Academia Hernando Presents “The Science of Star Trek”

Academia Hernando will boldly go where no adult education program has gone before as they present and explore “The Science of Star Trek.” Since the debut of the original “Star Trek” TV series in 1965, this blockbuster science fiction franchise has inspired eight TV series, 13 motion pictures, numerous novels, comic books, video games and merchandise lines. Yet, aside from action figures and lunch boxes, many don’t know that the many technical innovations and ultra-cool devices presented in “Star Trek” shows and films may have served to inspire some of the technological advances and high-tech machinery and communication tools inherent in our everyday lives.

Academia Hernando’s spring 2024 lecture series will continue with the welcoming of speaker and technological expert Bruce Gobioff, who will present “The Science of Star Trek” at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 1, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 2301 Deltona Blvd., Spring Hill.

Academia Hernando is a not-for-profit lifelong learning organization providing quality instruction and learning experiences for adult students throughout Hernando County and beyond. Their goal is to inform, educate and inspire adult learners through a series of weekly lectures on a wide variety of topics.

Information released to the public stated, “Do you remember ‘Star Trek?’ We marveled at its optimistic vision and futuristic technology. In the decades following its launch in 1966, which ‘Star Trek’ gadgets or processes became a reality? Let us trek where no one has gone before and explore the strange new worlds of transporters, replicators, PADDs, time travel, warp drive, and artificial intelligence, and see how much remains science fiction.”

Bruce Gobioff has an M.S. in Management of Technology from MIT and has spent 50 years in the IT industry in both management and technical positions. He is a member of OLLI-USF and is on the board of that organization. He has been a big fan of the ‘Star Trek’ TV series ever since its inception in 1966.

“I’m really excited to be presenting ‘The Science of Star Trek’ to Academia Hernando,” Gobioff said. “I’ve been a ‘Star Trek’ fan since its inception. When most people think of ‘Star Trek,’ they can probably name a few items from the series that have become a reality—cell phones and iPads come to mind. In reality, there is much more, and we will explore this during the class.”
Sharon Printz, a board member of Academia Hernando, looks forward to welcoming this popular presenter to the Academia stage.
“We greatly look forward to Bruce’s presentation. Star Trek was a great show–and many of the devices you see on that show have now become a part of our everyday lives,” she said. “Science fiction has become science.”

“The Science of Star Trek” is the eighth presentation of the Spring 2024 series of Academia Hernando, which features a brilliant spectrum of topics delivered by experts who know them best. The season will continue with a March 8 bus excursion or event.
Academia Hernando presentations begin promptly at 10 a.m. and last two hours with a 15-minute intermission. Walk-in admissions are available at $15 per presentation. Visit https://www.academiahernando.org/ for more information, or call (352) 345-8345 or (352) 515-0300.