‘Star Trek’ : Why is it still a hit with the younger generation?

‘Star Trek’ is everywhere-right from magazines, TV, to the opinion pages of major newspapers-and has left many wondering how the 1960s phenomenon is still a hit with the younger generation.
And now, an expert at Arizona State University has explained why, 43 years after it first aired, does ‘Star Trek’ still hold us in such thrall.
Lawrence Krauss, director of the Origins Initiative at Arizona State University and the author of The Physics of Star Trek (1995), has said that a large part of the fascination with ‘Star Trek’ could be traced to our many
current crises, both fiscal and environmental.
He said that one of the biggest reasons of its continued existence is because it was based on a hopeful view of the future.
It looked forward for a future where the “infinite possibilities of existence”-as the character Q said in ‘The Next Generation’ series-could be exploited for the benefit of humankind and aliens alike, reports New Scientist
magazine.
A future where science and reason would prevail over superstition, religious fundamentalism and petty myopic rivalries, and where technology could be developed to address almost any challenge.


Although many aspects of this vision were and still are unrealistic, it still has obvious appeal in times of uncertainty. In times like these, the current generation faces problems that are truly global in nature- climate change,
dwindling oil and rising population, etc.
And there are hopeful signs that people are moving closer to a society based on reason, as in Star Trek. In his speeches, US President Barack Obama has spoken out explicitly about the urgent need to exploit science and technology to meet various environmental and energy challenges.
Star Trek, on its part, does not present a world free of conflict, emotion, jealousy, love or hatred, but instead it presents a world in which human emotions and reason can peacefully coexist.
Krauss claimed that while It remains to be seen whether science and reason can help guide humanity to a better and more peaceful future, but this belief is part of what keeps the Star Trek franchise going.
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