As a long-time Trekker (a fan of “Star Trek”–but unlike a Trekkie,I don't believe it's really happening!), I was thrilled to hearthat Captain James T. Kirk himself–William Shatner–will be thekeynote speaker at the ACORD LOMA Insurance SystemsForum, May 20-22 at the Walt Disney World Dolphin inOrlando.

Of course, I wouldn't dare mention Trek to Mr. Shatner, for fear ofbeing told to “get a life”–as he did in an infamous “Saturday NightLive” sketch and subsequent book that traumatized Trekkiesworldwide. However, I can in good conscience congratulate him onhis latest character–famed trial attorney Denny Crane!–in hisEmmy-award winning role for the hilarious “Boston Legal” ABCdramady.

This was a welcome move by the folks over atACORD/LOMA–providing some badly needed comic relief from the deadlyserious business of insurance standards and technology management.Mr. Shatner also uniquely fits the bill because so manytechno-geeks (no offense!) probably grew up on “Star Trek” and wereperhaps inspired to pursue a life in computer science because ofthe program, so the invite is bound to boost attendance.

But what in the world will William Shatner talk about in hisKeynote Address?

Perhaps he'll revisit his 2002 book, “I'm Working on That: ATrek From Science Fiction to Science Fact,” in which, according to“Publishers Weekly,” Mr. Shatner “bares his deep-seated trepidationvis–vis all things digital in this breezy peek at the reciprocaleffects that 'Star Trek' (and its offspring) and serious scientificresearch have exerted on one another over the past 35 years.”

Beyond joking about “his own humbling battles with hisrecalcitrant computerized home lighting system and GPS-equippedrental cars,” notes Publishers Weekly, he concludes the book with“serious warnings about letting technological genies out of bottleswithout due consideration for consequences and, even more sobering,for the results of humanity's ultimate hubris, trying to playGod.”

When you look at the technology in the “Star Trek”shows–especially William Shatner's 1960s version–it's funny to seehow our own computer technology has already outpaced what thewriters projected for the 23rd century…although his super-coolcommunicator looks strikingly similar to today's flip-topcellphone.

Still, even though it's just a TV show, “Star Trek” does inspireone to dream–about traveling beyond the speed of light,transporting matter as energy, developing clean and inexhaustibleenergy sources, as well as vacationing anywhere you'd like via aholodeck. And if William Shatner himself teaches us nothing else,it's that we should never take ourselves too seriously.