Happy Birthday Data…ahem…Brent Spiner!
And no, this article is not just for trekkies!
On 2 Feb, actor/singer Brent Spiner celebrated his 73rd birthday.
Now for those who are at least somewhat interested in science fiction, he’s probably a household name.
For everybody else, let me just say that, as far as I can tell, he played many great characters to date (personally, I loved him in “Out To Sea”), but he’s arguably most well-known for playing Lieutenant Commander Data in the TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and the subsequent feature films (and the more recent spin-off “Star Trek: Picard” plus a number of video games of course, in case there really are die hard trekkies in the audience).
For me, this almost coincides with an announcement of United Launch Alliance (ULA, a company that builds and operates rockets) and Celestis, Inc. (they provide funeral services during which people’s ashes are taken into space).
On 26 Jan, they announced their “Enterprise Flight” mission (Enterprise was the name of the most prominent space ship in the Star Trek verse).
The mission will, among some other things such as a vehicle destined to land on the moon, take more than 150 capsules into space, many of them containing ashes and DNA of individuals wanting to be “buried” in space. (I wonder what those individuals who are being sent up there by there loved ones would say…)
Oh, and did I mention the rocket they’ll be venturing on is named Vulcan? (After a famous planet and people created by the off-camera Star Trek team.)
Many of the flight’s participants (full list here) have chosen/been given Star Trek quotes as their motto and/or have an affiliation to space in some way.
However, for me, it’s the others that are more intriguing. The ones that either don’t have a story displayed or the ones that come from completely different parts of life.
Or are they so different after all?
The most outstanding person for me is Alfred C. “Tuna” Snider, a leading force in debating.
One of these people I only learned of after their death but who’ve spent so much time and effort changing the world for the better.
Follow the link mentioned above, click on his name and you’ll find this interview quote (newspaper Seven Days, 2004):
“My agenda is to fight back the darkness with the light of human reason. I want to replace weapons with words.”
And that’s where the circles closes for me.
I knew of Star Trek but I always thought science fiction wasn’t my thing until I met my partner and started watching it to try and like what he liked.
What I soon fell in love with about Star Trek was exactly that: the words, the philosophy behind it. How they use diplomacy to try and solve problems, how they make room for all kinds of views and debate them, how they always try to find the most human way to deal with issues of whichever kind, especially the interpersonal or interspecies ones.
And Brent Spiner’s character Data in particular: As an android who desires to become human, he never hesitates to ask questions about our kind or try out different kinds of reactions that we ourselves might not ask or try (out of fear of embarrasment for example). He lifts a mirror in front of us without judging us but instead always remains curious and engaged.
One famous Data quote is:
“If being human is not simply a matter of being born flesh and blood…if it is instead a way of thinking, acting and feeling, then I am hopeful that one day I will discover my own humanity.”
May the Enterprise flight be remembered for the words of its participants.
May these words inspire others to think, come up with words of their own and engage in debates about everything in the universe.
May this help humanity grow and thrive.
Thank you for your contribution, Mr. Spiner. And happy birthday! May your last flight still be a few decades away.
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