It was July 1969. In our paneled den in Bremerton, Washington my dad, mom and I sat in front of a new Heath-kit TV my dad had built and watched Neil Armstrong plant an American flag on the moon. “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” I was ten years old, and I was all in.
Soon, Star Trek premiered—inviting us to boldly go where no-one had gone before. By April 22, 1970, the very first Earth Day, I decided that I wanted to be a scientist or maybe an astronaut. I remember feeling the promise of science—how hunger and strife would be a thing of the past because of human ingenuity and technology. My parents bought me a chemistry set. I collected rocks and shells.
The dream: we would build Tomorrowland and create Star Trek—a better future through technology. At the same time. observing the frogs and snakes in the woods near my home and exploring the unspoiled Kitsap peninsula also became a source of delight. These moments in nature planted seeds of a different dream. These seeds would take longer to sprout, though. Instead, I wholeheartedly pursued “the Star Trek dream” for the next three decades.
My sophomore year in high school, I enrolled in AP Chemistry and watched Star Trek reruns every single day on Channel 2. Senior year, I spent in a laboratory, testing reverse osmosis fibers to create cleaner water—my very first summer job. In college, I studied engineering, mechanical and environmental, to come up with energy and environmental innovations.
This Star Trek dream carried me through a thirty year career in the energy technology industry, working on solar, wind and innovations in energy efficiency. This dream promised that human ingenuity could solve any problem, and that humans could create a more beautiful future with our technological brilliance. By the time I was in my early forties, I along, with a cadre of other Silicon Valley engineers, would build and promote as much of Tomorrowland and Star Trek as we possibly could. I felt completely at home with the names on the conference rooms of our energy tech company: “Star Fleet Command”, “The Bridge”, “Transporter Room” and “Galileo”—all inspired by Star Trek.
As young engineers, we were formed by these stories, places and images that reinforced a dream of a “better future through technology.” Initially, we believed the world was ours to save. We dreamed of a utopian future, where natural beauty was enhanced by technology, and every human need and want would be met effortlessly. The future would be beautiful, moral, post-racial, and abundant. Just like Star Trek.
Of course, the Star Trek dream didn’t quite turned out as I imagined it. Where did we go wrong?
Since then, I’ve been retracing my steps. In doing so, I remembered something else that happened in 1969… this is where a fracture happened, at least for me.
I invite you to join me for part 2 of this story: The Frog Doctrine: A Love Story.