Malte Engeler

April 5th, 2063 is the in-universe day in Star Trek where a human build vessel first traveled faster than light via the fictional warp drive. I used to reference the date as a reminder of the techno-utopia that I wanted to see in Star Trek TNG/DS9/Voyager era.

Nowadays I see the techno-totalitarian militaristic undertones of Star Trek much more ambivalent.

And yet ... Patrick Stewards portrayal of Jean-Luc Picard and his speeches about how humanity outgrow capitalism keep inspiring me.

9:03amWeb
Show threadMalte Engeler11h ago
In a way Jean-Luc Picard is the antithesis to the inventor of the warp drive (Zefram Cochrane): Picard is a restrained, polite communist, Cochrane a drunken, rude capitalist who accidentally made aliens aware of warp-capable humans (just like capitalism only accidentally producing social value).
Show threadMalte Engeler11h ago
The story about first contact, that follows Cochrane first warp flight , has also lost a lot of charme to me. I believe that humans can work together without some magical outside trigger (e.g. vulcans). We also don`t need to wait for some "brilliant, eccentric genius male inventor" whose fancy new space tech will usher in a better world. We can build it today with the people and the tech we have.
Show threaddasparadoxon11h ago
@malteengeler the magic of star trek was that it had every aspect of our crazy ambivalent existence in a believable formula in it. thats why it worked.
Show threaddasparadoxon11h ago
@malteengeler if you look at new star trek, this feeling "damn that could be real in a way" is gone
Show threadSiegfried.9h ago

@malteengeler What my 10-year-old self imagined for 2033: "Your spaceship is ready for takeoff in Hangar 32A."

What my real self might get: "Shut up and go away! Loyal party members first! Water rations are limited."