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“Everything that can be invented, has been invented.”

Those infamous words were uttered by Charles H. Duell in 1899, which, in case you are a little behind in your history, was before the radio, television, airplane, computer and just about anything else many of us consider creature comforts.

And even today, we haven’t learned our lesson. As human beings we are so high on our own sense of greatness that many people out there continue to think that humanity has peaked. That while things might continue to get snazzier and more advanced (Read: more expensive), all the great inventions already exist and anything new will just be a spin-off of something else.

The same goes for humanity itself. There is a lot of talk out there that while humanity has come a very long way in recorded history, we are somehow at a point where things will always be as they are. There will always be poor people, there will always be hunger, there will always be invisible lines separating people, and yes, there will always be money.

Now I know I am drawing upon broad generalities here, but work with me a little.

People have said the same about many of the things in Star Trek. Light speed is impossible, a society like the Federation is impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible. I for one am sick and tired of the world impossible.

Now I do not claim to be a physicist of any type, but who is to say that things such as light speed might not be a reality 300 years from now? I would venture to guess that people 300 years in the past would think that being in space period is impossible. Sure, there are scientific theories and principles out there that say it is impossible, and not to bash the great Albert Einstein or anything, but science is only correct until it is disproved and history has shown this happen time and time again. Things that we thought were set in stone were merely written in sand, only needing high tide to wash them away.

The concept of impossibility was created by man to limit man. When we think in terms of impossibilities, we forget to think of the possibilities. History clearly shows that humanity has a lot to offer and unless we blow ourselves up first, I think we have barely begun to tap into that vast reservoir of potential.

Don’t get me wrong, do I think I’ll see humanity traveling faster than the speed of light in my lifetime? Hardly.

Do I think humanity will ever accomplish this feat? Maybe.

Do I think it is impossible? Never.

Brian Meskimen is a columnist for Airlock Alpha writing out of Minnesota. He can be reached at bmeskimen@airlockalpha.com.

The Trek Within is a feature of Airlock Alpha and also available on Roddenberry.com, the official Web site for the Roddenberry family maintained by Eugene W. Roddenberry Jr. Visit Roddenberry.com to read The Trek Within as well as a bonus feature from Airlock Alpha site coordinator Michael Hinman every other week.

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