Gaeni

A humanoid species and Federation member in the Sol Sector, near Betazoid, the Gaeni are renowned scientists and engineers. However, they are also equally renowned for a reckless disregard for occupational healthy and safety in the pursuit of science. Mad scientists through and through, the Gaeni are always looking to expand knowledge and push boundaries, often without any appreciation for risk. This has reached the point where the coroners of Gaen have a checkbox on their death certificates for "Expiration by Scientific Misadventure".

Description
They are a bipedal, humanoid species with a frame that appears delicate to other humanoid species. Their skull has an elongated shape to it. Their skin is typically reddish-brown, but does exhibit variations reaching into deep browns, rusty red, and ochre in some regions. They do not grow facial hair, nor hair on the top of their head, only hair that extends from the base of the skull. They have two sexes with a similar level of dimorphism to the majority of humanoid species.

Institute & Family
Despite this, the Gaeni society moves along. Many years ago a devastating nuclear conflict destroyed much of the planet, leaving them teetering on the brink of extinction. They rebounded from this, rebuilt and reconditioned much of their world, and forged a new society. How it is that they have not triggered a second cataclysm through experiments gone wrong is the subject of much debate, but it does appear that the Illuminated Technocracy of Gaen exerts at least some restraint on things.

Society
In modern times, Gaen society revolves around Institutes, who occupy a spot at the center of public life. Almost all people belong to an Institute, which forms their social circle, their employer, their political avenue, and their home. The concept of the nuclear family is almost unknown, and raising children becomes a far more communal experience. The Technocracy operates schools, while the Institutes are directly involved in further rearing. Mandates from the Technocracy that all Institutes must follow ensure that Gaeni females are not vocationally disadvantaged by the process.

The Gaeni are noted for their extensive use of personal tech, extending even to some cybernetic technology. The degree to which they integrate personal technology into their lives is alarming to some other Federation species, but most especially the humans. Part of the very broad 'family' substitute, and world-wide information sharing, is that Gaeni popular culture is extremely heterodox. In fact, many newcomers to Gaen are very surprised, as the seemingly-universal nature of Gaeni mad science seems to imply a degree of homogeneity. Nothing could be further from the case, and instead the society is very welcoming of what in other species may be considered social aberrations.