September 17, 2026, 7:00pm, Activity Center
        Harold Wood, Star Trek Buff, Environmental Activist
  “The 60 Year Synergy Between Star Trek and Real-World Space Exploration”
 
  Harold Wood's appreciation for the synergy between science fiction and real-world space exploration is the result of a lifelong passion. In his formative years he was immersed in the works of science fiction authors like Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert Heinlein, as well as Star Trek on TV and in the movies.  He simultaneously followed the progress of NASA's missions, the emerging ecology movement, and the cosmic perspectives of scientists like Carl Sagan. He is an enthusiastic member of The Planetary Society—a group founded in 1980 by Sagan which advocates for space exploration.  The group includes many Star Trek actors among its supporters.
As a long-time environmental activist, Harold believes that beyond exploring extraterrestrial phenomena, both science fiction and space science help us better understand and appreciate the Earth itself from a perspective impossible from the ground. His website, PlanetPatriot.net, includes a section dedicated to the link between Star Trek and real-life space exploration, as well as music appreciation, philosophy, and science content.
Harold is a board member of the SCOV Astronomy Club, where he serves as field trip coordinator and its coordinator for the NASA Night Sky Network.