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How shatner changed the world

The Enterprise flies across the screen in the title sequence for "How William Shatner Changed the World"

"How William Shatner Changed the World" is a two-hour television special produced for the History Channel in the United States. Hosted by William Shatner (better known as Captain James T. Kirk), it focuses on technological advancements in the real world that were inspired by the Star Trek phenonmenon. The show uses intentional campiness and humor to maintain a light spirit. In promotional spots prior to the show's first airing, Shatner proudly claimed that he had made such inventions as the Internet possible, before adding, "But don't take my word for it - take his." The voice-over would then announce the program's title and premiere date.

The program begins by examining how ahead of its time the "Treknology" seen in Star Trek: The Original Series was. One example is Dr. McCoy's medical scanner, which inspired numerous letters from real-world physicians inquiring about the concepts behind the device. It was in fact a salt shaker.

As the show progresses, Shatner discusses how The Next Generation had to raise the technological threshold, as many ideas considered unimagineable in the 1960s had become commonplace by the late '80s and early '90s. The Heisenberg compensator is revealed to be a way the writers hoped to circumvent the laws of physics without losing credibility.

Among the fans who have been inspired by the program are Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer, who demonstrates a suit he believes is a predecessor to a real-world holodeck. Portable telephones are also discussed by one of their inventors, who likens Captain Kirk's communicator to a modern-day "flip phone" with voice recognition.

Although produced for The History Channel, the special actually premiered on The Discovery Channel in Canada (who co-produced the program) on 13 November 2005, receiving its first US broadcast on The History Channel on 12 March 2006. It was first shown in the United Kingdom on 24 May 2006, on Five.

Filmed mostly in Vancouver, the special featured some scenes that took place in locations shown in Star Trek TV series.

The special was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 2006 - Outstanding Nonfiction Special, and Outstanding Writing For Nonfiction Programming.

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