What would daily life on Betazed sound like?

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Going to a grocery store, a sporting event, a political rally, we're accustomed to certain sounds. But on a planet of telepaths, what might daily life sound like? Lwaxana & Deanna indicated that spoken communication was a courtesy to non-telepaths, but mind-to-mind communication was their norm.

I've spent time in the ASL community, where auditory silence is broken by laughter and other expressions of emotion, and I have to wonder if it would be slightly similar (for a non-telepath among telepaths). Of course, it would be easy to imagine plenty of music and other sounds. (In the TNG episode "Ménage à Troi," even the flowers make sounds like wind chimes.) And there would probably still be things equivalent to TV to communicate to millions at once.

Are there other episodes besides "Ménage à Troi" that show daily life on Betazed? "Dark Page" also goes there, but it's pretty much the same limited scenery as "Ménage à Troi."

Side topic: I wonder how Betazed fared under Dominion occupation during the war, and whether any interesting stories could come from that, in terms of fan fiction. The Vorta would probably either adore Betazoids or not even want to beam down to the planet, just occupying it from orbit.

Since Betazoids couldn't read changelings' minds, it seems like they would've also provided an effective way to catch changelings who were posing as humans or other "readable" species. (The inability to read them would mean they weren't who they appeared to be.)

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Could you hear music that a person composed in their mind as they imagined it arranged?

Yeah, they'd still talk out loud if they wanted the undivided attention of someone who was listening to many minds at once.

 

[Boris Skrbic]

See? That’s the sort of thing Star Trek could be. Why not have a TV show about it as opposed to the next spin off a spinoff? Star Trek: Betazed. The year would be 239x, no revamps or alternate timelines needed.

 

[uniderth]

It would sound like a TV show with a voice over.

 

[Boris Skrbic]

Voiceover was the convention with Lwaxana, but suppose it differs with telepath and situation? The traditional form may not even rely on language (unless it’s absolutely necessary).

 

[The Wormhole]

Since Betazoids couldn't read changelings' minds, it seems like they would've also provided an effective way to catch changelings who were posing as humans or other "readable" species. (The inability to read them would mean they weren't who they appeared to be.)

Changeling gets around that by posing as a Ferengi, a race Betazoids can't read anyway.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Changeling gets around that by posing as a Ferengi, a race Betazoids can't read anyway.

Right, but how many Ferengi Starfleet admirals would there be? None.

 

[Danja]

Right, but how many Ferengi Starfleet admirals would there be? None.

Nog kicked down the door. Who knows how many Ferengi have followed him since then?

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Nog kicked down the door. Who knows how many Ferengi have followed him since then?

That would've been well after the war with the Dominion. I was referring to during the war.

 

[Arpy]

Maybe other Federation species aren’t readable also. The Osnullus from DSC seem to have large Ferengi-like heads (not that it necessarily works like that).

Betazed might be very “loud” to Betazoids, who might feel as though they’re a drop in an ocean of thought. Including a cacophony of alien thought in the cosmopolitan cities.

I wonder what advertisements are like on Betazed...are there “town criers” who think really loud to people?

 

[Farscape One]

There would have to be some form of verbal communication, as Betazoids develop their mental abilities during puberty. According to Deanna in "Tin Man", when she said what was different about Tam Elbrun was he was born with his ability switched at birth.

I can also see some good stories on how their society changed after the Dominion War. They may not likely be as open as before. And since their world fell to the Dominion, I can see them leaving the Federation or at least talking about leaving because they failed to protect Betazed.

Could even be an allegory to the Brexit.

 

[Arpy]

The only way they needed to change is have more updated planetary defense systems.

And, frankly, when I heard the line, I rolled my eyes. Because of course the Betazoids would be lax with their security because they’re no good peace-lovin’ hippies. DS9 couldn’t just have Betazed fall to the Dominion because, shit, that’s war, and the Jem’Hadar had been in the war business for 10,000 years. Nope. It had to go back to Roddenberry. The Betazoids were one of his babies, and they must have been naive peaceniks with outdated defenses.

 

[Farscape One]

It wasn't just because of outdated defenses. The 10th fleet was supposed to defend Betazed and their colonies, but they were out of position on training. That was probably the biggest reason why it fell.

 

[Danja]

Betazed might be very “loud” to Betazoids, who might feel as though they’re a drop in an ocean of thought. Including a cacophony of alien thought in the cosmopolitan cities.

It smacks of the Borg Hive.

 

[Qonundrum]

TNG did hint at it in other episodes, with "Tin Man" being my favorite as we see someone who isn't a neurotypical Betazed who is overcoming much mental angst because of it and thankfully found the equivalent of a pet dog at the end.

Would a whole series really work? Seven seasons of twenty six episodes? Or a year? How many episodes of "We can't read their minds" (dun-dnnn dunnn) are going to be exciting? The snippets, set pieces, and occasional whole episodes fill in enough puzzle pieces without diluting or wearing out the species' unique traits.

Also notice, "Betazed" might be translated by a spellcheck as "Betamax" (from the original home video format wars) or "Bedazzled" (not necessarily related to the cult classic starring Dudley Moore...)

 

[Shawnster]

Could you hear music that a person composed in their mind as they imagined it arranged?

Yeah, they'd still talk out loud if they wanted the undivided attention of someone who was listening to many minds at once.

I was thinking this for announcements or sporting events. If one is in an arena watching a sporting event or a play or symphony, there would be a need to have an audible announcer, otherwise the telepathic audience may miss important information. Sure a powerful mind could blast a message to everyone in the room or building, but that might be rude or intrusive. If I'm the guy working the concession stand it would not be necessary for me to receive a mental blast of information from some announcement.

Plus I'm sure there is recorded information. Music or videos.

 

[Danja]

I was thinking this for announcements or sporting events. If one is in an arena watching a sporting event or a play or symphony, there would be a need to have an audible announcer, otherwise the telepathic audience may miss important information. Sure a powerful mind could blast a message to everyone in the room or building, but that might be rude or intrusive.

Almost everything at a major sporting event nowadays (there's the Joe's Plumbing halftime show, the Antonelli's Pizza restrooms, etc.).

You want ADS being blasted into everyone's mind at a game?

 

[at Quark's]

How would (high)school work, though ? How would they prevent cheating by pupils by reading other pupil's or the teacher's thoughts during tests? Can Betazoids shield their thoughts from mindreading if necessary?

 

[Arpy]

It smacks of the Borg Hive.

Not really. Deanna could sense the emotions of the thousand people on the Enterprise; was she a hive? Betazoids were independent of the thoughts and emotions they sensed around them. That’s what Deanna was helping Tam Elbrun with.

The Changelings merged body as well as soul in the Great Link yet even they weren’t a Collective like the Borg, of one mind alone that knows all the others know. Odo was lied to by them and didn’t know most things Dominion.

it would be interesting to now what Betazoid life was like though.

 

[Farscape One]

Like how they evolved those mental abilities? That would be an interesting story.

BABYLON 5 brought an interesting take on telepaths and their origins. Maybe something similar could have happened in STAR TREK.