As with any cultural icon, Star Trek has been the subject of great creative parody. Online and offline the series and movies have been parodied and even lines from the original characters have become fodder for comedians.

What was your favorite parody of Star Trek and why?

The TV series originated when inflation, high interest rates, unemployment and budget deficits plagued the American economy, even while the space program successfully put men on the moon at enormous financial cost. Star Trek depicts a future in which mere financial considerations supposedly are no more than quaint relics of the past. However, the hierarchy of authority in a starship remains recognizably similar to that of a business corporation. Picard has a different leadership style than Kirk, but they each inhabit the roll of chief executive officer, or boss. Gene Roddenberry insisted that money no longer existed in the Star Trek future, but the facts and the stories appear to contradict him. Klingons spend Darseks, and the Federation issues electronic Transporter Credits and Replicator Credits. The Ferengi mint coins. When Cyrano Jones shows up on the Enterprise, he doesn't give away Tribbles, he sells them. Picard may pontificate that "The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity." But it is abundantly clear that greed and envy still exist in the universe of Star Trek. What can investors of the twenty-first century learn about risk from the twenty-third and twenty-fourth century characters of Star Trek?

Star Trek came of age just as the feminist movement was reaching its zenith.

In what ways do you believe that Star Trek influenced or reflected the feminist movement?

Did Star Trek help or hinder the feminist cause?

Star Trek first aired as America began escalating its involvement in Vietnam. Not surprisingly the producers tapped into the cultural and moral tension that resulted from this military action.

How do you think Star Trek affected and was affected by the anti-war movement?

Which episodes do you believe were inspired by the war in Vietnam, and how do Star Trek episodes and films past and present provide insights about Iraq, Afganistan, North Korea, and other international conflicts and challenges?

Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future opened minds and inspired young people everywhere to imagine new possibilities and to believe that even the sky is not the limit. Countless doctors, scientists, teachers and astronauts – people shaping the world today and touching each of our lives – first found their passion in the imagination of Star Trek. It has been widely recognized by fans, scientists, and social and cultural observers that Star Trek has significantly influenced and contributed to the world, indeed the universe we live in today.

Since 1966 Star Trek has inhabited the mindscape of America, capturing the essence of the pioneer spirit that gave birth to American character. That spirit of optimism and courage in the face of uncertainty and adversity drove our forefathers to seek and confront the unknown, to conquer fear, to boldly go and push the limits of the Western frontier from New England across the continent right into the surf of the Pacific Ocean. And then, as Captain James T. Kirk first intoned from the mono speakers of our newly-color televisions, that same spirit lifted us off into “Space – The Final Frontier.”

Star Trek epitomizes the historic imperative human beings have always felt to imagine the future. And at each stage of history, different expectations are formed about what that future will look like. These evolving expectations tell us as much about our past and our present as about our future. That is just part of the enduring appeal of Star Trek. And just part of what makes Star Trek the Exhibition so compelling is the opportunity it presents to experience the “retro-future.”

Star Trek appeals to hearfelt human aspirations for peace and progress while maintaining a trademark combination of kitsch and humorous self-awareness. How does Star Trek's evolving vision of the future emerge from and influence our attitudes about world history?