SeaQuest – Star Trek in the ocean?
23. January 2024
The Holodeck in Star Trek
25. January 2024
In November 2023, the USS Enterprise NCC 1701 D landed in Wetzlar: a model over two metres tall now hangs in the Phantastische Bibliothek in Wetzlar. The USS Enterprise NCC 1701 D is Where the model comes from and why it ended up in the Fantastic Library Wetzlar will be revealed in the lecture.
However, the starship is not only part of exciting space adventures, but as the flagship of the Federation under the command of Captain Picard, it also symbolises something much bigger: Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek utopia of a future in which there are no more poor or hungry people in the world. Behind this is Roddenberry’s humanistic attitude, which favoured international understanding and pluralism for a better world, especially after the Second World War. The start of the SF TV series was bumpy, but it quickly gained a loyal fan base with the Star Trek philosophy of a better and fairer future.
Star Trek repeatedly depicts important socio-political developments and discussions, whether it’s about technology or human rights. Many technical gimmicks such as communicators, translators, computer displays, tablets and other inventions are now part of everyday life.
Just like ethical questions about dealing with artificial intelligence and the human-robot relationship.
The lecture is a nod to Roddenberry’s Star Trek idea, supplemented with personal anecdotes and memories.
Lecturer: Bettina Wurche (Meertext)
Duration: 60 min - The Lecture will be held in: germanBiologist, science journalist and science blogger Bettina Wurche studied in Hamburg, specialising in marine biology. The whale expert has seen over 1000 whales on sea voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic.
She prefers to write and speak about creatures in the oceans of the past, present and future. On earth and other worlds. The exploration, sustainable use and protection of the oceans with their unique ecosystems is her special concern. She specialises in knowledge and science marketing, mostly writing for Spektrum or Bild der Wissenschaft and similar media. Born in Hamburg, she was stranded in Darmstadt, where she came into contact with space travel - as an astrobiology consultant for ESA and TerraX, among others. She also specialises in future technologies and the extrapolation of possible life scenarios.
She has also been writing the successful science blog Meertext. As a self-confessed science fiction fan, she uses SF for knowledge and science communication. Lately she has also been writing a lot about solar punk and climate fiction.
Sources & additional links for USS Enterprise D in Wetzlar:
