Talk:Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development

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Although Miri's Planet was never named, I think it would have been called Earth by the inhabitance. I mean it is Earth in every other way so why not that way. I actually call this planet Earth II. --TOSrules 22:27, 16 Sep 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Questions and Comments

The article needs some serious help.

1. Where is it stated that "the concept fell into disuse by the late 24th Century"? Just because the concept wasn't discussed, doesn't mean it wasn't current thought.
2. Likewise, how is the conclusion reached that "As a predictor or analytical tool, Hodgkin's Law no longer has practical value"?
3. "Kohms lived for centuries or at least a millennium" makes no sense since the latter is a longer period. In the episode it was clear that a Kohm could live to be well over 1,000, but it was not a minimum.
4. What is the basis for the statement as to Planet 892-IV: "No feature obviously corresponded to a Mediterranean Sea"? Surely not the planet shown on the screen as we do not see a cloudless full view of an entire rotation.
5. The statement "892-IV developed an analogue of Earth's Western Civilization, including a Roman Empire and Jesus Christ, about 300 years after those events transpired on Earth" is not supported by the episode. They had reached a 20th Century level 300 year later, but the formation of Rome and the time of Jesus could have been later, earlier, or the same as Earth.
6. I question whether the existence on a planet of a group of people who could pass as human visually means that some kind of Hodgkin's-like conclusion needs to be reached. On Ekos, for example, just because they adopted Nazism doesn't mean that before that they were running parallel with Earth. I would not include those that were "helped along" merely because they liked the influences. The article itself says they don't apply to the law. And no TNG-era planets with people who look even a little like humans or were influenced by Earth people are included. The whole section appears forced and not needed.
7. Why bring up the Voth? What could they possibly have to do with spreading a culture they remember nothing of? In fact much of the "explanation" section is little more than a recital of alien influences on or visits to Earth. No explanation is actually given at all, other than as to the humanoid form.

I can tackle it later as time permits. I just wanted to see if I was out in left field by thinking this needed a lot of help. Aholland 18:55, 11 May 2006 (UTC)

You're fair on all counts. This is a tricky topic and needs some kind of background, this idea is based on Social-Darwinian theories which were at the cutting edge of Anthropology and Sociology in the 1960's when these episodes were written. But this style of thought has been largely removed from the social sciences since that time due to it's racist and social hierarchical undertones. Unfortunity because Star Trek has a futuristic point of view, we end up stuck with it. Jaf 19:03, 11 May 2006 (UTC)Jaf

And here I thought it was just a clever way to reuse Hollywood back lots! Aholland 02:07, 12 May 2006 (UTC)