Podcast Schedule 2023

Hi guys, a new year means a new Podcast Schedule!

Just like last year you’ll notice that this is a complete schedule. As we’re quite happy with how the balanced schedule worked out last year so we’re doing it again. But I’m still going to insist on saying that "this schedule (at the time that I write this) is subject to change". As we’ve learnt (the hard way) that things don't tend to go the way we plan.

So again, we’re both going to get an equal amount number of episodes scattered throughout the year. With us still taking the lead at our usual times of year:
Simon:- 1st January 2023-31st July 2023
Jamie:- 1st September-31st December 2023

This still means that, we also have an awful lot of different options (and ideas) available to us. Which we'll decide on at the time (when needed!). Meaning that new extra episodes maybe added to the schedule at any time.
Hopefully making 2023's schedule an exciting year to be a follower of The Engage Podcast, we hope that you enjoy what we've got in store for you this year!!!

1. Character Profile: Montgomery Scott Done
2. Star Trek: The Adventure – Hyde Park 20th Anniversary Done
3. Fiendishly Fun Ferengi, Part Two Done
4. Ranking every U.S.S. Enterprise episode Done
5. What If… Season One Marvel series Done
6. The Orville episode Done
7. What if... Porthos saved the day? April fools (featuring Trekmate) Done 
8. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season One Retrospective Done
9. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes Done
10. What is reality? Pre-recorded Done
11. Teaser Episode Three- Which series is it best to be a Federation Citizen? Redux TEP 9th Anniversary episode Done
12. Has the Marvel Cinematic Universe had it’s time? episode Done
13. Season Review- DS9 Season 1, Part One Done
14. Season Review- DS9 Season 1, Part Two Done
15. Star Trek Retrospective Extravaganza! Done
16. What if... another starship had rescued the U.S.S. Defiant crew at the Battle of Sector 001? Pre-recorded Done
17. Star Trek: Enterprise Season Five onwards (featuring Trekmate) Done
18. Star Trek Prodigy Season One Retrospective episode Done
19. Jamie General Interest- The Last of Us Franchise Review Done
20. Hawkeye series episode Done
21. The Last Of Us 'Redemption' Theme episode (featuring Trekmate) Done
22. Absent Friends 2023 Done
23. Christmas Eve film commentary Done
24. Yearbook 2023 Done

Star Trek would you rather? episode (featuring Generations Geek)

Star Trek Fandom (featuring Larry Nemecek)

Imagination!

Hi everyone! I wanted to apologise for such a long gap between this and my last blog, which seems like eons ago! Due to a combination of work, the convention and mainly technical issues with my laptop, this has sidetracked me in contributing to the blog for a while. But I'm back now!





So let's throw myself straight back into the mix with my latest topic about imagination! One definition I found  via Google is "the ability of the mind to be creative and resourceful." We all at some point have used our minds to imagine other possibilities, to indulge ourselves in entertainment by reading books and watching movies. And come up with ideas and solutions to solve problems we face.


Throughout history the use of imagination has been formed to create wonderful new technological inventions such as the telephone and medical breakthroughs with the ability to treat cancer. Imagination has and will continue to help us enrich and develop us as a species, so we can keep understanding ourselves and our role in life better!

We imagine and develop these ideas through sounds, words and pictures. As a child I had an active mind and always felt we discover insights about ourselves as individuals or a society through reading someone else's story or our own. For example it has been suggested that Roddenberry's experiences as a bomber pilot in WWII may have influenced him envisioning a utopia future for humanity in space with Star Trek.
 

Within the franchise itself humans can expand their own imaginations through a wonderous invention called the Holodeck, which "is a simulated reality facility located on starships and starbases." (Wikipedia) This is an environment where anything and everything can be formed and recreated, an endless supply!

If you had a Holodeck, what would you use it for? Me personally, create a nice sunny beach with lovely cool drinks and a good book to read! Star Trek characters like Geordie in The Next Generation have used the Holodeck to relax and unwind on the beach to try and impress a certain lady called Christy in Booby Trap! (S3, EP6)


 

It has also helped and taught other Trek characters to strive to understand themselves and reach their full potential.

For example Nog retreated into the Holosuite in Deep Space Nine in It's Only A Paper Moon (S7, EP9). It became a 'rehabilitation clinic' in a sense as he tries to deal with the trauma from losing his leg during the war in a battle with the Dominion in The Siege of AR-558 (S7, EP8). And Data used the Holodeck as a comedy act setting to try and understand humor, as he strives to become more human in The Outrageous Okona (S2, EP4)

These are just a few examples in how imagination has been used to enthrall and entertain us, but more importantly how we have formed concepts and ideas from it to discover solutions and invent. This has made us develop and understand ourselves more as a species and even if humanity hasn't yet reached the full potential of Roddenberry's vision, we can still imagine it will as (see picture below)