Star Trek’s Science Advisor Reveals The Real Astrophysics On Screen

Science Friday

Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science, Life Sciences, Wnyc, Natural Sciences, Friday

4.4 • 6.3K Ratings

🗓️ 2 January 2024

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In a conversation from May 2023, astrophysicist Dr. Erin Macdonald talks about consulting on the famous series and the real (and fictional) science on screen.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Few pop culture favorites have lived as long and crossbird as well Star Trek.
0:10.0	So I'll pop into a writer's room and they'll be like,
0:12.0	Hey Aaron, tell us about this new black hole finding,
0:14.4	and I've got to go look it up.
0:15.8	Start date Tuesday, January 2nd,
0:18.3	but it's try to get the science right.
0:30.9	In this conversation from the Sci-Fi Archives, Ira Flato talks with astrophysicist
0:36.8	Dr. Aaron McDonald, Star Trek Science Advisor, and takes listener calls. Here's Ira.
0:45.0	There are few pop culture franchises that do science quite like Star Trek. Is there a more? Space, a final frontier.
1:00.0	Is there a more recognizable opening line on television?
1:09.0	More iconic than that one, the Star Trek series released in 1966 starring
1:16.1	William Shatner as Captain Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock and since then
1:20.8	there have been a dozen shows exploring the Star Trek universe.
1:25.6	Some have been live action, some animated, but all explore concepts in astrophysics.
1:32.0	And when I watch these shows, you know, I love them. I always
1:34.6	think how accurate is the science in this franchise? It's an apt question for
1:40.2	our next guest is going to tell me all about it.
1:43.0	Dr. Aaron McDonald, scientific consultant for the Star Trek franchise.
1:47.8	She has a PhD in astrophysics and she joins us from Los Angeles.
1:52.2	Welcome to Science Friday.
1:54.0	Hi, I'm really honored to be here.
1:56.2	Thanks for having me.
	...

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