In the daunting arena of space exploration, there is a tendency to wonder where the path that humankind is taking will lead us. Does the future hold the promise of fantastic new technologies that will be used peacefully for the benefit of humankind? Or will those technologies end up in the hands of a society that is not mature enough to wield power responsibly? The Star Trek television series and movies conceived by Gene Roddenberry participate in this debate by providing an optimistic view of humans in the future. In Star Trek's version of history, humankind achieved an end to war, poverty, and disease on Earth shortly after the invention of warp technology, the principle that made it possible to travel faster than light.

Throughout history, people have built bigger and better telescopes and seen farther into the universe, but despite all of these exploration...