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Nerd Camp: Discovering Inspirational Values Of Science-Fiction

Michael and Denise Okuda bring popular blog to 1701News

 Denise and I used to have a blog, but it went offline a couple of years ago. Since then, we’ve been meaning to bring it back, but you know how it goes. There’s always something more pressing. Our friends at 1701News have generously agreed to host some of our old and new postings, which they’ll start putting up in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here’s a special report on our recent visit to our favorite starship. The door was locked, but a swipe of a security access card rewarded us with a satisfying “click.” Someone pushed the double doors o …
Memo Offers Unique Twist To ‘Number One’ Role

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry’s character from ‘The Cage’ received alternate pitch

 Most fans know the story of Star Trek’s beginnings, of how the original second-in-command of the Enterprise was a woman named “Number One,” and how the character was dropped from the cast at the network’s insistence. But until recently, we didn’t know that Number One nearly had a second chance at life in the original series, but in a very different form. Star Trek’s first pilot episode, titled “The Cage,” was rejected by NBC in early 1965. After that near-death experience, Roddenberry somehow persuaded the network to give him a second chance, and he was allowed to produce a se …
The Drake Equation Shaped Star Trek Universe

Roddenberry’s own calculation speculated about technologically-advanced civilizations

 In the vastness of our galaxy, how many technologically-advanced civilizations are out there? In 1960, astronomer Frank Drake asked this very question. He didn’t know, either, but he sat down and figured out the things you’d probably have to know in order to figure it out. And in doing so, he unknowingly influenced the future of science-fiction television. Here’s the result of Drake’s pondering: N = R* x fp x ne x fl x fi x fc x L This formidable-looking formula became known as the Drake Equation. It’s actually easy to understand the basics, even if it’s impossible for …
Defining The Look Of Starfleet Headquarters

Star Trek movies, spinoff shows brought spotlight to San Francisco command center

 During the original “Star Trek” series, the show’s tiny budget didn’t allow them to show Starfleet Command, so headquarters was usually just a voice on the radio or a face on a screen. But by the time of the Star Trek movies and spinoff shows, budgets had improved to the point where an occasional visit was possible. Those were always fun. Star Trek’s first visit to Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco was a brief scene in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” in which Kirk had a chat with Cmdr. Sonak near the beginning of the film. “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” spent more time …
‘Star Trek’ Found New Clarity With Remastered Episodes

Team brought updated effects, details to life for CBS Home Entertainment

 We grew up watching and loving the original “Star Trek.” So when Dave Rossi asked us if we would help out with CBS’s remastering of the classic show in high definition, we were thrilled. Of course we were skeptical about the project, but Rossi and the folks at CBS Home Entertainment soon convinced us that they’d give our favorite show the respect it deserves The idea was to use HD to bring out the beautiful detail and incredibly rich colors that were always present in the original film, but had been lost in the murkiness of standard-definition video. One problem: CBS kn …
Rick Sternbach’s Artistry Boldly Shapes The Final Frontier

Extensive resume includes scientifically credible images of the fantastic

 When Rick Sternbach was a kid, he was a fan of the greatest space opera in history. I refer, of course, to the adventures of the American and Russian space agencies, racing to the moon in a dazzling display of technological chutzpah. Young Sternbach loved science fiction and grew up on such fare as “Destination Moon,” “Forbidden Planet” and “2001: A Space Odyssey,” so this was about the most thrilling thing imaginable. That excitement has been a cornerstone of his life ever since. Sternbach was lucky enough to have been a wide-eyed kid in those not-so-long-ago days when s …
‘Powers Of Ten’ Film Examines Scale Of Universe

1977 production for IBM helps put astronomical distances into perspective

 When scientists speak of “astronomical distances,” they’re usually referring to things that are so mind-bogglingly far away that we humans have a really hard time understanding it. Even astronomers have a tough time grasping the scale of distances between the stars, much less the incomprehensible void between the galaxies. Similarly, the incredibly tiny sizes of molecules, atoms and subatomic particles is so far removed from everyday experience as to be almost meaningless. How can you possibly wrap your brain around the range of sizes in the universe? One very good attempt …
Design Assignment: Space Rescue

NASA’s Hubble repair mission required backup plan

 The space shuttle Columbia tragedy in 2003 profoundly changed the way NASA handled its space shuttle missions. The space agency ordered that plans for a rescue mission be made for each shuttle flight. Just in case. Most shuttle missions after Columbia were to the International Space Station. If there was a problem with the shuttle, the crew could hang out on the station until a rescue shuttle could be prepped and launched. But this plan would not have worked in 2009 for the last Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, code-named STS-125. Space shuttle Atlantis had to …
SpaceShipOne: Taming The Threshold Of Space

Venture marked the first privately-funded human space flight in history

 Early one morning, more than 10 years ago, we drove up to the Mojave desert to see a tiny spaceship make a remarkable flight. The date was June 21, 2004. The Mojave desert was dark and cold. Cactus and scrub brush stretched for miles. We smiled as we recalled Capt. Pike’s line from “The Cage,” in which he remarked that he’d love to live in the beautiful “parklands” in Mojave, which presumably becomes an oasis in Gene Roddenberry’s future. By the time we pulled into the makeshift parking lot at the Mojave Airport, it was already packed with thousands of other space enthusiasts, …