I love Buzz. Buzz is my hero. But he's off the mark (or the meds) here:

www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php

"I blame the fantastic and unbelievable shows about space flight and rocket ships that are on today. All the shows where they beam people around and things like that have made young people think that that is what the space program should be doing. It's not realistic."

and there's more:

"But, if you start dealing with fantasy and beaming people up and down and traveling seven times the speed of light, you are doing damage. You're not helping. You have young people who have got expectations that are far unrealistic, and you can't possibly live up to the expectations you have created in young people. Why do they get bored with the space program? That's why."
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  • Yul
    Yul
    offline 68

    Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

    Mon, July 14, 2008 - 8:26 AM
    I guess that's why he was so involved in the short-lived TV series about space shuttle astronauts called The Cape:
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cape
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    • Yul
      Yul
      offline 68

      Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

      Mon, July 14, 2008 - 8:27 AM
      But more to the point, people are bored about space because we live in an anti-intellectual pseudo-society. And Star Trek is nowhere near as anti-intellectual as, say, American Idol.
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      • Edward
        Edward
        offline 265

        Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

        Mon, July 14, 2008 - 9:34 AM
        "people are bored about space because we live in an anti-intellectual pseudo-society."

        Hey, it's less "controversial" than blaming religious zealotry.

        Too bad he's illustrating anti-intellectualism so well. Next time, he stays in orbit.
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        • Humm...
          Hummingbird Summer Edition
          offline 7

          Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

          Mon, July 14, 2008 - 9:48 AM
          I don't think Star Trek or other si-fi is to blame. I think one problem is a lack of good science education and a lack of critical thinking. There are way too many people who believe extreme nonsense about space travel. You have a part of the population who believe that aliens live among us or that the government has some secret faster than the speed of light technology. Then on the other extreme you have people who believe that the moon landings were faked. Then the religious zealots encourage all of this by convincing millions that the Earth is only 6000 years old.

          I disagree with Buzz Aldrin about Star Trek, but I still admire him for among other reasons clocking the moon langing hoax advocate who was harrassing him.
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  • Pump...
    Pumpkin Queen
    offline 79

    Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

    Thu, July 17, 2008 - 10:51 PM
    Well, I remember way back in the 90s when I lived in San Francisco and it was, simultaneously, the 30th anniversary of the Summer of Love, the Renaissance Faire, AND Star Trek and I think the 40th anniversary of NASA. There was even a tv special on the the 30th anniversary of Star Trek and how it and NASA had influenced each other before.

    In my layman's opinion, the Arts and Sciences go hand in hand. Musicians dreamed and composed the music of the spheres before scientists ever heard it. Robert Browning Jr. himself said that a "man's reach should exceed his grasp or what's a heaven for?"

    But the Arts are not considered necessary in our schools anymore and students also sadly lack in basic grammar and math and science. It's sad. But that's not Star Trek's fault. It's not NASA's fault. In fact, we shouldn't really assign blame, so much as just fix it.
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  • D J
    D J
    offline 3

    Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

    Sat, July 19, 2008 - 7:37 PM
    In my humble opinion, I am still impressed with the space program even with all its problems, loss of life and the costs involved to explore beyond our planet. Star Trek was an excellent form to tell stories, to get people to think of the possibilities of a better way of life. Heck, they may have even helped to contribute to the technology of our world (treknology some even say..). Granted we are still delaing with issues arguing over dirt, difference of percieved religion, still have crimes against humanity, still have pepole homeless and hungry, still have some stupid and heartless pepole running our humanity towards annihilation (sigh..) We MUST keep hope in a better way of conducting ourselves; whether it is in science fact or even in science fiction, or a little of each column!!!

    I would enjoy the view from up/out there. Looks great from the Hubble Telescope, just think how many members of the human spiecies
    gazed up and wondered what lay beyond our moon, the night sky, the amount of mosquitoes eating them alive...

    I encourage those who have aspirations to reach for the heavens to go for it; get our consciousness out into the greater cosmos. Expand the human experience.... anybody see Decker and Ilia lately, Hmmmm????

    One person's opinion, out of a possible 6 billion, should not deter a better way of life, eh????

    Buzz, thanks for a reality check, you luck dog, you got to the moon!!!!!!!!!
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    • Yul
      Yul
      offline 68

      Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

      Wed, July 30, 2008 - 7:25 AM
      Another problem in this regard is that a lot of science fiction fans hate science. That doesn't make sense to me, but happens. For example, a person on some other SF web group I'm involved with once claimed that science has nothing to do with science fiction. I then explained to that person that science fiction without science is like a cop show without cops or a sitcom without comedy. Yet despite that irrefutable comment, that person still insisted that science has no place in science fiction. Ho ve by the megaton! The high use of scientific jargon in Trek (particularly in the newer Treks) in my mind is an indication that Trek is more supportive of science than not. So if a Trek fan expreses their dislike for the space program and other sciences, then Trek can't be blamed for that.


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      • Edward
        Edward
        offline 265

        Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

        Wed, July 30, 2008 - 3:48 PM
        "Another problem in this regard is that a lot of science fiction fans hate science."

        Not the ones worth a damn.

        Honestly, I just couldn't see sharing a hot meal with ANYONE who claims to "hate science." I don't care WHAT they watch on TV.

        "For example, a person on some other SF web group I'm involved with once claimed that science has nothing to do with science fiction."

        Some folks is jes' plain stupid.

        "Yet despite that irrefutable comment, that person still insisted that science has no place in science fiction."

        You can't teach a pig to sing, Yul. You'll just frustrate yourself and annoy the pig.

        "So if a Trek fan expreses their dislike for the space program and other sciences, then Trek can't be blamed for that."

        No, although they'd best not be too open about such a dumb-assed opinion in the presence of people, unless they are comfortable with scorch marks.

        Now, THAT said, here's the only POSSIBLE objection I can imagine a sci-fi fan would have to science: "It spoils the fun by saying this is impossible." And, in a way, that's almost legitimate. But most sci-fi tries to minimize the use of fantasy to tell a story in a science-based setting.

        Now, if you've got some absolute dolt who's watching, say "Jolly Roger" and someone else jumps up and says "This is stupid -- security cameras can't DO that!" and the dolt bitches that some "scientist" has ruined his show, well, there's not much yuo can do about that. it's like trying to figure out if Flash or Superman is faster -- best let people wrestle with each other on their OWN levels.
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        • Pump...
          Pumpkin Queen
          offline 79

          Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

          Wed, July 30, 2008 - 6:23 PM
          I think a lot of people don't realize they're watching sci-fantasy. SG-1 and 24 are both examples of the mix of science fiction/fact and fantasy. Get Smart coulda been seen as science fiction/fantasy.

          IMHO - people (writers, readers, editors, producers - all) get too bogged down trying to quantify and compartmentalize everything. Buffy isn't really Horror, no, it's Urban Fantasy. And now ALL Urban Fantasy is young girls kicking ass against monsters and the entire inroads made by Neil Gaiman and Charles DeLint and others before them is completely forgotten.

          Then you have stories like the Darkover novels and the Pern novels and the Dante Valentine series and they are mostly scifantasy.

          Anyway, has nothing to do with Star Trek and space. Just blathering.
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  • Kirstin
    Kirstin
    offline 8

    Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

    Mon, August 4, 2008 - 1:14 AM
    Someone posted about scientists coming up with "transparent alluminum":

    startrek.tribe.net/thread/8...750956325

    "You have young people who have got expectations that are far unrealistic, and you can't possibly live up to the expectations you have created in young people"

    Many Trek things that were "unrealistic" before, like transparent alluminum, communicators (cell phones with voice activation), hyposprays ("jet injectors"), androids and even robotic limbs, are all now becoming reality. Having these "fantasies" is what drives us, and we need that driving passion to find our limits. We may never go faster than light, but we sure as heck are going to try. When i hear of NASA news, i always think of Picard in First Contact: He tells Lily he envies her for the new discoveries she will witness in the 21st century. That always makes me smile, i find it hard to believe that more people dont love science after that...
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    • Edward
      Edward
      offline 265

      Re: Buzz Aldrin blames Star Trek for boring people from space

      Mon, August 4, 2008 - 9:09 AM
      "We may never go faster than light, but we sure as heck are going to try."

      In this instance, I'd suggest that "never" is a pretty big word. Probably inapplicable in this case (but that's another thread).

      Anyone who is bored by science (these theoretical people of whom Aldrin speaks) either doesn't actually KNOW anything, or belongs in a tattered revival tent dipping people's heads in barrels and dancing with snakes.

      In any case, those people who are supposedly bored with science probably have no business doing it.
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