Data. I must have seen this ship
hundreds of times in the Smithsonian,
but I was never able to touch it.”
Data: “Sir, does tactile contact alter
your perception of the Phoenix?”
Picard: “Oh, yes. For humans, touch can
connect you to an object in a very personal
way. It makes it seem more real.”
Data: “I am detecting imperfections in
the titanium casing. Temperature variations
in the fuel manifold. It’s no more
real to me now than it was a moment ago.”
Troi: “Would you three like to be alone?”
– Star Trek: First Contact