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SCIENCE TREK

DECEMBER 5 AT 3 PM

EIGHT/KAET-TV

– LeVar Burton Hosts Program That E xplores Intersection of Science Fiction and Science Fact –

Science Trek airing on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 at 3 p.m. on Eight/KAET , is an out-of-this-world program that explores the intersection of science fiction and science fact. Combining clips from the original Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation with interviews with some of America's leading scientists and researchers, Science Trek provides an en­tertaining guide to the astonishing scientific advances being made in laboratories and universities around the country. PBS and Star Trek icon LeVar Burton hosts.

Science Trek viewers meet:

  • Dr. Howie Choset, whose work in robotics — robotic surgical snakes, to be precise — could transform the way surgery is performed. Have we surpassed Bones' tricorder already?
  • Dr. Alex Waibel, who has solved the problem of communication in different languages by creating an iPhone app that's a real-time translator.
  • Dr. Hugh Herr of M.I.T, whose research is a personal mission. When he was 17, he lost both legs below the knee in a climbing accident. His research is called biomechatronics — the integration of human and machine, almost like the Borg.
  • Dr. Seth Goldstein, who is rewriting rules with a new science called claytronics, the study of developing a new form of programmable matter that may bring the replicator closer to reality.

Science Trek answers a few critical questions along the way:

  • Will teleportation ever be possible?
  • Is an invisibility cloak possible?
  • How many laws of physics does warp speed violate?

Science Trek probes the underlying research to reveal how the Star Trek franchise has inspired science and how scientists today are boldly going beyond what Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry once dreamt, creating an almost unimaginable future for the next generation.

About Eight/KAET-TV
Eight, Arizona PBS specializes in the education of children, in-depth news and public affairs, lifelong learning, and the celebration of arts and culture — utilizing the power of noncommercial television, the Internet, educational outreach services, and community-based initiatives. The PBS station began broadcasting from the campus of Arizona State University on January 30, 1961. Now more than 80 percent of Arizonans receive the signal through a network of translators, cable and satellite systems. With more than 1.3 million viewers each week, Eight consistently ranks among the most-viewed public television stations per capita in the country. Arizonans provide more than 60 percent of the station’s annual budget. For more information, visit www.azpbs.org.

Eight is a member-supported service of Arizona State University.