Win one for the nerds!

Immortality comes in many forms.

Why are all these celestial objects ("heavenly bodies" is a phrase I reserve for the strip club) being named after sci fi people? I mean, Sagan, Brahe and Copernicus probably have their own points of light in our night sky, but those guys actually did something about our collective understanding of the universe in which we find ourselves. I'm not one to knock Heinlein or Roddenberry; I've certainly absorbed enough of their products to consider myself a minor fan. But does getting an acting gig really constitute having your name inscribed in the astronomical logs?

Probably.

You see, sci fi appeals, primarily, to nerds. People with a predisposition to become scientists really love sci fi, even when it doesn't fit nicely (or at all) with scientific fact. That, in turn, gives nerd culture more of a grounding, and a better library from which to select its pleasure reading and viewing. Having your own little subset of the media at large is a nice feeling; like you belong to a club with its own secret codes, rituals, and (unfortunately) bathing practices. Sci fi helps young nerds feel safe. In the words of Philip J Fry, "... And when I didn't have any friends, it helped me feel like maybe I did." This, in turn, encourages those little nerdlings to grow up studying the science and math that supports the world, and helps make it a better place.

So you go, George Takei. Own that asteroid. For us, the nerds.