Space Psychology Lecture — Star Trek Convention
Timothy Leary
Jonathan
May 23, 2026August 1976Oakland, CA
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Timothy Leary's 1976 lecture at the Oakland Star Trek Convention on space migration psychology, comparing cargo-cult thinking to do-it-yourself space habitats, with reference to Gerard O'Neill's predictions of 10,000 people in geosynchronous orbit by 1986.
Transcript
Summary
The speaker argues that space migration, intelligence increase, and life extension are imminent and should be communicated more compellingly to the public. Using Star Trek, UFO belief, cargo cults, and Hollywood as examples, he contrasts passive fantasy with active exploration and promotes the SMILE vision as a cultural and scientific agenda.
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