Entertainment
Star Trek's Writers Secretly Believed Data Was An Idiot
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Even though the character didn’t really deserve all the hate, it didn’t take Star Trek: The Next Generation fans very long to decide that young Wesley Crusher was the show’s worst character. He was basically franchise creator Gene Roddenberry’s self-insert character, and this brilliant wunderkind was meant to attract younger fans to this ambitious sci-fi show. However, the fandom decided that he was both precocious and annoying, and it didn’t help that he was written as a Mary Sue who was magically smarter than all of the trained officers around him.
Interestingly, one of The Next Generation’s best writers decided that another character was even more of a child than Wesley. That writer was Melinda Snodgrass, best known for writing “The Measure of a Man,” the episode in which Data successfully argued that he was a living being and not a hunk of Starfleet property. But she also wrote “Pen Pals,” an episode where she had to convince the other staff members that Data was the only one who would casually violate the Prime Directive in this way because he has the mind of a child.
Do Androids Dream Of Alien Pen Pals?
Some quick context: “Pen Pals” is an episode in which the Enterprise is investigating a series of unexplored planets. Data eventually picks up a radio transmission from an alien girl, and he keeps talking to her for a month while concealing his identity. However, after she reveals that her planet is going to be destroyed, Data must convince Captain Picard to break the Prime Directive in order to save a young alien that he never should have spoken to in the first place.
Notably, this was an episode where the Star Trek: The Next Generation staff already knew the general story, but they didn’t know which member of the crew would be the one to speak to this hapless alien. “Pen Pals” writer Melinda Snodgrass was adamant that the only officer who would be foolish enough to speak to the alien girl (and therefore violate the Prime Directive) was Data. The primary reason that she gave was that despite the android’s highly advanced positronic brain, his mind is still developing, and he’s prone to make even more childlike mistakes than Wesley Crusher.
Flagrantly Violating The Prime Directive
As recorded in Captain’s Log: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, Snodgrass successfully convinced other staffers that Data was the best choice because “[Y]ou can picture Data becoming entranced in answering [the] question, ‘Is there anyone out there?’” One straightforward reason for this is that “he’s an android and if you ask him a question, you’re going to get an answer,” especially because “the whole thing would be so charmingly intriguing to him.”
According to Snodgrass, “You never could picture any of the other characters doing that, but Data can make the mistake…and step out of his careful Starfleet training because he’s really just growing up.” She then ended her thoughts with a statement that may very well shock most Star Trek: The Next Generation fans. “He’s more of a child than Wesley,” she said.
This is very ironic because most of Wesley Crusher’s most annoying qualities are chalked up to his being so young and, therefore, prone to mistakes. But Snodgrass sees Data as someone who, despite all the knowledge he has tucked away in his positronic mind, is still trying to figure out what it means to be both a person and a Starfleet officer. Therefore, he is prone to making rookie mistakes (like violating the Prime Directive by talking to a primitive alien and then asking Picard to violate it even more by saving her planet) that characters like Riker or Troi would never make.
Wesley Grows Up
As if to drive this point home even harder, the B plot of “Pen Pals” involves Wesley Crusher being chosen to lead a survey team of experienced Starfleet officers. One of them pushes back against his orders, causing the young wunderkind to seek out command advice from Riker. The young man successfully convinces an abrasive officer to run some time-consuming planetary scans that ultimately reveal how to save the little girl’s planet from certain destruction, all while demonstrating how much he has grown as a character and an officer.
There you have it, Star Trek fans: Wesley Crusher might be the most hated character on The Next Generation, but the woman who wrote the ultimate Data episode (“The Measure of a Man”) thinks the android is even more childlike than the bridge crew’s only child. Fortunately, both Data and Wesley would spend the next few years growing and maturing, and each ended up being a far better character than they were in Season 1. Wesley left Starfleet and became a traveler, while Data eventually discovered a more fulfilling hobby than operating a HAM radio: playing cowboy on the holodeck.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 18, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you’re a boss.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
A tycoon.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter M.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
MOGUL
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
Entertainment
The Kamrui Hyper H1 Mini Gaming PC is over $90 off at Amazon — level up for under $420
SAVE OVER $90: As of Feb. 17, the Kamrui Hyper H1 Mini Gaming PC has been marked down to $419.97 at Amazon. This saves you $90.02 off its list price of $509.99.
$419.97
at Amazon
$509.99
Save $90.02
If you’ve been searching for a desktop computer but don’t want to splash out on a massive build, it’s worth looking into a mini PC. Now is a great time to be shopping, with some great Presidents’ Day deals still live. Over at Amazon, the Kamrui Hyper H1 Mini Gaming PC is among the many deals still live, marked down to $419.97 for a limited time.
The Kamrui Hyper H1 Mini Gaming PC usually comes with a price tag of $509.99, but you can save just over $90 right now. Considering it has a “limited time deal” tag right now, it’s worth keeping in mind that it may not stay on sale for long. Act fast to score it at this low price.
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Don’t let its smaller, compact size fool you. The Kamrui Hyper H1 Mini Gaming PC packs a punch. It features an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H processor for smooth, speedy performance, alongside 32GB DDR5 RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD. It can even support up to three displays simultaneously, which is great if you want a multi-monitor setup to maximize productivity.
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Don’t miss out on this great deal on the Kamrui Hyper H1 Mini Gaming PC at Amazon. Curious what else Amazon has on sale right now? Have a look at our rundown of Amazon’s Presidents’ Day sale to see what other deals are still live.
Entertainment
Nothing Phone 4a gets an official launch date
We knew Nothing would be up to something (sorry) during this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but the company just made it official by sending us an invite for the launch of its next smartphone, the Nothing 4a.
The event is technically happening during MWC, which is held from March 2 to 5, 2026, but it will take place in London, UK. It starts at 10:30 a.m. GMT (5:30 a.m. ET), and it will be livestreamed on Nothing’s website.
The invite’s tagline is “something new is coming,” though there’s not a lot of mystery here, as the invite also says that the event is about the Nothing Phone 4a series.
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During last year’s MWC, Nothing launched two smartphones, the Nothing 3a and Nothing 3a Pro. Both were slick-looking, fairly affordable mid-rangers with big displays, big batteries, and a couple of Nothing-specific software features.
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There’s no official world on what, exactly, is coming, but we’re probably going to see Nothing Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro, both featuring Snapdragon 7-series chips. While Nothing is best known for its monochromatic designs, the new phones will probably be available in several colors.
Fun fact: Nothing’s launch event will be held just one day after Apple’s ‘special experience’ event, where the company is expected to launch a multitude of new products (as referenced by Nothing CEO Carl Pei’s cheeky tweet). As we’ve said in our recent MWC overview, it’s going to be a busy couple of weeks for gadget lovers.
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A Way to Play With Color Through Layering
Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 18, 2026
