From the cutting-edge labs of the Smithsonian Institution to the front lines of the digital economy, the promises made in Star Trek are coming true. This panel gives a glimpse at real Trek technology: the tricorder that may change medicine, laser weapon technology, and an actual tractor beam. And fans will get a preview of the original Starship Enterprise, fully restored after 50 years and the centerpiece of the National Air and Space Museum. This panel will include exclusive preview clips from Smithsonian Channel's two-hour special Building Star Trek, which will air later this year. Dr. Margaret Weitekamp, curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, moderates a discussion with Dr. Sonny Kohli, team leader of Cloud DX, a finalist for the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE; David Grier, professor of physics and director of the Center for Soft Matter Research at New York University, who is developing a real-life Tractor Beam; Dr. Rob Afzal, Lockheed Martin senior fellow Laser Sensor and Systems Harnessing the Power of Lasers; and Elizabeth Trojian, executive producer of Smithsonian Channel's Building Star Trek.
