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November 21, 2002

Via CNN:
Special thanks to Frederik Dewaele for the tip!

William Shatner recently held an interview with CNN about his new book, "I'm Working On That." Below is a snippet of the interview:

As he stands on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise and orders all manner of 23rd-century technology against whatever is threatening the Federation this week, he is faking it. In truth, the man who wears Kirk's face is completely at sea when faced with anything more complicated than a toaster.

"Heeeeeeeeelllllllllpppp!" Shatner confesses in "Star Trek: I'm Working on That." "That's generally my first reaction when digital technology and I come face-to-interface. Well, truthfully, I don't usually scream out loud. It's more like a muffled whimper. But no matter how much I hide my sniveling, I am certain others around me notice the symptoms of the digiphobia that afflicts me. I break out into a cold sweat. My eyes grow big and white. My hands fumble for a book or newspaper, something ... old-fashioned."

[...]

Some of the researchers building "Trek"-like gadgets today were inspired by watching him on television and in movies over the years. Although he professes a profound ignorance of science and technology, he does manage to translate extraordinarily complex concepts into language most people can understand.

"Star Trek: I'm Working on That" is far from a comprehensive survey of the state of high tech. It is, however, a serviceable introductory course on what might be awaiting us in the not-too-distant future, and raises important questions about whether humans are smart enough to control the technology we are on the verge of building.

To read more, click on the link below:

http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/books/11/19/review.shatner.tech/index.html

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