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
Schisms (Star Trek: The Next Generation) to pass through. They appear in the cargo bay moments before the rift is forced closed. The aliens manage to send a brief energy pulse through at the last second, which disappears through the "Enterprise" hull and into space. Picard wonders if the pulse is a probe sent by the aliens attempting to communicate with the "Enterprise", but Riker, noting their methods which resulted in the death of one of the crew, suspects their motives are less benign. Schisms (Star Trek: The Next Generation) "Schisms" is the 131st episode of the American science fiction television series "" and the fifth