HON 255- Influence of Star Trek on the World Today

 Presentation Notes: 

TABLETS:

-Personal Access Display Devices, or PADDs, are shown to be in widespread use since at least the 22nd century in the Star Trek universe. The futuristic computer interface is used by space-faring organizations to punch in coordinates for star systems, as well as being a recreational tool aboard the ship (used by the crew to read reports, communicate etc.)

-Over the years, we have witnessed real-world computers evolve into easily accessible touchscreen devices with significant computing power. Apple’s first-generation iPad helped to bring the device further into the mainstream in 2010. Now, many rely on tablet computers for both work and leisure activities. It’s hard to imagine life without this technology

-As you can see PADD is included in and has evolved throughout each version of Star Trek from the original in the 60s to all four spin offs that were made, in the 2009 version PADD continued the tradition of incorporating these tablets on the USS Enterprise

-This hand-help control influenced the creation of Steve Jobs’ IPAD, which is now seen in the hands of so many throughout the world 

- The iPad has lived up to the visions of the Star Trek crew back in the 90s, which is quite amazing considering how back then, mobile telephones barely existed, the internet was extremely limited, and the cloud didn't even register until 2010. One major difference is that PADD was nearly indestructible, while our version of iPad can break fairly easily

Personal Connection: My major is Elementary Education and as technology becomes more prevalent in today's society, it is also becoming very prevalent in today's classrooms. It is at the forefront of human education. Technology has made education easier and more inclusive especially for those students who are  non-verbal or have a hard time expressing their interest of subjects etc. Children utilize tablets in the classroom which allow for a more immersive, engaging, and powerful management tools that enrich training and knowledge through the use of a digital and intuitive touch screen. 

TELEPRESENCE:

-Crew members aboard all versions of the Starship Enterprise utilized special technologies that allowed them to appear being or meeting somewhere else despite being separated by time (in light years) or space created by the use of virtual reality technology 

-In today’s day in age the closet to telepresence that we have is zoom or facetime, both of these apps are installed into tablets, phones, or computers and allow people to communicate in real time with each other regardless of geographical location or time zones without any delay

-Telepresence is basically a holographic conference similar to zoom but surrounded in sound and image (on zoom you can change your background as well)

-Since the 60s version of Star Trek this tool has become very useful and a common means of communication in real-world scenarios and has allowed for remote schooling and office work which has become very effective and essential in today’s world following times of COVID, it allows for more complex and progressive video conferences

PHASER GUNS: 

-In Star Trek the crew members in Starfleet used phased array emitters which they called phasers, they used all different sizes and shapes of phasers (from handheld firearms to starship- mounted weapons) against their enemies for protection 

-These firearms pulsed energy out of the gun and were able to slice materials, trigger explosions, and set to stun people 

-Some comparable alternatives that have been used since the 70s include tasers and stun guns which work similarly to Captain Kirk’s most used weapons, however, these modern-day weapons must be used or activated in closer proximity to the target in order for the target to be stopped 

-Since the original Star Trek series came out in the 60s, similar technologies have existed since the 70s following the original series premier 

TRACTOR BEAMS 

-The high-powered tractor beams portrayed in the many different Star Trek series are used a lot of times by the starships or space stations to manipulate and maneuver different objects or other starships into deeper parts of space especially when they need assistance being pushed out of threatening situations

-The closest similar creation or invention to tractor beams that we have in in today’s world would be optical tweezers (which is a device that uses light from a low-wattage laser to maneuver individual molecules within cells) 

-Although optical tweezers are comparable, they are comparable on a much smaller scale not an atmospherical large scale, they don’t necessarily navigate ships to different locations, but they can still use laser beams of light to move or manipulate very small objects like molecules 

-Optical tweezers continue to evolve in today’s world, this is yet another futuristic aspect of the world today that Star Trek guessed correctly so long ago