Evolution (Star Trek: The Next Generation) Evolution (Star Trek: The Next Generation) "Evolution" is the first episode of the of the syndicated American science fiction television series "", the 49th episode overall, first airing on September 25, 1989. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Federation starship "Enterprise". In this episode, escaped nanites threaten the "Enterprise" as well as its critical research mission. The Federation starship "Enterprise", under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), approaches the binary star system to perform astrophysics research under the guidance of Dr. Paul Stubbs (Ken Jenkins), analyzing the decay of
Descent (Star Trek: The Next Generation) Descent (Star Trek: The Next Generation) "Descent" is the 26th episode of the and the first episode of the of the American science fiction television series "", the 152nd and 153rd episodes overall. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Federation starship "Enterprise". The episode features a guest appearance by Stephen Hawking, making it the only episode to feature a guest star appearing as themselves on any "Trek" series. On the holodeck, Lt. Commander Data plays a game of poker with holographic representations of Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking.