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Lecture

THE SCIENCE OF STAR TREK….or How to Predict the Future of Technology

About

“Phasors on Stun”! “Beam me up, Scotty”!   Its 60 years since Star Trek first appeared on our (black and white) television screens!  This year’s Christmas lecture will be a light-hearted look back at the future to see just how it has been depicted by engineers and by science-fiction writers, and decide which of them got it right.  There will be audience participation as the speaker guides you through the world of science fiction television, and how accurately it has foretold the world that we live in today.  Nuclear? Not Really.  (Di)Lithium – Yes please!  Come and be surprised at how well the future was envisioned sixty years ago, and in some cases how badly.   
 
Join us afterwards for festive refreshments and the chance to chat about what you’ve seen. 

Space
Research and Innovation

1

Continuing Professional Development

This event can contribute towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours as part of the IET's CPD monitoring scheme.

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01 Dec 2025 

7:30pm - 9:30pm

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Organiser

  • Hereford and Worcester Local Network

Registration information

The event will be held in the Lewis lecture theatre in the Malvern College Science Centre.  See details of precise location.

Speakers

Richard Baker BSc C Eng MIET

Chartered Engineer

Richard Baker is a retired chartered engineer with a career in Design Engineering, most recently in the Rail Vehicle industry.  He grew up in the 1960s watching classic TV series such as Thunderbirds, Star Trek, Lost in Space, Doctor Who, among many others.  He has always been fascinated by the way the future was depicted in these series, and how the world we live in today sometimes very closely mirrors some of those depictions, and in other ways is completely different. 

Reasons to attend

Come and enjoy our 2025 Christmas lecture.  You do not have to be an engineer to come along.  Friends and family very welcome.

Location

Science Centre, Malvern College

College Road
Malvern
Worcestershire
WR14 3DF
United Kingdom

Note that the post code marks the College main building not the Science Centre.

Precise location: 

Google Maps: 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/C5xW9iW4TzdEdndy9 

What3Words: 

https://w3w.co/swim.caged.tile 

Directions for the Science Centre -  

Drive southwards along College Road, away from Malvern town centre, with the main College building on the left (the hills will be on the right). You can park on College Road, or on site if space is available. Enter the College grounds from College Road through the stone gateposts (just before College Road turns right up the hill).  Go down the hill for a short distance, then turn right in to the road towards the science building. It has the period table printed on the windows across the front of the building.

Programme

Doors open 19:00 

Lecture starts 19:30

Festive refreshments 20:30

Register

Science of Star Trek

free