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) of the set of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", which included an opportunity by Hawking to sit in the captain's chair. Freedman told the show's executive producer, Rick Berman, that Hawking would appear on the show if asked. Hawking accepted the ensuing offer, marking the first time a guest star played himself on an episode of any "Star Trek" series. After he was sent the script, he made some modifications to it, including improving a humorous line of dialogue to make it funnier, which Berman called "delightful". Later, when actor Brent Spiner, who appeared in the scene with Hawking, first