NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The much-loved and long-running science fiction series Star Trek introduced viewers to plenty of fantastical ideas—from the Borg to Vulcan mind melds to a transporter that could beam humans across space. But behind the lscience fiction lay quite a bit of real science, according to Vanderbilt University psychologist Randolph Blake.
“In addition to all the camp, Star Trek offered viewers a surprising amount of insights into psychology and neuroscience,” Blake, Centennial Professor of Psychology and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development investigator said. “You might have tuned in for science fiction, but walked away being introduced to and perhaps learning about concepts such as emotional expression across cultures, aphasia, vision, brain organization and more.”
“The show’s lasting popularity, I think, is due in part to the detail and attention that went into its scripts and the way it so deftly blended science with fiction,” Blake said.
Star Trek fans will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the show’s first episode
Sept. 8.
Blake and Brandeis University neuroscientist and psychologist Robert Sekuler co-authored Star Trek on the Brain, a non-fiction look at psychology, neuroscience and other scientific topics explored on the series. The book, now in paperback, was first published in 1999.
Media contact: Melanie Moran, (615) 322-NEWS
Melanie.moran@vanderbilt.edu