What Star Trek got right about science (and what it got wrong) | Part 2
What would it actually take to become a Starfleet officer? How close are we to replicators, warp drive and futuristic medical technology? And what does real plasma have to do with a phaser?In Part 2 of The science of Star Trek, reserve astronaut Meganne Christian takes us inside real astronaut training and explores how today's space technology compares with the world of Star Trek. Discover how astronauts prepare for microgravity, how 3D printing could transform medicine in space, and how scientists are already manufacturing materials and pharmaceuticals in orbit.
We then return to the Royal Institution's own history, exploring the surprising connections between scientific discoveries made here and technologies imagined in Star Trek — from wireless communication and robotics to holograms and artificial intelligence. The event concludes with live demonstrations exploring plasma, Tesla coils and the science behind Star Trek's spectacular effects.
This is Part 2 of a two-part event. Watch Part 1 first for the full story of the science behind Star Trek: https://youtu.be/y4szgt79BX8
Filmed at the Royal Institution in London on 12 September 2026.
Viewer note: Actor Martin Quinn has requested that his section of the talk be edited out of the YouTube video. Apologies to everyone keen to hear from his perspective.
_________
Chapters:
00:00 ESA vs Starfleet: how astronauts train
01:42 Inside astronaut training
05:22 Spacewalks, microgravity and survival
09:21 3D printing organs in space
11:46 Manufacturing, satellites and warp drive
13:09 The Royal Institution's Star Trek history
16:54 Hacking, holograms and robots
21:04 The real science of plasma and phasers
24:01 Tesla coils and Star Trek technology
27:47 The science behind Star Trek's explosions
_____________
We're a charity and rely on our generous members to keep creating content. Support us by becoming a channel member and you'll unlock exclusive Q&As with our scientists:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
____________
The Ri is on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: https://www.rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: https://www.rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link. Receive SMS online on sms24.me
TubeReader video aggregator is a website that collects and organizes online videos from the YouTube source. Video aggregation is done for different purposes, and TubeReader take different approaches to achieve their purpose.
Our try to collect videos of high quality or interest for visitors to view; the collection may be made by editors or may be based on community votes.
Another method is to base the collection on those videos most viewed, either at the aggregator site or at various popular video hosting sites.
TubeReader site exists to allow users to collect their own sets of videos, for personal use as well as for browsing and viewing by others; TubeReader can develop online communities around video sharing.
Our site allow users to create a personalized video playlist, for personal use as well as for browsing and viewing by others.
@YouTubeReaderBot allows you to subscribe to Youtube channels.
By using @YouTubeReaderBot Bot you agree with YouTube Terms of Service.
Use the @YouTubeReaderBot telegram bot to be the first to be notified when new videos are released on your favorite channels.
Look for new videos or channels and share them with your friends.
You can start using our bot from this video, subscribe now to What Star Trek got right about science (and what it got wrong) | Part 2
What is YouTube?
YouTube is a free video sharing website that makes it easy to watch online videos. You can even create and upload your own videos to share with others. Originally created in 2005, YouTube is now one of the most popular sites on the Web, with visitors watching around 6 billion hours of video every month.
