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**Ken from Chicago**

"Steven L." wrote in message
ink.net...
Kweeg wrote:
"Space Cadet" wrote in message
ups.com...
Here is an interesting article by our old friend Dwayne A. Day, about
Link between Science Fiction and the Space Program and his
interpretation of SF impact on Space exploration, particularly Star
Trek's and whether or not if the new crop of SF shows will be able to
have a similar effect in the future

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/716/1

Thanks for the link...I've also wondered the same...

The big difference between the Star Trek universe and our real universe is
that the Star Trek universe assumes there is life everywhe Life forms
ranging from far more primitive than our own, to far more advanced.

But so far, in the real world, we haven't detected any life beyond the
earth. Not even a bacterium.

Without alien life forms, Star Trek would be boring as hell. There
haven't been many science-fiction stories written about a lifeless
universe, because it's devoid of romance and adventure. And that's why
real space travel just doesn't excite people anymore. We haven't found
anything out there except lifeless worlds.

When Star Trek was first conceived by Roddenberry in 1964, some scientists
still hoped that Mars might harbor some forms of life. Even as late as
the 1980's, it was hoped that Saturn's moon Titan might harbor life also.

But now we know they don't.

And nobody gives a flying crap about shuttling to Low Earth Orbit to man
an International Space Station. It's deep space missions to "seek out new
life and new civilizations" that turn people on.

If you want people to be as excited about space travel in the real world
as they are about Star Trek, then we need to start planning to take a real
"star trek" to actually "seek out new life, and new civilizations": Either
a deep space mission, or vastly improved telescopic sensors, or vastly
improved Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or something else that
will give us hope of finding life beyond the Earth.

If Mars also turns out to be lifeless, it will be hard to get Americans
excited even about sending humans there. Ironically, science fiction has
raised the bar for the average American: Alien life is now almost taken
for granted, and that's what I think that most folks to hear about: Where
are the alien life forms?

--
Steven D. Litvintchouk
Email:
Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me.

FIREFLY, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: TNS and much of Asimovian fiction would
dispute the inherent boredom of a human-only universe.

-- Ken from Chicago