Star Trek featured gadgetry and devices that have since become iconic, and that have been directly responsible for inspiring the gadgetry and devices that have come to dominate modern personal technology—including the smartphone and the tablet computer—and perhaps soon to include portable, personal medical devices.

What technology did Star Trek inspire?

Martin Cooper, the inventor of the cell phone, allegedly said he was inspired by Star Trek. Also, some cell phones of the early 2000's and some more recent smartphones flip open in a similar fashion as the TOS communicator.

What was inspired by Star Trek?

But actually, Firefly is very directly inspired by Star Trek, which was famously conceived by Gene Roddenberry as a “wagon train to the stars.” Its even more famous tag line describes space as “the final frontier,” clearly positioning the show as basically a Western in space.

How has Star Trek impacted society?

For decades, Star Trek has has drawn many people into world of science fiction, while also inspiring people to become astronauts, scientists, and pilots in the real world. The Star Trek franchise has continuously transcended cultural boundaries—often showing us how our own future could be more equal.

How has Star Trek changed the world?

Star Trek's contributions to television history include giving women jobs of respect, most notably through the casting of Nichelle Nichols, a black actress, as Uhura, the ship's communications officer. Black actresses at that time on television were almost always cast as servants.

The Real Stars and Scale of Sci-fi

Did Star Trek influence NASA?

In the documentary “NASA on the Edge of Forever: Science in Space,” host NASA astronaut Victor Glover stated, “Science and Star Trek go hand-in-hand.” The film explores how for the past 55 years, Star Trek has influenced scientists, engineers, and even astronauts to reach beyond.

Why is Star Trek so influential?

Many people in scientific and engineering fields have stated that they were inspired by Star Trek, which they thought portrayed science and engineering in a positive light (although rarely accurately). Even physicist Stephen Hawking was a fan of the show.

Did Star Trek inspire Mass Effect?

So while Mass Effect is, in some ways, a giant tribute to Star Trek and several other notable sci-fi works, there are a few ways that the Mass Effect games reference Star Trek that you may not have spotted unless you're a hardcore Star Trek fan who also explored the furthest reaches of Mass Effect's galaxy.

Why is Starfleet dominated by humans?

Because Humans were the Federation species most interested in space exploration, they made up a large majority of Starfleet. The fact that Starfleet was originally a pre-Federation Earth organization also contributed to the Human dominance of Starfleet.

What is the main message of Star Trek?

The original Star Trek television series purported to depict a future in which such evils as sexism and racism do not exist, and intelligent beings from numerous planets live in a condition of peace and mutual benefit.

Is Dune older than Star Trek?

My generation grew up with the original Star Wars movies and other epic science fiction franchises (such as Star Gate and Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek and …). But Dune predates them all; it was the first major space epic. I heard it described somewhere as a “space soap opera.” It kinda is.

Why was Star Trek canceled?

The cancelation machine NBC's biggest concerns were ratings, but it was also concerned with demographics. Star Trek actually performed well with what would now be considered key demographics; however, these were not considered quality demographics of the era, resulting in less faith in the network.

Did the cast of Star Trek like each other?

The TNG cast all got along swimmingly. They had fun with their roles, Patrick Stewart had learned to loosen up and have fun with the crew, and by the end of the show everyone felt like a family.

What technologies did Star Trek predict?

Did Star Trek inspire the iPad?

Drexler said that to him, the iPad is "eerily similar" to the PADDs used in Star Trek. "We always felt that the classic Okuda T-bar graphic was malleable, and that you could stretch and rearrange it to suit your task, just like the iPad," he said.

Did Star Trek invent the iPad?

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" star Brent Spiner (who played android Lieutenant Commander Data) says Steve Jobs was a DIRTY COPYCAT ... who stole the idea for the iPad from "Star Trek" producers ... 23 years AFTER they invented it.

Who is stronger, Vulcans or Klingons?

While Klingons are normally shown to be the strongest of all species within the Star Trek franchise, they are surprisingly weak when compared to the Vulcans. This is another perfect example of how Star Trek subverts expectations, hoping time and time again that raw power is not what gives a person power.

Has Starfleet ever left the galaxy?

Starfleet has explored the outer reaches of the Milky Way, but it's a rare occasion that a starship travels past the galactic barrier. Take a look at a few times Star Trek's brave crews encountered this formidable unknown frontier.

Is Starfleet only Earth?

In Star Trek: Enterprise, Starfleet is just an Earth organization. In every other Star Trek show, Starfleet is the exploratory and defense arm of the United Federation of Planets.

What is the most controversial Star Trek episode?

Did Star Trek inspire phones?

While working for Motorola, he created the first personal cell phone, citing Captain Kirk's communicator on Star Trek as an inspiration. His first call on the 28-oz. (800 g) cordless cell phone — dubbed "the brick" — was to his rival at Bell Labs Research.

Why was Star Trek The Cage rejected?

NBC reportedly called the pilot "too cerebral", "too intellectual", and "too slow" with "not enough action." Rather than rejecting the series outright, the network commissioned - in an unusual, and at the time unprecedented, move - a second pilot, which then became Where No Man Has Gone Before (1966).

Who is the biggest threat in Star Trek?

Does Sheldon like Star Wars or Star Trek?

In The Big Bang Theory. As science fiction geeks, Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj are all fans of Star Trek.

Why was Star Trek revolutionary?

Though marketed as a classic adventure drama (Roddenberry based the character of Captain Kirk on Horatio Hornblower from C.S. Forester's classic naval adventure series), “Star Trek” didn't shy away from tackling moral and social issues such as war, racism and discrimination.