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Second Star from the Right and Straight on 'Til Morning
May 18, 2012 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2012 issue of The PCB Magazine.
Our Real Time with...IPC schedule was so crammed full that, although I enjoyed interviewing a whole lot of fascinating people, so little time was left for me to go walkabout and see IPC APEX EXPO as a visitor that I missed most of it.
However, the significant event I was able to attend was the William Shatner keynote. The anticipation was so great, that an hour before it started, folks were already queuing six-deep for 50 yards along the upstairs hallway of the San Diego Convention Center. When the doors to Ballroom 6 were eventually opened and the crowd flooded in, the seating provision of maybe 1,500 was completely overwhelmed, and the partitions had to be opened to allow the ante-room to accommodate the standing-room-only overflow.
Remarkably sharp for an 80-year-old, but clearly weary from travelling, Shatner made a slow start, but soon had his audience hanging on every word. Acknowledging that IPC APEX EXPO was a technology show, he put on a serious face as he announced that the world is coming to an end: “Look what damage technology has done to the planet--we rely on technology to help put things right.” He continued, “I am scared about the future: We have a window of time in which human beings can live and we have to teach the children the future is in their hands. Technology is the thing that can save us, but we’ve got to do better than we did in the past!”
A little surprising for a keynote presentation, Shatner broke off from his preamble and invited questions from the floor. Many were, predictably, Star Trek oriented, which he fielded with well-prepared and good-humoured responses. Some were more profound: “What made you what you are?” to which he replied, “The mysteries of what exists out there in the universe are mind-boggling. What are the answers? We don’t understand shit! Nothing is everything. We are limited by the powers of our imagination. All of the characters I have played represent some aspect of me. I can’t be you!”
Reflecting upon the meaning of life, with reference to an old Star Trek episode, Shatner stated, “Life is risk. We risk everything all the time. Risk is why we’re here on Starship Enterprise.” And, he had this to say about how easy it was to say no: “No is safe. Yes carries risk and commitment--the way to live your life. Yes to new technology. Yes, because you can’t learn without making mistakes.”
A thread of serious environmental consciousness ran throughout Shatner’s performance. As well, many thought-provoking and inspirational questions were asked and answered with wit, insight, and wisdom.
“Where do we go from here?” was supposed to be the cue for the play-out music, but the question came unexpectedly early. Shatner quoted Captain Kirk (who it turns out was actually quoting J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan): “Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning.” Pete Starkey, a longtime industry editor based in the UK, joined I-Connect007 as Technical Editor in 2008. Previously, Pete served as Technical Editor for both the Good PCB Guide (UK) and Printed Circuit News. Most recently, he was Products Editor and Europe Editor for CircuiTree. Pete has more than 30-years experience in the PCB industry, with a background in process development, technical service, and technical sales with PCB process vendors Shipley, Dynachem, and MacDermid, followed by 15 years as Technical Director of Forward Group (prior to its acquisition by Viasystems). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Circuit Technology, a member of the SMART Group Technical Committee, and an active supporter of the European Institute of Printed Circuits. To contact Pete, click here.