Although Star Trek's primary mission has always been to entertain, in the process it has become a phenomenon in and of itself which has left an indelible mark on popular culture. "Beam me up, Scotty," "Phasers on stun," and "Warp speed" are all part of the modern lexicon, familiar to those who haven't even seen Star Trek. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the world who couldn't immediately identify Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock.

Roddenberry's vision of Star Trek blossomed into a whole reality, a universe of thought, creation, action and adventure. The saga today is as alive and strong as ever with its current incarnation on UPN, Star Trek: Enterprise, leading the charge nearly 40 years later.

What Star Trek can attribute its appeal and longevity to is a topic of much debate — heroic, iconic characters; moral tales which speak to the human condition; mind-expanding adventure — but perhaps the one element that makes Star Trek stand apart from other great science fiction is its unyielding optimism. In Gene Roddenberry's future, mankind not only survives, he thrives. The human race has overcome its brutal differences and has fostered a world of peace and equality for all, and is now ready to test its strength, courage and ingenuity in the "final frontier" of outer space.

This idyllic vision may seem at times naïve and unattainable to those of us rooted in contemporary times, but as more than one Star Trek captain has said, "There are always possibilities." It is these possibilities that we continually need to be reminded of, and perhaps that is why we keep Star Trek in our consciousness, to inspire us to "boldly go."