The Pakleds, for the non-geeks in the audience, are a race of low-browed, backwards humanoids from a fourth season episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” entitled “Samaritan Snare,” who nevertheless manage to travel through space. They do this by kidnapping members of more advanced species--such as Geordi La Forge (Levar Burton) in this episode--and utilizing his advanced technology. They gather around him and say things like “We look for things” and “Make it go.” Eventually Geordi escapes, of course.

Here's the question of the day: Are the Pakleds an after-the-fact metaphor for all the non-techies in the world, such as myself, who gather around the techies of the world with our broken smartphones and TV remotes and laptops and say, “Make it go”? Or were they conceived as such by Robert L. McCullough, the writer of the episode?

I have no idea. I just know this: teeth are for chewing.

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