Star Trek Guide

‘Star Trek’ has been one of the most influential series ever

The impact of the Star Trek series on popular culture may be difficult to quantify, but it is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most influential series of all time. It has had a profound impact on popular culture, from the movies and TV shows themselves to the various spin-offs they have inspired, not to mention the influence on other content. There have been books, games and even online casino slots for real money based on the Star Trek series. In fact, it has been one of the most popular themes for online casino games, as gaming operators have always found that space and science fiction make for a great backdrop for such games.

However, the series has had an even bigger impact, especially in terms of the world of science. There are many scientists today who credit Star Trek with creating that initial spark of curiosity for science and technology in them, and inspired them to pursue a career in science. There is even a long list of technological inventions and advances that could potentially trace their way back to Star Trek, and we have listed some of them here -

Mobile phones - There were multiple times where Captain Kirk would take out his mobile communicator whenever he was away from the USS Enterprise and needed to communicate with the ship. The inventor of the mobile phone, Martin Cooper, has stated that this served as his inspiration for the device, which is now a necessity.

Automatic doors - Doors that opened on their own every time someone came near them were deemed unrealistic and unbelievable back when Star Trek first aired. Now, of course, they can be found everywhere.

Bluetooth devices - Communications officer Uhura could often be seen pressing her ear to listen and communicate with other people and ships. Of course, today we have Bluetooth earphones and headphones which mirror the technology that Star Trek showed all those years ago.

Medical technology - Star Trek showed non-invasive technology which could heal injuries and wounds almost magically, but we are close to having something akin to it in real life. NASA and GRoK Technologies are working on a system where muscle and bone tissue can be regenerated, which will change the way we deal with muscle injuries and other serious injuries.

Spacecraft propulsion - The Alcubierre warp drive may have seemed like a flight of fancy, but NASA is currently using a technology inspired by an episode of the original Star Trek series - ‘Spock’s Brain’. Ion propulsion, where solar arrays are used to generate power, which then ionizes xenon atoms to be propelled through an electric field which then creates a gentle thrust, is real, and would allow spacecraft to be smaller and also travel much larger distances without worrying about needing huge amounts of fuel.

Computers - Computers are everywhere nowadays, but a few decades ago, personal computers were a long way off from being reality. While the first computer, ENIAC, was built in 1946, the first personal computer only arrived in 1975. Fittingly, it was called Altair 8000, named after a location the Enterprise travels to, as computer engineers and programmers had been heavily influenced by Star Trek’s depiction of interactive and portable computers.

Voice assistants - The likes of Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant have taken over many mundane daily tasks for most people, who use the voice assistants on their phones to plan their day, set alarms, play music and do many more daily tasks. Once again, the seeds of this technology can be seen in Star Trek, where voice-activated technology is everywhere on the USS Enterprise.

These are just some of the ways in which Star Trek has influenced our world. It is one of those rare series which has led to tangible benefits, in the form of technological advances, along with its impact on popular culture and society.

Source: startrekguide.com