From genetically engineered humans to seeding other worlds with new life, to how long you can be clinically dead and still be revived. Those are just a few of the many questions Mohamed Noor explores, using references to "Star Trek" to teach non-biology majors about biology.
The professor, executive vice provost, and author of the book " Live Long and Evolve: What Star Trek Can Teach Us about Evolution, Genetics, and Life on Other Worlds " has been a Trekkie since he was eight years old. After watching reruns of the original series, which ran from 1966 to 1969, Noor continued watching every episode.
"There are now more than 950 episodes across the franchise, and I've seen all of them," he says.
As Star Trek prepares to mark its 60th anniversary on Sept. 8, Noor has spent years both in Duke classrooms and beyond showing that the iconic television franchise is more than just entertainment; it is a portal to scientific thinking.
Noor has been a consultant on several episodes over the years, including season three of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."
"My most in-depth work was on 'Star Trek: Discovery,' where I had both episodic and season-wide contracts. Twice, I was brought in to help shape scientific ideas that carried across an entire season," Noor said.
Cruising With Trekkies
He has used the series to teach basic biology at Duke and in lectures outside the university. In February, he went on a week-long cruise for Trekkies to give several talks, including one about "What makes a new species and other evolutionary biology questions."
That popularity makes science fiction a powerful teaching tool, says Noor. Rather than competing with textbooks, Noor argues, it complements them.
ECU biology professor Joseph Luczkovich, who attended the ECU talk, said Noor's approach works because it encourages curiosity rather than rote learning.
"Science fiction is great for stimulating the mind," Luczkovich said. "And I think that's what Dr. Noor is doing here. He's getting people to think and be critical. And that's part of being a good educator."
Throughout the lecture, Noor treated "Star Trek" as a hypothesis instead of a prediction of the future. And while many of the assumptions it makes are unrealistic, Noor argued, they create excellent thought experiments.
A common element in "Star Trek" and other science fiction is their depiction of humanoid alien species. If life exists elsewhere in the universe, scientists believe it is likely to be microscopic. However, on screen, aliens often walk upright, communicate verbally, and live on worlds that resemble Earth.
Those unrealistic portrayals become teaching tools. Why would life evolve to look the same on different planets? How does evolution truly work? And what does science tell us about the relatedness among species?
ECU undergraduate biology student Lucia Wall, who has no background watching "Star Trek," said the presentation was still relatable.
"I love biology, and everything made total sense," Wall said. "And he was really excited, which I love. It just draws you in and makes you really want to pay attention."
Noor also addressed widespread misconceptions about evolution: Humans did not descend from modern chimpanzees, and evolution does not move "upward" toward more advanced life. Instead, it unfolds as a branching tree with no inherent hierarchy.
"I love biology, and everything made total sense. And he was really excited, which I love. It just draws you in and makes you really want to pay attention."
ECU Undergraduate Biology Student Lucia Wall
Natural selection, he explained, is not just speculation but backed by mathematics. Whenever inherited variation influences survival or reproduction, populations evolve over time. Using COVID variants as an example, Noor showed how even small reproductive advantages can quickly reshape entire populations.
Learning From Star Trek Storylines
The lecture then turned to three "Star Trek" storylines that try to explain why so many alien species appear humanoid. One episode suggests that an ancient species seeded life across the galaxy with genetic instructions guiding evolution toward a single form. While loosely based on the real scientific concept of "panspermia," this explanation is unfeasible because it fails to consider the immense role of random chance events in the long-term evolution of species, Noor explained.
Another storyline suggests humans descended from alien visitors. This idea directly contradicts genetic and fossil evidence showing that humans evolved alongside other primates on Earth.
A third scenario, the most believable, suggests that early human populations were relocated to other planets by an advanced species. While still unlikely, the idea makes testable genetic predictions and aligns more closely with known examples of ancient human interbreeding with Neanderthals and Denisovans, Noor explained.
Terry Papavasilis, a third-year ECU Ph.D. student, said she was impressed by how Noor teaches biology using popular media.
"It was really cool that he's not only an excellent and well‑accomplished scientist," Papavasilis said, "but also that he was a consultant and that they were very receptive to his ideas when they were doing 'Star Trek.'"
Noor's consulting role varies by show, from shaping long‑term scientific arcs on Discovery to refining dialogue and biological explanations for individual episodes.
Skadi Kylander, a Ph.D. student who organized the seminar, said Noor was chosen through a nomination and voting process. "This has just been a sensational experience. The talk was wonderful, and it's been great getting to know him outside of the seminar as well."
Ultimately, Noor's goal extends beyond "Star Trek" or even evolution. Science fiction, he says, opens the door for people who might never enroll in a biology class or read a scientific paper. By using stories people already love, educators can spark curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and make science feel accessible.
As Luczkovich put it, "At least people are thinking." And for Noor, that moment - when curiosity takes hold - is where understanding science truly begins.
