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Thank You, Star Trek

On the 50th anniversary of Star Trek’s premiere, Perimeter Institute researchers past and present reflect on the show’s enduring influence on science, imagination, and optimism.

For 50 years, Star Trek has inspired us to pursue knowledge, create new technologies, and boldly go toward a better future for humanity.

It has also inspired numerous generations of physicists to probe the limits of our current understanding of the universe.

To celebrate Star Trek’s 50th anniversary, we asked current, former, and visiting Perimeter researchers to tell us why the series is so important to them.

Join the adventures of the Starship Enterprise crew (in action figure form) as they explore the frontiers of physics around Perimeter Institute.

1-Avery_Star-Trek-Slice_2Avery Broderick is an Associate Faculty member at Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo. 

2-Gates_Star-Trek-Slice_2S. James Gates Jr. is a Distinguished Visiting Research Chair at Perimeter Institute and a professor at the University of Maryland.  

3-Mosca_Star-Trek-Slice_3Michele Mosca is an Associate Faculty member at Perimeter Institute and co-founder of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. 

4-Guariento_Star-Trek-Slice_2Daniel Guariento is a postdoctoral researcher at Perimeter Institute.

5-Ali_Star-Trek-Slice_2Tibra Ali is a Perimeter Scholars International Fellow at Perimeter Institute.

6-Marsh_Star-Trek-Slice_2David “Doddy” Marsh is a former Perimeter postdoctoral researcher and currently a postdoctoral researcher at King’s College, London. 

7-Johnson_Star-Trek-SliceMatt Johnson is an Associate Faculty member at Perimeter Institute and York University. 

8-Diamond_Star-Trek-SliceMiriam Diamond was in the Perimeter Scholars International class of 2013, and is now a PhD student at the University of Toronto. 

9-Avery_Star-Trek-Slice_2Avery Broderick is an Associate Faculty member at Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo.

10-Turok_Star-Trek-Slice
Neil Turok is the Director of Perimeter Institute.

10-Sierens_Star-Trek-Slice_2Todd Sierens is a PhD student at Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo.

11-Erickcek_Star-Trek-Slice_2Adrienne Erickcek is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina and was a postdoctoral researcher at Perimeter Institute from 2009 to 2013. 

12-Avery_Star-Trek-Slice_2Avery Broderick is an Associate Faculty member at Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo. 

13-Thank-You-Star-TrekPhotography by Stephanie Keating and Eamon O’Flynn

Special thanks to Christopher Chettle of Retro Rocket Comics in Cambridge, Ontario, for loaning us part of his phenomenal collection of Star Trek action figures.

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