Star Trek (repost and add)...

Topics: African Americans, Diaspora, Diversity, Diversity in Science, Politics, Star Trek, STEAM, STEM, Women in Science

The current vitriol broadcast globally during the political season is enough to cause concern and lose hope. The past is set, yet in many cases its impact on current events ignored to our detriment. The future is malleable and in flux, yet the tools we use to discern it and prepare for it - science - some in our society would have us fear to our peril. As a Trekkie, I lament that the future we used to dream of in 1968 has led to our current morass of flirting with a new form of self-government more like play dough anarchy: "Idiocracy" as I've seen oft-quoted in social media was meant to be a comedy, not a documentary. We have elements of our society "rooting for Armageddon" without a discernible or rational "plan B."

My hope in 2017 when Star Trek returns to CBS, we can recapture that awe, wonder and hope catapulting ourselves from superstition and authoritarianism beyond the ignorant darkness into the light only science in its proper context can give.

All links to Star Trek on this blog here.
Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies:
The End: What Science and Religion Tell Us About the Apocalypse, Phil Torres

The vertical scroll below first appeared February 26, 2014, reposted for this leap day.

Queen Genesis: Actress Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura

Nichelle Nichols (née Grace Dell Nichols on December 28) is an American actress, singer and voice artist. She sang with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton before turning to acting. Nichols' most famous role is that of communications officer Lieutenant Uhura aboard the USS Enterprise in the popular Star Trek television series (1966-1969), as well as the succeeding motion pictures, where her character was eventually promoted in Starfleet to the rank of commander. Her Star Trek character was groundbreaking in U.S society at the time, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. personally praised her work on the show and asked her to remain when she was considering leaving the series. Wikipedia

Actor William Marshall as Dr. Richard Daystrom

Born in 2219, Daystrom was a brilliant 23rd-century computer scientist, and inventor of the comptronic and duotronic systems. Daystrom won the prestigious Nobel Prize and the Zee-Magnees Prize in 2243, at the age of 24, for his breakthrough in duotronics, which became the basis for computer systems aboard Federation starships for over 80 years.

William Marshall (19 August 1924 – 11 June 2003; age 78) was an American actor, director, producer, and opera singer who appeared on Star Trek: The Original Series, playing Doctor Richard Daystrom in the episode "The Ultimate Computer". He was the cousin of fellow Star Trek actor Paul Winfield.

Actor Paul Winfield as Captain Dathon on TNG

The U.S.S. Enterprise receives a signal from "The Children of Tama," an alien race that has no history of violence, but whose language has been deemed "incomprehensible" to humans. Hovering above an uninhabited planet, Picard and the crew hope to establish relations with the Tamarians. But while he and Dathon, the Tamarian captain, make several attempts to communicate over their viewscreens, neither can understand the other. Suddenly Dathon turns to him, armed with two daggers, and both captains dematerialize and are transported to the surface of the planet below.

Pursued by a large, shimmering beast, Dathon again offers Picard his dagger and this time Picard accepts. As the two captains struggle to communicate in order to fight effectively, Picard hypothesizes that the Tamarians communicate by example, and the proper names and places they cite are references to situations in their history. Picard is then able to begin to communicate with Dathon, and the alien responds enthusiastically to his efforts.

Noted African-American actor Paul Winfield portrayed two powerful roles in his oportunities in the Star Trek universe: as the tragic Captain Clark Terrell in the bigscreen Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and then on TNG in the role of metaphor-talking Tamarian captain Dathon in the classic "Darmok" episode.

Actor Avery Brooks as Benjamin Lafayette Sisko, Deep Space Nine

Brooks is best known in popular culture for his role as Commander—and later Captain—Benjamin Sisko on the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 1999.

Brooks won the role of Commander Benjamin Sisko by beating 100 other actors from all racial backgrounds to become the first African-American captain to lead a Star Trek series. What appealed to Brooks about the role was the opportunity to give hope to young people. "Today, many of our children, especially black males, do not project that they will live past the age of 19 or 20," he told Michael Logan of TV Guide. "Star Trek allows our children the chance to see something they might never otherwise imagine."

He directed nine episodes of the series, including "Far Beyond the Stars", an episode focusing on racial injustice.

Series producer Ronald D. Moore said of Brooks: "Avery, like his character (Sisko), is a very complex man. He is not a demanding or ego-driven actor, rather he is a thoughtful and intelligent man who sometimes has insights into the character that no one else has thought about. He has also been unfailingly polite and a classy guy in all my dealings with him." Wikipedia

Actress Felicia M. Bell as Jennifer Sisko

Felecia M. Bell played Jennifer Sisko and her mirror universe counterpart in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She is perhaps best known for her recurring roles in Days of Our Lives from 1990-92 and General Hospital from 1993-97.  Bell has also guest starred in Hunter (with Barry Jenner), Night Man, ER, JAG (with J. Patrick McCormack and Eric Pierpoint), Smallville (with John Glover, Robert Picardo and Phil Morris), Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Memory Alpha

Actress Penny Johnson as Kassidy Yates-Sisko

Penny Johnson Jerald is an actress known to Star Trek fans for her role as Kassidy Yates in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She had previously played Dobara in the Star Trek: The Next Generation seventh season episode "Homeward" in 1993. Her costume from "Homeward" was later sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay.

One of Johnson Jerald's early television guest appearances was in an episode of T.J. Hooker, starring William Shatner and her DS9 co-star James Darren. She was a regular cast member on The Larry Sanders Show with Scott Thompson and Wallace Langham as well as during the first three seasons of the popular FOX television series 24 where she played Sherry Palmer, the duplicitous ex-wife to the president of the United States. Memory Alpha

Actor LeVar Burton as Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge

Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. (born February 16, 1957), professionally known as LeVar Burton, is an American actor, presenter, director, producer, and author.

Burton is best known for his roles as the young Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award-winning ABC television miniseries Roots, Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and as the host and executive producer of the long-running PBS children's program Reading Rainbow.

In 1986, Gene Roddenberry approached him with the role of the then Lieutenant Junior Grade Geordi La Forge in the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series. La Forge is blind, but is granted "sight" through the use of a prosthetic device called a VISOR, which is worn over his eyes. La Forge is the USS Enterprise's helmsman, and as of the show's second season, its Chief Engineer. At the time, Burton was considerably better known than Patrick Stewart in the United States, due to the fame he gained from starring in Roots and Reading Rainbow. Wikipedia

Actor Michael Dorn as Star Trek's Worf

Dorn's most famous role to date is that of the Klingon Starfleet officer Lieutenant J.G. (later Lieutenant and then Lt. Commander) Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Dorn has appeared on-screen in more Star Trek episodes and movies as the same character than anyone else: he appeared in 175 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, 102 episodes of Deep Space Nine and five Star Trek movies, bringing his total to 281 appearances as Worf. Dorn is also one of six actors to lend his voice to Star Trek: Captain's Chair, reprising his role of Lieutenant Commander Worf. Wikipedia

Actor Tony Todd as Worf's brother, Kurn

Kurn was a Klingon warrior, the son of Mogh, and Worf's younger brother. His true family name was kept secret until 2366, when Mogh was accused of being a traitor during the Khitomer Massacre. Kurn later supported Gowron during the Klingon Civil War, and afterwards gained a seat on the Klingon High Council. However, he fell from grace when Worf refused to support the Klingon invasion of Cardassia. To regain his honor, his memory was wiped and he assumed a new identity.

Tony Todd (born 4 December 1954; age 59) is the actor who portrayed Worf's brother Kurn in four episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the video game Star Trek: The Next Generation - Klingon Honor Guard. He also portrayed different characters in episodes of Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. He was one of several actors considered for the role of Benjamin Sisko and provided the voice of "Korban" for the video game Star Trek: Elite Force II. Memory Alpha

Actor Tim Russ as Tuvok

Timothy Darrell "Tim" Russ (born June 22, 1956)[1] is an American actor, film director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for his roles as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager, as Frank on Samantha Who?, and as Principal Franklin, a recurring character on the Nickelodeon live-action teen sitcom iCarly.

Russ has been extensively involved in the Star Trek franchise, as a voice and film actor, writer, director and producer. He played several minor roles before landing the role as the main character Tuvok. Russ originally screen-tested for the role of Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation before gaining the role of Tuvok.

While many Trek actors claim to have had little interest in the franchise before they signed on for their role, Russ went into Voyager as a dedicated Trekkie with an extensive knowledge of Vulcan lore. Wikipedia

Actor Phil Morris as Lieutenant John Kelly

October 19, 2032, the Sol system. One of Humanity's early missions to Mars is in progress. The command module, designated Ares IV, controlled by one Lieutenant John Kelly, orbits Mars while two astronauts, Rose Kumagawa and Andrei Novakovich, explore the surface. They discuss the mission with Kelly as well as banter with him about baseball, specifically the World Series.

Suddenly the Ares IV is buffeted. It appears to be turbulence, though 21st century science says turbulence in space is not possible. Kelly checks his LIDAR and sees that something very large, seemingly having appeared from nowhere, is coming towards the Ares IV. Kumagawa suggests that it may be a solar flare.

One look out the forward window, however, freezes Kelly's face in complete shock. It is orange, enormous, football-shaped and blazes brilliantly. It is no solar flare.

Phil Morris (born 4 April 1959; age 54) is an actor who has made appearances in the original Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. He also appeared in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. The characters he played in Star Trek were three Humans, a Klingon and a Jem'Hadar.

Morris is the son of the late Greg Morris, who played Barney Collier on the 1960s-70s spy series Mission: Impossible, which was filmed at the same studio where TOS (and, specifically, the Phil Morris episode, "Miri") was filmed. His sister is Iona Morris.

Morris shares an acting coach (John Lehne) with Robert Picardo, who directed him during his appearance in VOY: "One Small Step". Memory Alpha

Actor Brock Peters as Joseph Sisko, Captain Ben Sisko's father in DS9

Joseph Sisko, father of Captain Benjamin Sisko, was played by Brock Peters (who also played Admiral Cartwright in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country). Among his most striking roles were the lead in the 1972 Broadway musical "Lost in the Stars" and in the later movie, and the minor but striking part of the man wrongfully accused of rape in the film version of "To Kill a Mockingbird," released in 1962. (NY Times Obituary)

Joseph ran a restaurant in New Orleans called "Sisko's Creole Kitchen" (DS9: "Image in the Sand"), with a particular specialty each night (generally seafood). While Nog was at Starfleet Academy, he commuted from San Francisco to dine, as Sisko obtained Ferengi tube grubs especially for Nog. Joseph's grandson, Jake Sisko, often worked at the restaurant, and Benjamin worked there after the Pah Wraiths collapsed the wormhole.

Joseph was first married to a woman named Sarah, but when their son Benjamin was a year and a half old, Sarah left, eventually moving to Australia and dying in a shuttle accident. Joseph remarried soon after, and Benjamin and his stepmother had such a close relationship Joseph could not bring himself to disclose the truth to his son: that Sarah was, in fact, a Prophet that took physical form. This discovery was made by Benjamin and Jake in the episode "Image in the Sand."

Though Joseph Sisko does eventually reveal to Benjamin the truth about Sarah, he vows to take his gumbo recipe "to the grave." Wikipedia

Actor Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko

Cirroc Lofton (born August 7, 1978 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor who started his career at nine years of age with many minor roles. He is best known for playing Jake Sisko on the successful 1993 to 1999 TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,[1] which was his first major role on a TV series. Wikipedia

Actor Anthony D. Montgomery as Enterprise's Boomer

Anthony D. Montgomery (born June 2, 1971 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American film and television actor, as well as graphic novelist. He is best known for his portrayal of Ensign Travis Mayweather on the UPN science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise (the fifth live-action series in the Star Trek franchise). Montgomery is the grandson of jazz musician Wes Montgomery. He graduated from Ball State University with a degree in performance theater and drama. Montgomery did stand-up comedy briefly after graduation, before moving to California.

Montgomery has produced one CD of his own music, What You Know About..., featuring four songs about Star Trek themes. He is a frequent guest at Star Trek conventions. Montgomery is a keen martial arts student, and a practitioner of Hapkido. He has also studied Koga Ryu Ninjutsu. In April 2007 Anthony Montgomery signed with the Germany based AGR Television Records. His (Hip-Hop) debut-album, titled A.T., was released in November 2008 (link @ first paragraph, enter site, click music). Wikipedia