{"id":19252,"date":"2016-09-08T21:13:55","date_gmt":"2016-09-08T13:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/star-trek-at-50-how-a-space-saga-inspired-a-generation-of-scientists-engineers-and-writers\/"},"modified":"2016-09-08T21:13:55","modified_gmt":"2016-09-08T13:13:55","slug":"star-trek-at-50-how-a-space-saga-inspired-a-generation-of-scientists-engineers-and-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/star-trek-at-50-how-a-space-saga-inspired-a-generation-of-scientists-engineers-and-writers\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Star Trek\u2019 at 50: How a space saga inspired a generation of scientists, engineers and writers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Enterprise
An exhibit at Seattle\u2019s EMP museum features costumes and props from 50 years of \u201cStar Trek\u201d shows, including the bridge from the original Starship Enterprise set. (Credit: Brady Harvey \/ EMP Museum)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fifty years after \u201cStar Trek\u201d made its debut, the science-fiction saga\u2019s biggest legacy may well be its inspirational impact on millions of scientists and engineers, writers and fans over the decades.<\/p>\n

Humanity hasn\u2019t yet invented the starships and transporters that are commonplace in the TV shows and movies, but we do have plenty of people who are exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and laying plans to boldly go where no one has gone before.<\/p>\n

We asked a variety of space-savvy luminaries to reflect on the 50th anniversary of \u201cStar Trek,\u201d which is being celebrated today at Seattle\u2019s EMP Museum. Here are six of the responses:<\/p>\n

Brooks Peck<\/h3>\n

Brooks Peck is curator of the EMP Museum, which is featuring an exhibit titled \u201cStar Trek: Exploring New Worlds.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

What impact would you say \u201cStar Trek\u201d has had on society, and the way we look at space efforts?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Brooks
Brooks Peck (GeekWire photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cComing as it did, when the space race was heating up, \u2018Star Trek\u2019 was in the perfect position to capture the public imagination about the possibilities of space travel beyond the near term. \u2018Star Trek\u2019 became solidly linked in the public mind with space. The best evidence of this is the fan-led letter-writing campaign that convinced President Gerald Ford to name the first space shuttle Enterprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo this day, \u2018Star Trek\u2019 is frequently used as a comparison when people (especially the popular press) speculate about interstellar travel. As in: Will we meet the likes of the Klingons? What will the Captain Kirks of the future wear\/eat\/see, etc.? Potential Earth-analog planets are called \u2018Class M.\u2019 The methods and mechanics of space travel in \u2018Star Trek\u2019 are so well known, writers can refer to the show as a jumping-off point to introduce new topics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Has \u201cStar Trek\u201d had any influence on your own career?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, in that \u2018Star Trek\u2019 introduced me to science fiction, and interest in science fiction sent me on a path toward entertainment journalism and then curating science fiction museum exhibitions. Science fiction is a deep passion of mine, and \u2018Star Trek\u2019 is the wellspring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk, Picard or Janeway? (If you want to go with Sisko or Archer, that\u2019s fine, too, but you\u2019ll have to explain why.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cJaneway, absolutely. She was cut off from all the support of Starfleet and the Federation for seven years, and had to make tough decisions about when to uphold the standards of the Federation even when breaking those standards might have brought her crew home sooner. In a popular culture context, Janeway is extraordinary for being unextraordinary<\/em>. She was the first female captain to lead a \u2018Star Trek\u2019 show, and even in the mid-\u201990s that was No Big Deal. We evaluate her leadership based on her personality, not on her gender.\u201d<\/p>\n