Today marks the 45th anniversary of Star Trek going to air, a show which rated poorly but was saved by a massive mail-in campaign (by just a handful of people faking lots of letters!) to last for 3 seasons.

This fantastic story of imagination, exploration and acceptance used science fiction as a vehicle to inspire us.

This story, that rated poorly for 3 years, has spawned an animated series, four spin off series and 11 feature films. It has also spawned a committed fan base who share the creativity and imagination to continue building the story. That’s you!

I share some thoughts of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, in the hope that it inspires you to be more creative in your logs, and to continue to build the magical universe that we’ve all collaborated on:

“It speaks to some basic human needs, that there is a tomorrow – it’s not all going to be over in a big flash and a bomb, that the human race is improving, that we have things to be proud of as humans. No, ancient astronauts did not build the pyramids – human beings built them because they’re clever and they work hard. And ‘Star Trek’ is about those things.”

“I had insisted on half women on board [the Enterprise]. The network came to me and said, ‘You can’t have half women. Our people say it will make it look like a ship with all sorts of mad sexual things going on — half men and half women.’ So we argued about it like a poker game and they finally said, ‘Okay. We’ll settle for one-third women.’ I figured one-third women could take care of the males anyway.”

“It isn’t all over; everything has not been invented; the human adventure is just beginning.”

“If man is to survive, he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures. He will learn that differences in ideas and attitudes are a delight, part of life’s exciting variety, not something to fear.”

“When they say on a show ‘Created by’ anyone, like ‘Created by Gene Roddenberry,’ that is not true. I laid out a pathway, and then the only thing I will take credit for is, I surrounded myself by very bright people who came up with all those wonderful things. And then you can appear very smart.”

“That’s been a question, one of the big questions in my life. ‘What is a human?’ What are the elements that make a human?’ It’s a search for…how many elements do you get before you say, “Yes, it’s human,” where before you were saying it’s not human.”

“I was pleased that in those days when you couldn’t even get blacks on television, that I not only had a black, but a black woman, and a black officer [on 'Star Trek'].”

“Almost all of this comes out of my feeling that the human future is bright. We’re just beginning. We have wonders ahead of us. I don’t see how it can be any other way, with the way the future is going. We now have got a telescope up there. We’re photographing the universe. We’re inventing the next life form, which is the computer. We’re in the midst of it. And it will happen.”

“Perhaps one of the primary features of ‘Star Trek’ that made it different from other shows was, it believed that humans are improving – they will vastly improve in the 23rd century.”

“Mass communications is our language today between one another, and we can’t say, ‘Well, let’s not talk about anything serious on television.’ That is a criminal statement and a criminal intention. In my opinion, the audience is way ahead of our government leaders. I think the government leaders should catch up with our audience, and then we’d have 21st century dreams right now.”

“There is a tomorrow – we humans are going to make it – we’re something. To any young-minded person, that’s a very important statement.”

“We grow – we humans actually grow.’” (In reference to the fact that women didn’t like a fellow woman as second-in-command in the original pilot).

“I have nothing but admiration for this silly race of ours. Even with the Hitler’s in it and so on. Sometimes it goes into ugliness, but, in all though, it is a beauty. It’s like a rose, which also has thorns. We’re something.”

“I have always been reasonably leery of religion because there are so many edicts in religion, ‘thou shalt not,’ or ‘thou shalt.’ I wanted my world of the future to be clear of that.”

Another excellent summary of human achievement, and the Star Trek story, is available at: http://www.space.com/12858-star-trek-timeline-science-fiction-infographic.html.

To celebrate this important milestone, you can purchase a UCIP commemorative 45^th Anniversary of Star Trek mug for $18.75, available at:

http://www.zazzle.com/ucip_star_trek_45th_anniversary_frosted_glass_mug-168898405686574935

As a further bonus, UCIP will shortly be offering free email accounts for members. This is based on the Google Apps for Business platform, and you’re able to register a username@subspacerelay.net or (for Galactica fans) username@colonialforces.net. We’re currently seeking beta testers, please email jazza@subspacerelay.net to indicate your interest.

Star Trek is not just a TV show, a movie or a franchise. The Enterprise is a real vehicle, one for storytelling. You are part of Star Trek and its future. You are writing the story.

Congratulations to you all on contributing to 45 years of Star Trek, and to UCIP on being part of the last 15.

Live long, and prosper.