Dragon Con’s Trek track welcomed the “Captain,” William Shatner to the Hilton Salon at 1PM Saturday afternoon. The ninety-four-year-old, moving a bit more cautiously than in the past, continues his prolific professional life, with several projects under development. His focus, however, was upon human exploration, survival, and the mysteries of the universe.
Last December, Shatner took part in the maiden voyage of “Space2Sea Antarctica,” a cruise in which the actor joined astronauts, explorers, and scientists on a journey to earth’s most inhospitable continent. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Céline Cousteau, Scott Kelly, and José Hernandez joined Shatner on the cruise, offering insights and reflections on their experience as explorers. Shatner began, “why do we explore?” “Why would we go to Mars?” He recounted the history of the early explorers who sought to venture to the South Pole. Many failed, and the man who finally succeeded (Roald Amundsen, 1911) did so only by learning the lessons nature had to teach him. Historians refer to this period as the “Heroic Age” of Antarctic Exploration because after 1921 advancements in communication, transportation, and technology changed the dynamic and significantly increased survivability. There were seventeen expeditions to Antarctica before 1921, and Shatner was captivated by the idea that so many would risk so much in a quest for knowledge.
His reflection is clearly tied to his own experience of space in 2021 on Blue Origin’s New Shepard. The suborbital flight gave him the opportunity to see the earth from a perspective he never had before. He pointed out that “no words” exist in the English language that can adequately describe the experience, including that of weightlessness. What he did come to fully appreciate, however, was the distinction between what the earth provides: light, warmth, and life, as opposed to space, which is vast, dark, and deadly cold.
As Shatner pondered the fragility of the earth, he emphasized how important it was that we realize and understand the degree to which “everything is connected.” We are facing an “existential threat,” he proclaimed, the literal destruction of our planet. He pointed to the impact plastic continues to have on the planet. It is essential that humanity move away from plastics and find alternative, natural materials to replace it. Most telling, however, were the final words he shared with the members who so love their captain: “We must heal ourselves and end the demolition derby.”
This reporter has covered every Shatner appearance at Dragon Con since 2017. This was, quite simply, one of his most powerful moments. Always the entertainer, and arguably the hardest working man in show business, Shatner increasingly reflects the wisdom, insight, and perspective of someone who has lived long, overcome great challenges, eventually prospered, and experienced profound things. It was a unique, and fascinating moment.
