To Boldly Go: 50 Years Of Star Trek

Space, the final frontier. For the past fifty years, Star Trek has captured the imagination of millions of steadfast dreamers and science-fiction enthusiasts alike. With five television shows and a dozen films, this bright vision of the future challenges us to imagine a united human race without greed, poverty or prejudice. In Star Trek, humanity has not only mastered space travel but has created alliances with other lifeforms in the galaxy. The franchise’s continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Recently, I attended the Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage concert at the Landmark Theater in downtown Syracuse. This traveling production, celebrating fifty years of Trek, featured clips of the shows and movies accompanied by a live orchestra. As I sat in the darkened theater totally immersed in this series, I was once again reminded why I love it so much. Star Trek, in all of it’s many iterations, is not simply about space exploration but also things like loyalty, friendship, compassion and perseverance. To me, this franchise truly about hope at it’s core. Hope that the future can be better than today, that technology will continue to improve lives, that peace is always an option and that all sentient beings deserve certain fundamental rights. 

In the 1960’s, Gene Roddenberry conceived the original Star Trek series as a way to discuss the current issues of the time through imaginative sci-fi storytelling. When the groundbreaking show premiered on NBC in September of 1966, audiences were exposed to a racially diverse crew that solves moral conundrums juxtaposed with starships and aliens. The original series, simply TOS to fellow Trekkies, only aired for three seasons but forever changed what a television show could be. TOS addressed racism, class structure, militarism and gender inequality; the show even influenced the creation of technology such as cell phones. The show’s cult following in syndication, which included my mom and grandfather, sparked the continuation this intergalactic phenomenon on the big screen.

Twenty-eight years ago, the series finally returned to television with Star Trek: The Next Generation, a show that carried on Roddenberry’s vision until his death in 1991. The Next Generation (TNG), which my parents watched religiously, followed a new crew on a new Starship Enterprise one-hundred years after the events of TOS. The Emmy winning series starring Patrick Stewart, lasted for seven seasons, had four films and led to the spin-off shows Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Star Trek also spawned the Enterprise prequel TV show and the ongoing cinematic reimagining of TOS by J.J. Abrams. Every show and film of the franchise has it’s own distinctive style and tone but all share one common theme: imagination.

Carl Sagan once said, "Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”  Star Trek may exist in the realm of fantasy, however, Gene Roddenberry’s dream of a utopian future was very real and continues to live on. He believed, as do I, that a vastly better tomorrow is within reach and each of have the tools within us to make it happen. The franchise’s evolution itself proves that society is shifting. This series, that is so close to my heart, is far from over; Star Trek: Beyond hits theaters in October and a new TV series is slated to premiere next year. Here’s to fifty years of Star Trek and to hopefully fifty more. To all Trekkies young and old, I say: live long and prosper...

Here Be Trolls

The internet is easily the most powerful tool in existence, it contains nearly the entire bulk of combined human knowledge. This massive creation that inhabits a worldwide collection of connected servers, has also altered almost every aspect of our society. The things the web can do are virtually endless, it's only limitation is truly the user. The invention of this technology is uniquely human, embodying both the flaws and strengths of our civilization. Few things exemplify the duality of our species better than how we act online. In the world of cat videos, memes and HTML, there are users who embody the negative aspects of humanity. 

The internet has revolutionized the way we work, learn, shop, communicate and are entertained; it has become a culture unto itself. As with any society, digitally or otherwise, there are always people who delight in the exasperation and harm of others. Webpage tormentors—referred to as trolls—are certainly not a new phenomenon but have become more common with the prominence of the internet. There a few places online free from the onslaught of these intolerable humans, hell-bend on making others upset. This very intentional form of harassment can be difficult to avoid in an era defined by online interactions.

A 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center concluded that 73% of adults on the internet witnessed online harassment and 40% were targeted themselves. The types of abuse ranged from name calling to comments of a sexual nature, as well as physical threats, stalking and prolonged harassment. This problem is impossible to ignore considering the fact that the vast majority of Americans use the internet on a daily basis. Technology such smartphones and tablets may have put information constantly at our fingertips but it also has made hate more accessible.

This issue is particularly prevalent among teens, at least 70% report being harassed in some way during the school year. This digital bullying, like most forms of bullying, is all about about power over the intended victim. Whether the abuse is coming from a stranger or someone familiar, the feeling of powerlessness can be all too real. Cyberbullying, as it is often called, can be a risk factor for low self-esteem, self harm and even suicide. The problem of cyberbullying is not oversensitivity or simply “kids being kids”, it is a serious safety concern with lasting consequences. It is crucial that parents are willing to have an open dialogue from an early age with their children regarding online harassment.

Cyberbullying may be more common with young people but the strategy for dealing with trolls remains the same. Most social media platforms and online communities agree that the best method to avoid this type of abusive behavior is to not engage these users and to make use of the block feature many sites offer. From person experience, it is clear that trolls feed off anger and attention—the phrase, “Don’t feed the trolls” is absolutely true. For more extreme cases of harassment, especially involving personal information and physical threats, legal action is sometimes needed. Multiple states have begun to prosecute online abuse in a similar manner to other forms of abuse.

Internet trolls and cyberbullying represent the downside of this digital age; the anonymity that online interactions sometimes have, can create a bit of a moral disconnect. The way we act online needs to reflect the way we treat one another in person, which should be with dignity and compassion. The solution is not to fear the internet and wish for simpler time, but rather to value digital interactions as much as face-to-face communication and create a culture of civility online. Some argue that rudeness and hate are inherent to human nature but I believe as we evolve technologically we can also evolve socially.

Cyborgs of the Modern Age

Technology; does it rob us of our humanity or is it precisely what makes us human? No matter which side of this age-old debate a person may stand, technology is an undeniable part of daily life. Arguably one of the most unique aspects of our species is the ability to create and use complex tools. This evolutionary trait, this capacity to improvise and innovate has determined the course of human society, weapons of war and lifesaving innovations alike. As we look to the future, like so many science-fiction storytellers have, we begin to contemplate the implications technology may have.

One of the most enduring sci-fi themes, popularized in the 1960’s, is the concept of cyborgs. Dictionary.com defines a cyborg as, “A person whose physiological functioning is aided by or dependent-upon a mechanical or electronic device." Following this logic almost every single one of us could be considered a cyborg, some people with machinery build directly into their bodies. We may not look like Darth Vader or Robo-cop but technology certainly allows us to far exceed our physical limitations. From automobiles to aircraft, clothing to smartphones, MRI machines to ventilators, pacemakers to wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs and even eyeglasses make us more than our basic biology.

"Resistance is futile."

When it comes to science-fiction however, cyborgs are many times presented in a somewhat cautionary light, tales of what could go wrong. A powerful example of this is The Borg from the Star Trek: The Next Generation series. This hostile alien collective had surrendered all notions of free-will and become a terrifying mechanical hybrid bent on galactic domination. The Borg and other insidious cyborgs may be in the realm of fiction but the stories we create often parallel real life problems and opinions. The sci-fi genre often and accurately suggests that progress without a conscience can be deadly.

For all the good technology does, it is still very much a double-edged sword; humanity's ability to create is rivaled only by it’s ability to destroy. As a civilization we have constructed and continue to manufacture tools specifically designed to end lives and inflict pain on the most massive levels imaginable. Even so many of the things we take for granted every day, create enormous amounts of pollution and devastate the ecosystem. However, our ingenuity may be the only to way overcome this destructive path, evolving past the need for violence and creating devices with reduced environmental impact. The future must be built on sustainability, both morally and physically.

Throughout the course of history there have always been individuals who warn of our growing dependence on devices and machinery, those who fear what we will become. For someone such as myself though, a life without these things is simply not possible. Personally, I am proud to call myself a cyborg of this modern age. The question is not whether we should have technology but rather what we will do with it. As Spiderman’s Uncle Ben once said, “With great power comes great responsibility."

A Sky Full of Stars

What do you feel when you gaze into a sky full of stars? This question, as simple as it may sound, can reveal so very much about who we are. There is something so primally human about staring at the vast expanse of space, wondering just what our place is in this universe. From the earliest humans to the most cutting-edge scientists, this fascination with the great celestial horizon has pushed our species forward. The more we understand about this breathtaking cosmos we inhabit, the more we feel drawn to knowledge, drawn the mysteries yet to be solved.

"Space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly hugely mindbogglingly big it is." Douglas Adams remarked in his humorous sci-fi series, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. For me, just thinking about the sheer size of the known universe is a rather humbling experience; when I look at the stars I cannot help but feel small but also infinitely part of something much, much bigger. When I was around seven or eight years old my parents bought me a telescope, my father in particular took an interest in showing me the constellations and other heavenly bodies that filled the night sky. From Orion's Belt to the Milky Way, Cassiopia to Polaris the North Star, each speck of light a had story to tell. I felt part of a tradition passed down for thousands of years, from generation to generation.

Looking at the stars is so deeply ingrained in the human narrative, a tool for the imagination as well as the physical world. The stars helped us to create stories and myths, to plant crops and to navigate sea and land, they have truly allowed our society to advance. Before humanity could even comprehend the concept of anything beyond our own planet, space had captured our collective interest. As our understanding of science expanded our views of the universe passed from the realm of mysticism and legend to that of facts and logic, outer space became a tangible place. The prospect of interstellar exploration fascinated our species long before the technology to do so was even conceived. 

Science changed our perspective, imagination took us that next step forward. Jules Verne, for instance, wrote the novel From the Earth to the Moon more than one-hundred years before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the lunar surface. When we had just barely scratched the surface of spaceflight, minds like Gene Roddenberry who created Star Trek and George Lucas creator of Star Wars, imagined a time where intergalactic travel is commonplace. Fantasy and scientific fact have both, in their own way, brought us closer to the stars. The great power of the human mind has helped us begin to boldly go where no one has gone before. 

As we imagine a brighter future, space is almost always part of that vision, part of that dream for a better tomorrow. Every astronaut, astronomer, astrophysicist and science-fiction writer started out as a child looking at the stars dreaming of something bigger. The spirit of exploration is as big a part of who we as the cosmos. Carl Sagan once famously said, “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.”  We are not only in the universe, we are the universe, each one of us infinitely connected to everyone and everything around us.

Pale Blue Dot

Earth, a tiny 4.5 billion-year-old speck hurtling through the cosmos, the place that each and every one of us calls home. This fragile little world has given us every breath we have ever taken and everything we have ever taken for granted. We owe our very existence to this spinning orb of land, sea and air. However, despite this beautiful fact, humanity is inexplicably bent on environmental collapse. We are the only species in existence to be both complicit in creating and able to prevent a major extinction event.

Recently, NASA released a spectacular sunlit photo of earth from 1 million miles away, captured by the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR). This humbling sight, much like the historic “Earthrise” photo taken by the Apollo 8 crew, reminds just how very small we are and how very big the stakes are. Sadly though, the human race has still gambled it's future on a sour bet of fossil fuels, excess and unsustainably. We have set ourselves on a course for self-destruction.

Right at this very moment, our civilization is churning out Greenhouse gases on a massive scale; cars and factories pump out carbon dioxide and the cattle industry and landfills produce methane. There is deforestation, dumping in the ocean, overuse of water, drilling, fracking, poaching, oil spills and warfare. The polar-icecaps are melting at an alarming rate and the weather is becoming increasingly unpredictable, meanwhile, mega-corporations line their pockets and some of the very people payed to represent our best interests deny the very existence of a problem.

All of this may sound a bit grim but I still believe there is hope for a brighter future. The climate is shifting but, fortunately, so are perceptions. Just last month, in fact, there was a UN climate change conference in Germany as well as the 400,000 strong "Peoples Climate March” in NYC. Climate change, pollution and ecological destruction are not political opinions or abstract debate topics, they are cold hard facts. The time for denial has long passed, the time for action is critically upon us.

To me, humans are a very innovative species bursting with imagination. If we can channel the same unstoppable ingenuity that brought us medical breakthroughs, space travel and the Internet we can face these environmental problems head-on. As a society we need to be investing in renewable energy, holding companies responsible for their impact and electing politicians who are tough on climate issues. We are part of this planet it is not merely a resource to exploit.

There is a long hard road ahead but we must make a change, not just for the sake of humans but for all of the amazing living-things we share this planet with. We may not be able to reverse global warming at this point but we can slow it's progress and treat the earth with the respect it's so desperately deserves. Every moment we delay makes the future that much more bleak, we must ask ourselves what are we leaving for generations yet to come? I believe we have an obligation as a species to take care of what Carl Sagan referred to as, "The pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

I have always regarded the future with a distinct sense of optimism, a hope that there are better days ahead for this world. Ever since I was small, I have dreamed of what the future might look like. My imagination has long been captured by the world of tomorrow, being a rather large sci-fi enthusiast after all. Although it may not be the 2015 that Marty McFly arrived at in Back To The Future Part II, I am still constantly amazed by the growth of science and technology.

More than a few times in my life I have been asked the question: if I could live in any time period besides the present, which would I choose? My answer is usually something along the lines of about 100 years from now. There are many who seem to romanticize the days gone by, personally I tend to romanticize the days yet to come. I admire some of the aesthetics of the past and believe it is important to know the history but I do not think they were somehow superior times.

When I look back, I see how far things have come and the struggles that people faced to bring it forth. Idealizing the past can be somewhat problematic, in short it erases the advancements in technology and human rights that have improved countless lives. In fact, I would not be active, social or even survive in the vast majority of former eras. Simpler times do not necessarily equal better times; a house, for example, is much nicer to live in than a cave.

Progress can be difficult, even painful at times, it is however, very necessary. Change, much like growing up, can be absolutely terrifying but it is just another part of life. I believe it is important to view every new day, each new thing that comes along with an open mind. The dawn is far brighter with open eyes and an adventurous heart.

As I think about the evolution of human civilization I am reminded of the nostalgic and rather corny Walt Disney World attraction, Carousel of Progress. This rotating theater with animatronic characters was conceived by Walt, himself for the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, later opened in Disneyland and eventually Disney World in 1975. The show depicts the innovations of the American home in 1899, 1920, 1940 and 1999(which is hilarious) with the sentiment, "It can't get any better than this." Despite being somewhat dated, its message remains strong: life ultimately improves as time goes by and as technology expands.

I agree with this idea, judging from the past 100 years, invention and innovation will continue to better lives and push society forward. I dream of a future where the world no longer uses fossil fuels and has began to reverse climate change; where there is clean water for all and not one person knows hunger; where the understanding of ourselves and the universe we inhabit, surpasses our imagination. As the incredibly catchy song from Carousel of Progress suggests, "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of everyday, there's a great big beautiful tomorrow and tomorrow's just a dream away!"

Moonage Daydream

This weekend I had the pleasure of going to see the highly anticipated space epic, Interstellar. Christopher Nolan's ambitious masterpiece staring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, reaffirms just how truly great science-fiction can be. The film delves into wormholes, space travel and black holes but at it's core begs the question, how far would you go for the ones you love?

What I personally love so much about the sci-fi genre is its ability to make you think. I do enjoy stunning visuals but what keeps me interested long after the credits have rolled is a mind bending plot. Many of the concepts put forth in sci-fi explore very relevant philosophical themes and scientific theories. Topics commonly dealt with include the nature of reality, the mysteries of conscious, the structure of power, the perils of technology, Etc. 

While there are often times far-fetched elements alongside, the thread of truth remains bringing science-fiction to life. Some of the best movies, television shows, short stories and novels in this category reflect on the unique human factor. In the film Interstellar, Cooper brilliantly played by Matthew McConaughey faces glaring danger and overwhelming odds but the most difficult part of his journey is the incredible personal sacrifice he must make by leaving his family. When science-fiction can both push the boundaries of our imagination and effect us on an emotional level it is such a powerful thing. 

In my opinion, one the best examples of this is my all time favorite movie, Blade Runner. In this groundbreaking film from the 80's, Harrison Ford portrays Rick Deckard, a police officer know as a Blade Runner who is tasked with hunting down and executing life-like androids in a futuristic, dystopian Los Angeles. Deckard must contend with the emotions of having to kill Replicants, androids who are virtually indistinguishable from human-beings. 

Thought provoking science fiction has always interested me. I was a child that grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, a TV show filled with intriguing characters and ethical dilemmas. As I got older this fascination for all things sci-fi only became stronger. In some regards I see myself as sort of a nerd and frankly I'm proud of it. I feel that science fiction serves an extremely important cultural role, it allows us to look forward but also look at ourselves now. 

At the heart of all sci-fi lies the question of what if? From H.G. Wells (War of the Worlds) to Gene Roddenberry (the original Star Trek series) all the way to Christopher Nolan (Interstellar), they all explore the realm of what could be. This infinite questioning gives me the ultimate hope that whatever can happen, will happen.