Strange New Worlds: The Science of Star Trek

For nearly 60 years, Star Trek has sent its crews toward the same question that working astrobiologists ask every day: What does life look like somewhere that isn't Earth? 

In this Neighborhood Lecture, join astrobiologist Mike Wong—who studies the chemical fingerprints that could reveal life on distant worlds and hosts a podcast on the science of Star Trek—for a look at how the franchise's imagined planets stack up against what we actually know about worlds beyond our Solar System. You'll also hear from other Carnegie scientists about how their own research intersects with the Trek universe, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.

Mike Wong is an astrobiologist and planetary scientist at Carnegie Science's Earth and Planets Laboratory, where he studies planetary atmospheres, habitability, biosignatures, and the emergence of life. He earned his doctorate in planetary science from Caltech and first set foot on Carnegie's campus in 2010 as a summer intern. 

With Carnegie's Robert Hazen, he co-wrote "Time's Second Arrow: Evolution, Order, and a New Law of Nature" (W.W. Norton, 2026), which argues that evolution is a universal phenomenon extending well beyond biology, and he is co-authoring a revised edition of the textbook "Astrobiology: A Multidisciplinary Approach." He also co-leads a five-year, $5 million NASA-funded project developing AI tools to sharpen the search for life on distant worlds. 

In his spare time, he hosts Strange New Worlds, a podcast examining science, technology, and culture through the lens of Star Trek.

We're thrilled to welcome Philip Plait back to the stage for his second Neighborhood Lecture. Better known as "The Bad Astronomer," Plait is an astronomer, DC-area native, science communicator, and a devoted Star Trek fan. He earned his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Virginia with a dissertation on Hubble Space Telescope observations of the ring around Supernova 1987A. He went on to work as part of the Hubble team. 

He is the author of three popular science books—Bad Astronomy, Death from the Skies!, and Under Alien Skies. He also writes "The Universe" column for Scientific American along with his Bad Astronomy Newsletter, and wrote and hosted Crash Course Astronomy. He has appeared in documentaries, including How the Universe Works, and has served as president of the James Randi Educational Foundation.