Hyperchannel 58: Name That Planet!

Vulcan calling! Help decide the names of planets orbiting other stars

Running Time: 15 minutes 32 seconds

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Help decide the names of planets orbiting other stars

A year ago Star Trek fans mobilized in an attempt to have one of Pluto's two newly discovered moons named Vulcan. They lost out to the far more appropriate names Kerberos and Styx. Now Trekkies have another chance to put the name of Spock's home planet into real-world use thanks to the International Astronomical Union and Zooniverse—and this time the potential worlds lie beyond our solar system.

Find out more and submit your naming suggestions.

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Hyperchannel 24: There's Something Swimming on Enceladus

Robert Blackman to Judge Star Trek Las Vegas Costume Competition | A New Hope for Life In Space

Running Time: 22 minutes 22 seconds

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Robert Blackman to Judge Star Trek Las Vegas Costume Competition

It takes many talented people to put together a television show like Star Trek, and each of these creatives plays a unique role in the final product. When it comes to costume design, no one has exerted more influence over how we think about Star Trek than Robert Blackman. For nearly two decades, Blackman has directed the look and feel of Trek's threads—beginning with TNG's third season all the way through Enterprise. He will be appearing at Star Trek Las Vegas this summer—his first since the early days of modern Star Trek—where he will conduct a Q&A and judge the costume contest. As a lead up to the event, StarTrek.com has published a fascinating two-part interview with the costume genius.

Read the full interview on StarTrek.com. Part 1 and Part 2.

A New Hope for Life In Space

As a Star Trek fan, chances are you would love to wake up one morning to the news that we've discovered other life somewhere out there in the cosmos. Despite our technological advancement, it feels like a long shot. But there could be hope. Dr. Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institite and co-host of Big Picture Science, recently testified before Congress on this very question. Besides helping the scientifically-challenged individuals who run our country and world, Shostak also predicts that we will find extraterrestrial life (not necessarily intelligent life) within a few decades.

Listen to the episode of Big Picture Science, "A New Hope for Life In Space."

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Hyperchannel 21: Leonard McCoy's Magic Pills

Phase II: Concept Art from Mike Minor's Drawing Board | Making Dr. McCoy's Magic Pills Real

Running Time: 18 minutes 45 seconds

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Phase II: Concept Art from Mike Minor's Drawing Board

In 1977, Paramount Pictures envisioned a new five year mission for the Enterprise. Although illustrator Mike Minor (who also worked on TOS, The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan—and who was the uncredited creator of "The Tholian Web"—created concept art for the project, titled Phase II, the show was never realized. However, several pieces of Minor's concept art for the show have recently been released, showing designs for engineering, the captain’s quarters, a cargo hold, and a recreation room.

View Minor's Phase II artwork on ScienceFiction.com.

Making Dr. McCoy's Magic Pills Real

When the crew of the Enterprise traveled back to 1986 San Francisco, the most shocking thing to Bones wasn't chaotic traffic or computer input via mouse, it was the primitive state of medicine. Taking inspiration from Star Trek, doctors today are working to make things like Dr. McCoy's magic pills—which apparently grow new kidneys. A breakthrough by Gladstone Institutes allows scientists to transform skin cells into heart muscle cells, which could eventually lead to the development of Star Trek-like treatments for a wide range of ailments. 

Read the full Treknosis column on StarTrek.com

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Hyperchannel 19: Happy Planet Forbidden Day

Celebrating 30 Years of The Search for Spock | Teleportation Could Become Reality… Eventually

Running Time: 16 minutes 24 seconds

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Celebrating 30 Years of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

After Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan breathed new life and excitement in to Star Trek in 1982, fans were eager for the next adventure of the USS Enterprise. There was just one problem: the ship would be setting sail without a key member of her crew—Spock. Fortunately we only had to live without our favorite Vulcan for two years before Harve Bennett gave him back to us in 1984. As hard as it is to believe, it's now been 30 years since Kirk violated orders and returned to Genesis. June 1 isn't known as Planet Forbidden Day; but it should be. It was on June 1, 1984, that Star Trek III premiered, and to commemorate the occassion StarTrek.com provides a trivia-filled look back.

Read the StarTrek.com's look back at the film.
 

Teleportation Could Become Reality… Eventually

Do you hate to travel? Not the part where you visit new and exciting places—or family and friends who live far away—but the part where you sit on an airplane for five hours. Ever wish you could simply beam to Hawai'i for an afternoon on the beach or to Las Vegas for the Star Trek convention? If so, it seems there is nothing in the laws of physics stopping you from doing it. All you need is some technological and scientific advancement, along with a lot of patience—because it isn't happening anytime soon. But scientists at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands are proving that it is possible, and say that it could become a reality in the far future.

Read the full piece—including an explanation of the experiment—from The Telegraph.

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Hyperchannel 10: Jolan Tru!

Star Trek Replicator Could Arrive in 12 Months | New Romulus Weekend is Coming | Rene Auberjonois Join Cast of Masters of Sex

Star Trek Replicator Could Arrive in 12 Months

We all want Star Trek technology in our lives; and not just iPads. Replicators are near the top of the list for many, and if scientists at Imperial College London have their way we could all be sipping raktajino by next summer. (In which case we hope it's iced.) Using a theory first proposed in 1934, scientists have figured out how to turn light into matter. All you need is a bit of gold.… and a photon-photon collider.

Find out how it works in this article on the Pocket Lint website.

Jolan Tru! New Romulus Weekend is Coming

This month marks the one year anniversary of Star Trek Online: Legacy of Romulus, and to mark the occasion STO will be running an in-game event from May 22 to May 27. Players will enjoy some permanent bonuses as a result of the milestone, and some other special "gifts" will be available only between May 22 and 27. BUt remember what Doctor McCoy said... beware Romulans bearing gifts! Also, during the event, players can grab both the Legacy of Romulus Legacy Pack and the Legacy of Romulus Starter Pack for a special price of 12,500 and 2,000 Zen respectively.

Find out all about the New Romulus Weekend on the Star Trek Online Dev Blog.

Rene Auberjonois Join Cast of Master of Sex

A quick casting note for fans of Deep Space Nine... Rene Aberjonois, who brought a bucket of goo to life in the role of Odo—and who has since delighted viewers on shows such as Boston Legal, Archer, and Warehouse 13—will be joining the cast of the Showtime's Masters of Sex, a drama about the pioneers of the science of human sexuality whose research touched off the sexual revolution. The show, which was nominated for Best Drama in the 2014 Golden Globes, returns for its second season on July 13.

Find out more from Variety.

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