Follow up: Q&A: Star Trek’s ‘Data’ on autism, space travel and the link between humanity and technology

Google Glass is the type of futuristic gadget you might see on Star Trek. So, what does Lieutenant Commander Data — also known as actor Brent Spiner — think of the futuristic eyewear?

Spiner got a first-hand look today when he stopped by The Museum of Flight in Seattle for the Planetary Resources press event. Considering the operating system that the high-tech specs use, it was a case of android meeting Android.

brentspinergoogleglass
Star Trek’s Brent Spiner tried out Google Glass for the first time.

Seattle’s Zachary Cohn busted out his Google Glasses for the TV star, and let Spiner play around with them. After some initial glitches, Spiner got the hang of it and eventually sent a personal message to Cohn’s sister.

“Eva,” Spiner said. “I’ll never forget last night.”

That set off a bunch of laughter from the Planetary employees nearby.

“Wow, very neat,” Spiner said after giving them a whirl. “Don’t let me walk away with these.”

Whoa, and we thought Geordi La Forge’s VISOR was the coolest thing going in modern eyewear.

Spiner, who was in Seattle supporting Planetary’s new Kickstarter campaign for a public space telescope, said he’s all for trying out new technology. He even carries two smartphones around — a Blackberry and a Samsung Galaxy S3.

“I’m not one of those people who says, ‘No, I won’t read on a Kindle. I like how a book feels,'” Spiner said. “Well, yeah, books are beautiful and I love them too. But reading is reading. Before books, people told stories. They had people who went from town to town and built a fire and got in a circle as the person would tell stories. And then when books came to be, those storytellers kind of went away.

“It is what it is. Humanity and technology grows the way it grows. Trying to stop it by being a ‘I like things the way they were,’ type of person is shortsighted. There are always advantages and disadvantages, and who knows what we’ll evolve into as humans.”

So, what do you think? If they are good enough for Data, are they good enough for you?

Previously on GeekWireNo Google Glasses allowed, declares Seattle dive bar

Coming up: Q&A with Brent Spiner

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