is more going on. Maybe the Betazoids psychic shield suppresses their telepathic abilities, too, or requires too much focus to spend on communication.

 

[Morrus]

But Betazoids are telpaths, so they don't really need sign language among each other, they can just talk telepathically.

But they're talking in public. I imagine half the conversation taking place silently isn't the best diplomatic front.

 

[Tonguez]

But Betazoids are telpaths, so they don't really need sign language among each other, they can just talk telepathically.
However, if the daughter must suppress her telepathic abilities for health reasons, she can't use it with her father, so that's why they picked up sign language as communication tool in their family.
But it appears she actually still can communicate telepathically with the whales to figure out one is pregnant, so it doesn't seem her abilities are entirely blocked?

So maybe there is more going on. Maybe the Betazoids psychic shield suppresses their telepathic abilities, too, or requires too much focus to spend on communication.

1. I assume they consider it polite to sign in front of non-Betazoids who arent telepathic

2 She also picked up Calebs emotions when he was sitting on the fence so it appears that the inhibitor stops her from projecting outwards but she still has her empathic ability so can detect the whales pregnancy.

3 I also assume the Shield has suppressed their telepathic 'broadcast'

 

[Ryujin]

But Betazoids are telpaths, so they don't really need sign language among each other, they can just talk telepathically.
However, if the daughter must suppress her telepathic abilities for health reasons, she can't use it with her father, so that's why they picked up sign language as communication tool in their family.
But it appears she actually still can communicate telepathically with the whales to figure out one is pregnant, so it doesn't seem her abilities are entirely blocked?

So maybe there is more going on. Maybe the Betazoids psychic shield suppresses their telepathic abilities, too, or requires too much focus to spend on communication.

They were supposed to be empaths, not telepaths, but I guess they needed someone to fill in for a Vulcan and there was power creep.

 

[Stalker0]

It's Star Trek being inclusive, that's it. I thought it was pretty cool.

being inclusive at the expense of consistency is not pretty cool, that’s what we are sussing out.

Introducing an alien race that is deaf and uses sign language…sure 100%. That’s what Star Trek is all about.

But taking a race we have seen on screen never use sign language (and telepathic to boot)…that’s fishy. We are working through possible explanations, but it’s worthy of review. You don’t change established continuity on the alter of inclusivity alone….that is when the worse habits of inclusive thinking come to light. Star Trek has so many possibilities for new species and character that can highlight inclusive aspects of society, that you don’t have to “shoe horn it in” to make it happen

 

[Ryujin]

being inclusive at the expense of consistency is not pretty cool, that’s what we are sussing out.

Introducing an alien race that is deaf and uses sign language…sure 100%. That’s what Star Trek is all about.

But taking a race we have seen on screen never use sign language (and telepathic to boot)…that’s fishy. We are working through possible explanations, but it’s worthy of review. You don’t change established continuity on the alter of inclusivity alone….that is when the worse habits of inclusive thinking come to light. Star Trek has so many possibilities for new species and character that can highlight inclusive aspects of society, that you don’t have to “shoe horn it in” to make it happen

Kirk was allergic to Retinax 5, so he had to wear reading glasses. Geordie was born blind in a way that couldn't be corrected by regenerative treatment, at least not at that time. I see this as no different.

 

[Dire Bare]

being inclusive at the expense of consistency is not pretty cool, that’s what we are sussing out.

Introducing an alien race that is deaf and uses sign language…sure 100%. That’s what Star Trek is all about.

But taking a race we have seen on screen never use sign language (and telepathic to boot)…that’s fishy. We are working through possible explanations, but it’s worthy of review. You don’t change established continuity on the alter of inclusivity alone….that is when the worse habits of inclusive thinking come to light. Star Trek has so many possibilities for new species and character that can highlight inclusive aspects of society, that you don’t have to “shoe horn it in” to make it happen

Huh?

So, an alien race like the betazoids can't have individuals with different disabilities? Like being deaf?

I mean, it is weird that everybody speaks English and the sign language the betazoids use is ASL (American Sign Language), but . . . that's a sci-fi trope that impacts virtually all sci-fi movies and television.

The betazoids are telepathic . . . why do they need to speak at all? Partly for audience benefit, of course. But it isn't hard to come up with an in-universe reason why betazoids speak verbally and through sign (with deaf individuals within their species). Them using ASL isn't very different than speaking verbal English.

It blows my mind that this is even an issue among the fandom.

 

[Stalker0]

Kirk was allergic to Retinax 5, so he had to wear reading glasses. Geordie was born blind in a way that couldn't be corrected by regenerative treatment, at least not at that time. I see this as no different.

Because that was established in the lore at the time.

If Geordi in season 1 was able to see just fine, but then they introduced the visor in season 2.....you would probably have a few questions. Hey what happened to Geordi? That would be a reasonable thing to ask.


Thats the concern here. Again if they had introduced a new alien race that was deaf (and not telepathic), would have absolutely 0 issue with it. If Betazoids had been using sign language when they were first introduced as a common thing (or we had established that they couldn't speak to each other in their minds)....ok no problem lets go.

Its the retcon that is the concern. Now there maybe explanations for this and that's what we have been debating. But there really should be an explanation for this, not simply "oh yeah the Telepathic race that can speak in each others minds is now using sign language to talk to each other.....because reasons"

 

[Morrus]

Because that was established in the lore at the time.

If Geordi in season 1 was able to see just fine, but then they introduced the visor in season 2.....you would probably have a few questions. Hey what happened to Geordi? That would be a reasonable thing to ask.


Thats the concern here. Again if they had introduced a new alien race that was deaf (and not telepathic), would have absolutely 0 issue with it. If Betazoids had been using sign language when they were first introduced as a common thing (or we had established that they couldn't speak to each other in their minds)....ok no problem lets go.

Its the retcon that is the concern. Now there maybe explanations for this and that's what we have been debating. But there really should be an explanation for this, not simply "oh yeah the Telepathic race that can speak in each others minds is now using sign language to talk to each other.....because reasons"

I mean… it’s a concern for you. I’m not really seeing that the rest of us share this concern. For me, it’s a nothing-burger.