When the newest, interstellar voyage from Star Trek’s Starfleet blasts through the galaxy this Friday with the premiere of Star Trek Beyond (playing in IMAX 3D at the Pacific Science Center and around the Sound), on board the starship will be an emissary from King County, Washington, stardate: July 22, 2016.
The space traveler is one Jeff Bezos, the intrepid founder of Amazon.com and Blue Origin, a spacecraft maker, and he may not be easy to spot. It would appear from the photographic evidence (included) that CEO Bezos has morphed into a different species, or perhaps he is traveling undercover.
To investigate further, besides beaming wirelessly to sfi.org the world’s largest Star Trek Fan Club, one could visit the Science Fiction Hall of Fame at Seattle’s Experience Music Project (“EMP”) founded by someone who goes by the name of Paul Allen and calls himself a Vulcan.
As part of Star Treks 50th anniversary celebration, a fully immersive exhibit entitled Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds, will let you explore more than 100 artifacts and props from the five Star Trek television series, spin-offs, and films.
The specimens include set pieces from the original series like Captain Kirk’s command chair and the navigation console (on display for the first time to the public); the original series costumes of Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and McCoy ; and the 6-foot U.S.S. Enterprise filming model from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Special exhibition pricing will apply for Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds, and includes access to all other EMP Museum galleries.
In a presidential election season already marked by truly spacey, logic-defying ideas, the EMP Museum Shop is sponsoring an alternative election “run-off” between Star Trek’s supremely logical science officer, Spock, and communications expert, Lt. Uhura. A “Vote for Spock 2016” bumper sticker & button set is available, while supplies last, for $10, exclusively from the EMP museum.
Mr. Bezos has credited the invention of the Amazon Echo voice-activated, ambient communications device as being inspired by the starship computer system on the U.S.S. Enterprise.
His Blue Origin commercial spacecraft company will be taking reservations in the not too distant future to boldly go where only rockets, satellites and possibly errant Amazon delivery drones have gone before —to Star Trek Beyond. [24×7]
