Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

In the genre of science fiction, authors and directors create new worlds of fantastic possibilities. Some of these worlds take place in our future, theorizing about things that are to come, while others take us to galaxies far, far away. Regardless of where or when the story takes place, particular conventions are always certain. One such convention is that when a new technology is central to the plot, the technology will cause harm. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan demonstrates this through the building of the Genesis project, Jurassic Park through the revival of dinosaurs, and I, Robot through the creation of robots and the “three laws”. These three films demonstrate how new technologies turn from helpful, new phenomena, to something that…

The impetus behind the conception of the original “Star Trek” series of the late sixties was to give its audience a change from the stereotypical Western themed programs dominating the airwaves. From its very modest beginnings, however, Star Trek’s lead creator, Gene Roddenbery, had much farther-reaching goals. Soon demonstrating that it was more than a mere “wagon train to the stars” as Roddenbery originally claimed, the series invariably raised the question: “What makes us human?”…

“There are certain things men must do to remain men. Your computer would take that away.” Wise words from Captain James T. Kirk. “The Ultimate Computer,” an episode from Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek: The Original Series, effectively details human reaction toward technology and how far advancement should extend. Star Trek scrutinizes the consequences of space travel and exploration, advancement of technology, and militarization. In the episode “The Ultimate Computer,” the crew of the U.S.S.…

creativity and passion of the guerrilla marketers in the entrepreneurial stage.3 Their brand and product managers need to start living with their customers and visualizing new ways to add value to their customers’ lives. The bottom line is that effective marketing can take many forms. Although it is easier to learn the formulated side (which will occupy most of our attention in this book), we will also see how creativity and passion can be used by today’s and tomorrow’s marketing…