To Boldly Give: A Look at 'Star Trek' Creator's Philanthropy

As "Star Trek" celebrates its 50th birthday, we take a look at the philanthropy of creator Gene Roddenberry’s family, including a new prize with a total of $1 million in annual awards.

Any sci-fi fan (myself included) will argue to the bitter end that a successful work of speculative fiction is about so much more than spaceships and ray guns. Case in point: Since 1966, 50 years ago this month, Gene Roddenberry’s "Star Trek" and the many spinoff shows, movies and books that followed have sought nothing short of depicting a better humanity.

We’re not quite living in a "Star Trek" society absent of greed, prejudice and poverty, but the show really has had a big impact.