Star Trek and Its Scientific Credibility

Throughout human history man has been fascinated with the way things work. Be it through scientific study or sheer imagination society has produced innovative and unusual answers to questions dealing with the unknown. American pop culture jumped on board the quest for technological advancement through books, television programming and probably most influentially, the big screen. Films have documented the imaginative desires of the public for many years and have slowly progressed from complete impossibility to having the power to motivate scientific research in the direction of their fictional creations.

Star Trek has had that influence. Beginning as a TV show it quickly gained popularity and produced several series to continue its legacy. From there it produced some of the most popular science fiction movies in the genre's history. Star Trek Generations, a movie featuring leading actors Patrick Stewart and William Shatner, is a primary example of how science and fiction can meld in an almost believable way.

The movie showcases several scientific ideas that have been questioned, studied and prominently desired by the public as well as formidable scientists. The major aspect of this film is the idea of two time periods melding. This has been a major discussion in science and in the imaginative world for decades. People have always ventured the idea of being able to transport through time or change the past. As such, this is a very typical theme in a science fiction and though remains far-fetched in the scientific world. Because Star Trek takes place in space it does leave many channels open for possibilities because space is so greatly unknown. There is a void in space that transports one character into a different time. Through science we know that there are voids in space but as to where they may lead or what effect they may have, science fiction is left to come up with the answers.

Another aspect of the film, which transcends through the entire Star Trek series both on television and in the theaters, is what the creators refer to as �â'¬Å"replicators.�â'¬ï¿½ These �â'¬Å"replicators�â'¬ï¿½ are essentially machines that create anything, predominately food, from air. A simple verbal command can result in the production of food, drinks, or even weaponry.

Though this idea is virtually impossible to the extent its shown in the film, scientists have been working with technology that might one day might make something of a lesser degree possible. The technology being researched is called nanotechnology and it works with the very basic molecular level in the atmosphere and small nano machines that reassign the molecules allowing them to build something else. This essentially is what �â'¬Å"replicators�â'¬ï¿½ do in the Star Trek movie only to a greater level.

The weaponry and medical tools in the film are based of off laser technology, which is also being researched today. Lasers are being used for many different things today and have greatly advanced and diversified in their abilities and uses. Despite the fact that lasers have not advanced to the level that they are shown in the film, those uses for them are not far-fetched. Lasers now have the ability to cut through and repair things unlike they used to and much like they do in the film.

As for the actual idea of space travel, and the spaceships themselves, it is hard to say whether or not this may be possible. Space travel is possible but science has yet to prove it possible to advance to the power, speed and versatility displayed in the film.

In terms of how far Start Trek Generations deviates from actual science, that is something of some debate. The general idea of time travel is probably the most far-fetched idea in terms of science. The technology itself is based off of technology that is present today so the deviation is mostly an exaggeration of what we have the ability to do today. It's credibility is only as great as any other science fiction work but its ability to stir the imagination of the public and motivate the minds of scientists has had a relatively profound effect on advancing scientific innovation.