Redshirts Aren't Likeliest to Die — and Other 'Star Trek' Math Lessons

The original "Star Trek" series isn't just a milestone of science fiction, it's also a treasure trove of mathematical ideas — as Space.com discovered when we attended "Star Trek: The Math of Khan" at the Museum of Mathematics on Thursday (April 6). Connor Trinneer, who played Commander Trip Tucker on "Star Trek: Enterprise," introduced the talk, which was sponsored by the Simons Foundation. Then the guest of honor, James Grime, set the scene before launching into his math explanations.