An example of longing for an imagined past in Star Trek: The Next Generation

What is it about?

Star Trek: The Next Generation is set on the USS Enterprise, a 24th-century starship equipped with a holodeck - a virtual reality simulator. This study examines the creation of a holodeck scenario placing the user in a simulation of a 1950s New Orleans jazz bar. How successful is this evocation? And how can someone have nostalgic feelings for something they have never experienced?

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Why is it important?

Virtual reality, previously one of many tropes in science fiction, is today an ever-present staple of the genre. Moreover, as we inch closer in the real world to attaining a virtual reality simulation that is indistinguishable from real life, questions of fidelity to imagined pasts become increasingly relevant.