Doctor Who returns tonight with two episodes. The Christmas Invasion is the first episode after The Doctor regenerated at the end of the first season, and therefore it was decided to show this episode in order as opposed to holding it back until Christmas. I’ve previously downloaded these episodes and think Doctor Who fans will be pleased with David Tennant as the next Doctor. The second episode, New Earch has The Doctor facing a plague and the return of Cassandra. Sci Fi Wire has an interview with David Tennant.
Dr Djoymi Baker watched more than seven hundred episodes of Star Trek to get her PhD from the University of Melbourne according to Discovery News. She believes that Star Trek can both foreshadow and influence scientific advancements:
“Because it’s gone on for so many decades [‘Star Trek’ has] had a big impact on what people think about space and what might be possible in the future,” she said. “A lot of NASA astronauts cite it as their inspiration; scientists have cited it as their inspiration for new technology.”
For example, NASA’s first shuttle of 1977 was named Enterprise after a campaign by “Star Trek” fans.
The “Star Trek” influence can also be seen in new “spray on” drug delivery technologies, the computer chip and even the flip-top mobile phones and automatic doors, she says.
And after the catchphrase “beam me up, Scotty,” scientists have started to experiment with dematerializing and rematerializing helium, and “cloning” laser beams.
“They can’t beam you up yet but they’re starting to do experiments along those lines,” Baker said.
Next week, Battlestar Gallactica returns. Until then, eight of ten webisodes of Battle Star Gallactica, The Resistance are available on line.
