I'm Working on That : A Trek From Science Fiction to Science Fact

By William Shatner

Book Overview

William Shatner -- Captain Kirk himself -- explores how the imagination of Star Trek is reflected in the cutting-edge science of today. Over five decades, Star Trek's celebration of mankind's technical achievements and positive view of the future have earned it an enduring place in our global culture. Its scientific vision has also had a profound effect on the past thirty years of technological breakthroughs. Join William Shatner, the original captain of the Starship Enterprise, as he reveals how Star Trek has influenced and inspired some of our greatest scientific minds -- the people behind the future we will all share. In interviews with dozens of scientists we learn about the inventions that will revolutionise our lives and the discoveries that will make it truly possible to explore the last great frontier -- space. As one Nobel Laureate commented on being shown a wood and plastic model of the engine core from a Star Trek: The Next Generation starship: I'm working on that. From the technicalities of warp speed to real-life replicators to the likelihood of our being able to beam across continents, this always-informative book takes us on a fascinating and eye-opening voyage to

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 067104737X
• ISBN13: 9780671047375
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.6" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Science fiction or science fact?

This is a unique book that examines the connection between the science fiction universe of Star Trek and our current understanding of science fact. Inspired by Shatner's curiosity about how things work and the uncanny embodiment of 1960's Star Trek gadgetry, such as the flip-open communicator, in what are now common consumer products - Bill and Chip toured the country, with many fun adventures along the way, to find out what other Star Trek inventions are likely to pop into reality in the near future. To look for answers, they visited some of the premier think-tanks and universities in the US, posing the question to a host of leading researchers, including luminaries such as Edward Tellar (father of the hydrogen bomb - Los Alamos Labs), Eric Drexler (leading nanotechnologist - Foresight Institute) and Marc Millis (propulsion visionary - NASA). Using Star Trek episodes as a light-hearted guide, particularly reminiscent for the real fans that can recognize an episode in a few sound bites, all areas of Star Trek science and technology are examined. Teleportation, warp drive, time travel, computer science, robotics, genetics and nanotechnology are some of the hottest topics on the agenda. The book raises the question, does science fiction help us invent technology and explore science by providing compelling visions of what might be possible? What comes first, the invention, or the fantasy about the invention? These are questions I also find myself asking as a researcher, one who had the good fortune to meet the authors during their visit to Xerox PARC, described in Chapter 8, Get Smart. Star Trek certainly inspired me in my career and influenced many of my colleagues who are also Star Trek enthusiasts. Reading this book you will discover that even the great physicist Stephen Hawkins is a fan, who's passing comments led to the title of this book. There is no doubt in my mind that a strong connection exists between science fantasy and science endeavor, and drives many of us to push the limits of what is possible.The book does an excellent job of bringing these issues to the fore, and I can recommend the result as a good read. You'll have flash backs to all the best Star Trek episodes and find the commentary and technology discussions enjoyable, sometimes humorous, but always well informed.

Great stuff

Whether you love Star Trek or just want a fun book to read, this will not disappoint. What a pleasure!

Star Trek: I'm Working on That

Star Trek: I'm Working on That written by William Shatner with Chip Walter is simply... fascinating, as Spock would say. A book that is a true trek from science fiction to science fact as Shatner talks to different scientists as gets the scoop on whats coming down the pike in the future.The book is written in an easy style narrative, as Shatner is talking to you and finding out whats in store for the future. From nanotechnology to suspended animation, raising consciousness in computers to scrambled atoms, Shatner takes the reader on a real TREK.You'll find yourself reading this book and then reading it some more until you have it finished and time has simply melted away. Reading about people working on the future is an adventure from Caltech to MIT what was once considered impossible or improbable, just might be a real possibility.If you're like me and you have just a little modicum of curiosity, you'll like reading this entertaining look into the future. Who knows, maybe there will be transporters, wrap drive, and replicators. Either way, though, I vote we move cautiously before kicking things into warp drive.There could be advantages to that. Caution: reading this book will severely afflict you with "wonderment disease," as these technologies are appearing in the real world, someone must actually be out there making them happen. You'll find a suggested reading list and web sites to surf making this book compellingly interactive.

Great Book for even those who are not into Star Trek

I have to admit, I wasn't sure about this book at first. It seemed kind of like a silly notion, however, I stopped by my local bookshop and after taking a quick gander at the first few pages and decided to pick it up.Well, I wasn't able to put it down. Some of what is in there has been discussed elsewhere, so it's not like it's showcasing future technologies for the first time. Though there was plenty that I had never heard of before.All kinds of things that may be coming down the road are shown here. A lot of them bear resemblances to technologies from Star Trek, however, you do not need to be a fan of Star Trek to get enjoyment out of this book. Shatner's writing style is easy to read, and he does not overburden you with techno mumbo jumbo. Buy this book!

Fascination with the Future

For this neo-Trekkie with a fascination for the future, "I'm Working on That: A Trek from Science Fiction to Science Fact", is an entertaining look at how our imaginations have converged with reality and how technology is impacting our lives now and will, exponentially, change the way we live tomorrow. The book should resonate even more with those well versed in the toys and voyages of the Enterprise. Chip Walter and William Shatner explore where fiction meets reality in a smart style that is absorbing, tangible, and fun, and will engage the novice futurist as well as those conversant in the theories and foresights of Kurzweil, Moravec, Teller, von Neumann, and their contemporaries.