How does the NX-01 crew while away their spare hours? There won't be many of them, but it's not in their nature for humans go any length of time without seeking some sort of amusement.

When addressing the Irish schoolchildren Archer didn't much say much about the ship's recreational facilities. (Perhaps Porthos occupies whatever scant free time the captain has.) Yet ISS Alpha has DVD movies and a treadmill - not to mention the best view around for miles!

TOS showed many such shipboard facilities. A good-sized gymnasium was seen early in the series and in "The Naked Time" Riley announced a dance in the bowling alley. The Rec Room was several times well equipped with various games such as 3D chess or playing cards. ("Fizzbin" tournament, Deck 19 ... unless it's dark ... on Tuesday!)

TNG had its games also, from the familiar (poker) to the bizarre (Strategema). Using Anbo-Jitsu, the Rikers beat each other up in a gym, though I wonder what a real room could deliver that a holodeck could not (fresher air perhaps?). Ten-forward was dedicated to crew relaxation (if synthehol qualifies). DS9 had its dabo; the list goes on and on.

Aboard Enterprise we've seen books; indeed Hoshi recommends "Read a book" as proper recreation. Reed likes movies - if not "Night of the Killer Androids" then another selected from thousands of titles. Why stop at computer-stored movies? A digital library could similarly store entire realms of entertainment software. Computer simulations and video games should be perfected to high art by then, though the lack of talking computers available today makes me wonder.

There's always the human pass-time of eating, made marginally more exciting sitting across the table from Dr. Phlox. We've seen the bridge crew enjoy their morning coffee (which becomes exercise when someone else interferes!). Tucker hasn't shown much energy for anything except bridge mutinies, and that likely qualifies as "work."

Emailing the folks back home? T'Pol took notice of her nuptials in that way. And what about playing musical instruments? I'd be surprised if most boomers don't find some melodious way of bearing the long interstellar cargo runs. Even Spock had his lyre!

The consensus of Trek on our diversions is clear - they're coming with us. (Recall the Fortunate's crew tossing a low-G football around - how irresistible!) The crew of future starships will definitely need some means of keeping their inner space in balance while they're busy exploring outer space - maybe music, maybe sports, maybe drama. Maybe even something in the hydroponics bay.