Star Trek: 50 Years Later

On the 50th anniversary of the first showing of Star Trek television series, it is worth reading the statements of scientists who carry out the real mission of exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations, and boldly going where no one has gone before.  This piece from NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program gives you a good cross-section of scientists impacted by the television series.

For instance, Marc Rayman, Director and chief engineer for NASA’s Dawn mission, states: 

I started watching the "Star Trek" original series when it was on in reruns, when I was a youngster. I was a very avid "Star Trek" fan. I’d already been a very serious space buff; I knew in the fourth grade that I wanted to get a Ph.D. in physics. I only ever wanted to work for NASA. I started writing to JPL when I was nine years old. Two of the missions I worked on at JPL were Deep Space 1 and Dawn, which I’m working on now. Those are NASA’s only two planetary missions to use ion propulsion. The first time I ever heard of ion propulsion was in a "Star Trek" episode called “Spock’s Brain.”

I am not sure how many television programs today are driving kids into science, unless it is a police lab, but hopefully we will find more hopeful tales in the future and lead more kids to dream about the wider world and universe.