STAR TREK: THE VISION COMES TRUE "The Science Track"

Each year in Las Vegas we present a series of seminars and discussions in a separate theatre that covers science and technology. We hope you'll take some time to visit!

RONALD HELD
Private Researcher  "Is there a Multiverse?" 
In this presentation, lecturer Ronald Held will briefly cover the physical concepts behind multiple universes and the Multiverse. Mr. Held holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. As a private researcher influenced by Star Trek, one of his interests is in faster than light travel.

DR. ANGELLE TANNER
Astronomer working on NASA's SIM PlanetQuest mission, which will look for planets like the Earth around stars like the sun. She attended both the University of Arizona and UCLA and has been interested in finding habitable planets outside our solar system since she was quite young.

Tanner will discuss the potential of the SIM PlanetQuest spacecraft to detect habitable planets around 40 Eridani  A, identified by Gene Roddenberry as the Vulcan star, as well as other well known star systems in the "Star Trek" universe.  Tanner is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the California Institute of Technology. (Friday appearance)

PATRICK AND RIGEL WOIDA
The Phoenix Has Landed!

To celebrate, we are pleased to announce the return of this Mars Mission Team of the “Irrepressible” Patrick Woida and “Fabled Next Gen Engineer” Rigel “Q” Woida, to the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention August 6-10, 2008.

They are coming to share their Star Trek inspired passion for making the future a reality now and experiences of robotically exploring the high northern plains of Mars. As we’ve come to expect, the Woidas give not only the facts, but the flavor of what it’s like to participate in 21st Century Space Exploration, with their provocative, humorous, and sometimes controversial style.

This event is the only scheduled break for a public appearance by this popular duo during their operations on the surface of Mars. The Phoenix will study the history of water and habitability potential in the Martian arctic ice-rich soil. This mission may help scientists determine whether Mars was, or is, capable of supporting life as we know it.

We are also looking forward to a peek into the “Tranquility Trek” mission to the Moon slated for 2009, this pair’s next challenge after Phoenix into the final frontier.