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''Star Trek'' created characters anyone could believe. It also inspired several inventions we use today. The developer of the first flip-style [[mobile phone]]s wanted to imitate the “communicator.” The armed services have already developed directed-energy weapons. (''Hand'' weapons remain a dream, but ''main ship weapons'' show promise.) The holographic research laboratories of ''The Next Generation'' inspired “virtual reality.” The extra-versatile touch screens in the same series inspired modern “smart phones” with flat, programmable screens. And one engineer wants to build a full-scale ''Enterprise.'' He hopes to encourage more people to pursue scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers.<ref name="ftn26">See the site [http://www.buildtheenterprise.org/ Build the Enterprise]. The creator hopes to stimulate STEM applicants in two ways. First, the research for building such a ship would alone inspire thousands. Second, such a ship could fly deep-space missions of which NASA, ESA, JAXA, and RKK Energia can scarcely dream. It would also extend aeronautical and astronautical work life to new crafts and professions. Imagine space-borne divisions of construction craft unions, like the Ironworkers, for instance.</ref>

''Star Trek'' created characters anyone could believe. It also inspired several inventions we use today. The developer of the first flip-style [[mobile phone]]s wanted to imitate the “communicator.” The armed services have already developed directed-energy weapons. (''Hand'' weapons remain a dream, but ''main ship weapons'' show promise.) The holographic research laboratories of ''The Next Generation'' inspired “virtual reality.” The extra-versatile touch screens in the same series inspired modern “smart phones” with flat, programmable screens. And one engineer wants to build a full-scale ''Enterprise.'' He hopes to encourage more people to pursue scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers.<ref name="ftn26">See the site [http://www.buildtheenterprise.org/ Build the Enterprise]. The creator hopes to stimulate STEM applicants in two ways. First, the research for building such a ship would alone inspire thousands. Second, such a ship could fly deep-space missions of which NASA, ESA, JAXA, and RKK Energia can scarcely dream. It would also extend aeronautical and astronautical work life to new crafts and professions. Imagine space-borne divisions of construction craft unions, like the Ironworkers, for instance.</ref>

But the teams also created a setting only a liberal idealist could believe. Even then it ignores certain facts of physics and even biology and medicine, and distorts others. By all accounts, they will make those problems worse, not better.

But the teams also created a setting only a [[liberal]] idealist could believe. Even then it ignores certain facts of physics and even biology and medicine, and distorts others. By all accounts, they will make those problems worse, not better.

= References =

= References =