Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock are built around one key piece of technology which may or may not have real world implications.

“KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!”

Admiral James Tiberius Kirk, 2285

There are countless reasons why fans love Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Up until that point, it was the most action-packed installment of Star Trek ever put on screen, so that certainly has something to do with it. William Shatner delivers an all-time great career performance in this one as Admiral James T. Kirk, full of downright Shakespearean drama with his old enemy, the diabolical Khan Noonien Singh. It’s got at least one of the most memorable, shocking, and poignant moments in franchise history. Or maybe it’s just Ricardo Montalban’s magnificent chest. Who’s to say?

But possibly lost amidst all that magnificence is the fact that The Wrath of Khan is built around a truly great piece of science fiction with the Genesis Device. A project designed to help Starfleet terraform barren worlds is also potentially the ultimate weapon in the galaxy, given that in creating new life it first has to wipe out anything else that’s there. Of course the wrong people want to get their grubby mitts on it!

In this episode we’re diving into just what it would take to truly terraform an alien world, and whether the Genesis Device follows its own rules in the Star Trek universe. Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here…

SUGGESTED VIEWING

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

You mean to tell us you’re watching or listening to a Roddenberry podcast and you somehow haven’t seen Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? We sure hope you watched it before this episode spoiled the absolute hell out of it for you! But in all seriousness, there’s a reason this is the most critically acclaimed and beloved Star Trek movie of all time and why we chose it for this week’s topic.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

But also, you can’t watch The Wrath of Khan (or get a full picture of the scope of the Genesis Device’s implications) without also watching Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Forget that even number/odd number nonsense about the Star Trek movies, this one is just as essential!

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Episode 22 “Space Seed”

And just in case you’ve never done this, we also highly recommend “Space Seed” which first introduced Ricardo Montalban as Khan Noonien Singh. It doesn’t have anything to do with terraforming in space, but it’s a classic bit of Star Trek lore, nonetheless!

The Evolution of Planet Earth

Want a real life taste of what the Genesis Device does…except over the course of millions/billions of years instead of minutes/hours? This video is pretty cool.

What the BEST Star Trek Movie Gets WRONG About Science!