Συνέντευξη του André Bormanis στον Δημήτρη Ψαθά και τον Γιώργο Γιαγλή για το Star Trek Greece
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How did your involvement in Star Trek begin and what did your job as Science Consultant entail?
I became the Science Consultant at the beginning of the 7th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which was also the beginning of the second season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in May, 1993 - a long time ago! It was right after I finished graduate school at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. I helped the writers and the producers of the shows understand and develop science ideas they were considering for stories, and also helped them with technical language in dialog. That was a big part of my job -- finding the right words when the writer inserted the word [TECH] in dialog.
You also wrote quite a few Star Trek episodes; some of the best ones, we might add. Was writing something you had in mind from the beginning or something that came up along the way?
I definitely wanted to write for Star Trek from the beginning, or at least sell a story idea or two to them. That turned out better than I expected! I didn't think my chances of become a full-time writer on the show were very good - it's very competitive. It took a few years to get there, but it worked out well for me.
Some of the episodes you wrote were parts of double or triple episodes. How does a multiple episode work, in terms of the writing process? Who writes the story arc and what are the responsibilities of the writers of each individual episode?
It varies from show to show. All television writing is ultimately a group effort - an individual writer may come up with a great story idea, but the other writers on staff will then pitch in to develop it. The first draft of the script may be written by the person who came up with idea, or it may be assigned to another writer. The executive producers try to make sure that every writer on staff gets about the same amount of assignments and credit each season. I came up with the story for a 4th season Voyager episode called "Demon." Ken Biller, one of the producers, wrote the script. And then in the 5th season Bryan Fuller came up with a sequel episode called "Course: Oblivion" which I thought was brilliant.
Are there some episodes or characters from the series that you consider your favorites?
There are so many to choose from! I've always particularly liked the "alien" characters - Spock, Data, Seven of Nine, The Doctor. I'm also fond of Neelix, Quark, and of course all of the Captains. Some of my favorite episodes are Charlie X, Space Seed, The City on the Edge of Forever, Who Mourns for Adonais? (TOS), All Good Things, Darmok, Best of Both Worlds (TNG)... there are so many, I'm losing track of the titles. Lots of great DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise episodes too, of course.
Are there any moments of particular interest (funny or otherwise) during your working on Star Trek that have stayed in your memory?
The first time I stepped on the bridge set of ST:TNG Enterprise was an extremely special moment. I couldn't believe I was actually working on the show that had been such an inspiration to me for so many years. Seeing my first script (Voyager's "Fair Trade") being filmed was also really thrilling. They built some really elaborate sets for that one - just based on a paragraph or two that I'd written! I remember there was lots of humor and good fun on set on the occasions I got to visit. We were fortunate that our cast members got along so well with each other, which is not always the case in television.
It is said that the vision of Star Trek stands on two pillars: humanistic thought and technology. To what extend do you think these two can benefit from each other? Which of the two do you think appeals most to Star Trek fans?
I think that without humanistic thought and values, our technology would be a deadly threat. We're on the brink of wrecking our world for future generations as it is, and unless our leaders learn to act for the benefit of all mankind, we'll have a very dark future indeed. The thing that appeals to me about Star Trek is that it shows that we can all work together, bridge our differences, eliminate war as a means of solving conflicts, and build a brilliant future in the Milky Way. That's what most resonates for me about Star Trek, and many fans over the years have said the same thing to me.
Science has always been an integral part of Star Trek, a fact also reflected in your book Star Trek: Science Logs. Would you tell us a little about this book and the relationship between Science and Star Trek in general?
I wrote the book to give fans some insight into how ideas from science are integrated into Star Trek stories, and how I approached my job as Science Consultant. There is a wonderful feedback loop between science and science fiction (SF) - scientists are inspired by SF stories, and their breakthroughs inspire new SF.
We hear a lot lately about research on warp drive and transporter-like technology being conducted. What is the progress made so far in these fields? How far do you think we could some day go towards reaching those or other Trek technologies?
In recent years, scientists have pretty much demonstrated that warp drive is theoretically possible, and some form of transporter technology, at least when it comes to information at the subatomic level, may be possible. It's hard to say how far away the realization of those technologies might be. But I think there are people alive today who will see some form of "warp drive" propulsion become a reality. Probably many young people today will live well past 100 years of age. By the middle of the 22nd century, I wouldn't rule out warp drive, but of course predictions are impossible make that far into the future. In thinking about the future, I would encourage everyone to expect the unexpected.
Where Star Trek has shown itself to be a little primitive is in computer and communication technology. The real world has outpaced Star Trek in that regard (with the exception of subspace radio!). Medical technology is quickly catching up to Star Trek level capabilities, which I find very exciting the older I get!
There is also much talk recently about the singularity (the AI kind) and concerns about its potential risks towards mankind. Do you think real AI can be achieved? Do you feel optimistic or concerned about the long-term outcome?
I think some form of AI will be achieved, eventually, but I don't particularly worry about it. I don't think AI will be motivated in the same way human beings are, or will have emotions, negative or otherwise, and volition the way we do. But I can't rule out the possibility that a super-smart AI would start consuming resources on a global scale without any concern as to how that would affect us. An AI's indifference to the fate of the biosphere would be potentially dangerous, if very carefully constructed controls aren't securely in place.
You are a distinguished member of the Planetary Society. Would you tell us a little about this organization and it's mission?
The mission of TPS is to promote public interest and support for planetary science and exploration. Carl Sagan founded it over thirty years ago, and there are tens of thousands of members around the world. Voyager's Bob Picardo serves on their Board of Directors. In the next couple of years, we plan to launch our own solar sail spacecraft! You can learn more about it here: http://planetary.org.
You held the very important position of Director of Scientific Research on Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. How was working on the revival of the iconic Carl Sagan's documentary series? To your knowledge, is there any chance of a second season of Cosmos being produced?
Star Trek and Cosmos were both very important shows to me when I was growing up. Getting to work on their more recent incarnations has been an incredible privilege. There are no plans at the moment that I'm aware of for a season two of Cosmos, but I wouldn't rule it out.
You have been involved as a producer on various other series. Can you tell us a little about your work on these shows?
Being a producer on Threshold, Eleventh Hour, etc, basically means that I was a full-time writer on those shows with a certain level of experience under my belt, and some expanded responsibilities for series development and production. I really love working as a writer in television, even on shows that are not strictly science fiction. It's a collaborative and creative process involving lots of interesting and talented people.
In 2010 you were a guest at the Greek convention Terraformers in Sounion. How was your experience there and how is the experience of conventions and Star Trek events in general for you?
Terraformers was fantastic. The people who put it together were great, the setting was great, the fans were great, and the food and wine was great! What more could I want? I made many friends there and would go back in a heartbeat. Let's do another one soon!
Are there currently any projects you're working on or any plans for the immediate future?
I'm working on a feature film script about a little known woman scientist from the early 20th century. I'm doing it "on spec" meaning nobody is paying me to do it, but I hope to sell it to a studio when it's finished. I've also been pitching a TV pilot that's a present-day science fiction piece.
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