So what's "Trek" all about?

[Theunicornhunter 2]

On the recent special with William Shatner - they talked a lot about technology - even to the point of saying that "technology" was the message - that technology will improve our lives. Then when it came to the part about DS9 they interviewed Ira Steven Behr who thought TNG was too squeaky clean but then they talked again about how DS9 showed technology didn't improve our lives.

 

So, for all these years of Trek (been there since the beginning) I always thought the technology was incidental - not the emphasis - am I the only one that thought that?

[sea trooper 0]

Hasn't Gene Roddenberry's message always been to show peace and the goodness of humanity in the future? What we should all become?

[Takara_Soong 4]

I agree with you both. To me the technology was incidental. To me it's hope that humans can evolve to a place where we aren't constantly repeating the distructive history of our past and we work for the betterment of humankind rather than personal gains.

Edited March 15, 2006 by Takara_Soong

[Julie 0]

I think Takara's right. And we do have reminders of ourselves: The Ferengi, the "Capitolist Pigs", the Klingons, who live for battle, the Romulans, who are very reminescent of the Roman Empire...I think if you combined the Aliens together, you'd get a 21st Century Human. We're a big jumble of Ferengi, Klingon, Romulan, Vulcan, Borg (Technology dependance), and then there are the 4th Century Humans, who are supposed to represent the ideal of what we should be.

[trekz 7]

I agree with you both. To me the technology was incidental. To me it's hope that humans can evolve to a place where we aren't constantly repeating the distructive history of our past and we work for the betterment of humankind rather than personal gains.

I very much agree with you, Takara. The hope for a world where humans have learned to live together peacefully, work for the betterment of mankind, and embraced the idea of being part of the greater universe. Obviously the science fiction element of voyages discovering new worlds and going boldly into the future is a huge part of Trek's appeal too. The technology helps us get there and technology is explored in the course of some stories, but it has always been just an element, not the driving force for me enjoying Star Trek. Of course some people watch to enjoy the various ships, and warships, and the warfare part draws some fans, but to me the overwhelming message has always been a positive view of the future and a quest toward better understanding among humans and, in the Star Trek universe, among all the races of the universe.

[mj 7]

I do think Rodenberry's vision was of a united human race whose challenges in the future were mostly from outside itself, and that most of the worst of human conflict within the human race had been resolved.

 

I agree that the technology was only incidental, ( but also fun to speculate about.)