Gene Ward Smith wrote:
When I saw this episode, I yelled at the screen that everyone knows
that Fermat had been proven in the 21st century. So, I was wrong also.
My reasoning was that Ribet had very recently proven that
Taniyama-Shimura implies Fermat, and I thought sometime in the 21st
century Taniyama-Shimura was likely to be proven. It didn't seem like
1987 was a very good year to commit to the proposition that Fermat was
still going to be open by Picard's day, though I doubt very much anyone
connected with the show knew of Ribet's work, which was not yet
published.

Well, you were wrong about "everyone knows" in 1987. I think that they
did check details like this, didn't they? Absent Google, they would
phone someone who should know. Just to make sure it hadn't /been/
proved.

Now I'm not sure if UK TV has yet shown the story where Data explains
that Britain conceded the War Against Terrorism to the IRA in 2030 or
something. This while the Enterprise apparently is fighting Irish
terrorists in space who have kidnapped Dr. Crusher, or was it Dr.
Pulaski. Well, there's still time for that one.