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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details
Easter Eggs
Gene Roddenberry's Parrot
In several episodes, a schematic on the Master Systems Display in Engineering features a hidden pixel-art parrot, a tribute to Gene Roddenberry's nickname, 'The Great Bird of the Galaxy'.
Sherlock Holmes Mysteries
Data's fascination with Sherlock Holmes recurs throughout the series. These episodes (like "Elementary, Dear Data") pay homage to the classic detective stories while exploring the nature of fictional vs. real intelligence.
The Number 47
Writer Joe Menosky started a tradition of inserting the number 47 into scripts (shield frequency 47, sector 47, etc.) as an in-joke, claiming it occurs in nature more often than other numbers. This tradition spread to other Star Trek series.
NCC-1941
The USS Bozeman, which appears in "Cause and Effect", has the registry NCC-1941. This is a reference to the Steven Spielberg movie 1941; the model maker Greg Jein worked on both.