The right side of the tracks

"The Right Side of the Tracks" by Albert Teichner is a science fiction tale that unfolds during the early 1960s, where interstellar explorers journey to the distant planet Nodar and encounter an isolated civilization. The crew of the spaceship "Probe", including Commander Linder and Dr. Stern, are confronted by the bizarre behavior of the Nodarians, exemplified by their peculiar greeter, Jackson. As the crew struggles to understand this alien society, a humiliating incident of cultural misunderstanding ensues when the Nodarians spank them, highlighting the vast differences. Dr. Stern comes to believe that the Nodarians might represent the next stage of human evolution, with a superior way of thinking and processing information. This leads to an exploration of the challenges of communication, social structure, and the potential advancements in human consciousness within the context of an evolving and interconnected universe.