Communicators

This is probably the most obvious example in all of Star Trek. Even in the Star Trek: The Original Series (ToS) the characters all had communicators, small portable devices that you flipped open and allowed you to talk to people at great distances, being very similar to mobile phones. In the early 60s phone calls from Western Europe and America had to be scheduled due to the lack of transatlantic cable. The ease with which Kirk contacted his colleagues would have seemed spectacular. In Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) communicators have been made even smaller, and instead of a handheld device, they are small items pinned to their clothes, mimicking (or predicting) the ever-smaller mobile phones.

The bridge of just about every starship is dominated by a large flat screen which they use to view information and communicate with people on other ships, much like video conferencing technology like Skype or Zoom. These conversations could be with nearby vessels or people on distant planets.

Computers

The characters in Star trek have regular conversations with their computers. Kirk could ask the Enterprise to tell him how long it would take to get to Vulcan and it would respond with an answer. Whilst not artificial intelligence the ship’s computer was able to easily understand the characters and give answers. Characters request music be played, directions given to a destination, and information on virtually any topic and the computer responds. Clearly, Alexa, Google Assistant and so on, were inspired by Star Trek even down to the manner these smart speakers talk which is very reminiscent of the computer on the Enterprise.

Replicators

One of the most impressive and useful pieces of technology demonstrated in all of Star Trek is the Replicator. A person approaches a replicator, asks for a sandwich, and a sandwich is created for them, seemingly out of thin air. And it wasn’t just food – seemingly there are few things that replicators cannot create. This is based on one of the cornerstones of Star Trek science, the ability to turn energy into matter and vice versa, in the example given the sandwich isn’t created from nothing, but by turning energy into matter. Some people have heralded 3D printers as replicators, a device that creates just about anything (even food) from a stored resource. But many a pedantic fan – including me – would find this comparison a bit generous to 3D printers.

Holodecks

The holodeck is a room on a starship where holographic worlds are created but made solid by the same energy-matter conversion technology behind replicators. The world can be populated by people, animals, giant robots, pretty much whatever you can imagine. Whilst virtual reality pre-dates Star trek coming up with holodecks the modern VR headsets seem very reminiscent of the holodecks.

Things Star Trek Didn’t Invent

Often the technology of Star Trek does exist in the real world already. Hyposprays are common medical equipment in Star Trek, effectively syringes but instead of piercing the skin with a needle the liquid is fired out at such a speed it pierces the skin, these were invented in the 1940s and are usually known as injector guns. Phasers are directed energy weapons and a variety of what we would call lasers, these were theorised in the early 20th Century and invented in the 1960s. In real-life lasers have numerous uses but not really as weapons, it does seem like some militaries have developed what could be called laser weapons but it is doubtful they could ever be deployed in actual combat. So sometimes Star Trek has taken an idea or a prototype and imagined a world where this technology was ubiquitous – phasers are not cutting-edge technology but standard equipment and driving the desire in real life for these things to be available.

It can be easy to get caught up in the idea of Star Trek having “invented” various pieces of technology. After all, George Orwell’s 1984 features two-way televisions where people on TV can see you and tell you to do more exercise. War of the Worlds features a heat ray which seems very similar to phasers/lasers. Star Trek is also famous for its almost meaningless technobabble, where scientific and things that sound plausibly scientific explanations are given for the things that happen. Star Trek is also perfectly happy to fly in the face of accepted science when the story demands it. Nevertheless, it is eerie watching Kirk and Spock with communicators in a show made in the 60s that anyone in 2022 would recognise as mobile phones.

Also Read: Five Star Trek Fan Films You Should Watch Right Now

The post The Technology Inspired By Star Trek appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

After the debacle of Star Trek: The Motion Picture the people in charge of the franchise wanted to make some changes for the next film and brought back a villain from an episode from the TV show – Khan Noonien Singh. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is still held up as one of the great Star Trek films (and a great film in general) and as it will be forty years old this year it is worth going through its greatness.

What’s Going On?

James T. Kirk is now an admiral and is potentially moving away from active command. Far away across the galaxy, a Federation ship encounters a colony of genetically engineered superhumans that Kirk marooned there years before. In the years since the planet has undergone catastrophic changes and is a barren wasteland. The leader of these superhumans, Khan, nurses an all-consuming hatred for Kirk and wants revenge. Khan takes over the Federation ship and sets out to fight Kirk, luring him into a fight by stealing top-secret Federation technology: the Genesis Device.

The Cast

The full Star Trek cast is in the film: William Shatner as Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, Kirstie Alley joins the cat as Saavik, a young Vulcan officer and Ricardo Montalban reprises his role as Khan. The Star Trek cast are on usual form, with Shatner and Nimoy anchoring everything with their characters unusual friendship but Montalban shines as Khan. He is a charismatic villain, chewing the scenery in great style and enjoying every minute of it.

Does It Work?

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan is the great Star Trek film; with the only contender being Star Trek: First Contact. The film plays out a classic story of revenge mixed with starship battles, mind-controlling worms and some incredibly memorable scenes. Khan and Kirk seem to be engaged in a duel, each trying to outwit the other, tricks within tricks and both getting in good shots.

The crew of the Enterprise are older. Kirk looking down the barrel of a desk job and none of them are the daring young crew they once were. Kirk who was the epitome of an action-based captain struggles to define himself when no longer adventuring around the galaxy. Kirk and the crew race to get the Genesis Device back as well as rescue people significant to their captain.

The Battle

The starship battle between the Enterprise and the Reliant (Khan’s ship) is a fantastic space fight unlike any other. The two damaged ships enter a nebula and try to outmanoeuvre each other, it is not a fast-paced dogfight but this slow dance of trying to get an advantageous position. Obviously, the special effects are decades old but still have a charm and distinct look to them.

The Ending

In the closing minutes of the film Khan has triggered the Genesis device with the goal of taking down the Enterprise with him. Kirk et al can’t escape as in the recent battle the warp drive has been damaged. Spock goes to Engineering, steps into the reactor and fixes the warp drive, knowing that such exposure will undoubtedly kill him. Kirk arrives to see Spock before he dies and shares one of the most memorable exchanges in all of Star Trek containing the iconic lines – “the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few” and “I have been, and always shall, be your friend”. It is perhaps one of the “best” deaths in cinema.

“How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life, wouldn’t you say?” – Kirk

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a great sci-fi film and the quintessential classic Star Trek movie.

Rating:

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