—Captain Kirk, Star Trek, “Return to Tomorrow”In the 1960s, the idea of using a computer to effortlessly find any piece of information was unheard of. But Star Trek (1967–1969) depicted just that: a computer plugged into a galaxy-wide database that could answer all sorts of questions, from the dates of historic events to the weather on distant planets. Star Trek had a small, albeit dedicated, audience during its original run, but it grew more popular when it was rebroadcast and sold abroad during the 1970s. Inspired by the Star Trek computer, Singhal pursued a career in information retrieval. It’s not just the futuristic technologies Star Trek depicts that make it inspirational—it’s also the philosophy and sense of life it conveys.

Source: Wall Street Journal August 29, 2023 19:23 UTC