Welcome to Trekking Through Compliance. We recently finished Season 8, where we reviewed all 79 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) for compliance, ethics, and leadership lessons. This year, we added analysis from Timothy and Fiona, two AI-generated voices that brought another perspective. I had so much fun this season that I decided to extend it with episodes on the science and science issues in Star Trek TOS. I am joined in this exploration by my good friend Dr. Ben Locwin, a healthcare futurist and astrophysicist, who brings a scientific perspective to Star Trek’s technology. In each episode, we use one or more TOS episodes to introduce topics such as warp drive, wormholes, phasers, and the practice of medicine. In the second episode in this series, we look at the practice of medicine. It’s a ton of fun, and I know you will enjoy it.
Locwin views the tricorder as more than just an iconic Star Trek gadget; it was a powerful inspiration for people working in healthcare and science. He believes it helped physicians, nurses, and support staff imagine a future where diagnosis is faster, more accurate, and more precise. While he notes that a true tricorder-like device faces real scientific limits, he sees its legacy in modern advances such as pharmacogenomics, transdermal patches, augmented reality, and medical 3D printing. For Locwin, the tricorder’s greatest influence is that it helped push medicine toward personalized, data- and AI-driven care that is shaping the future of healthcare.
Highlights:
- Media Inspiration for Future Diagnostic Medicine
- Wavelengths Beneath Skin in Diagnostic Instruments
- Precision Medicine for Fast and Slow Metabolizers
Resources:
Excruciatingly Detailed Plot Summary by Eric W. Weinstein
Ben Locwin on LinkedIn