Anson Mount continues the tradition of Star Trek actors and becomes an advocate for science, technology and engineering ideals. Mount portrays the other legendary captain of the USS Enterprise: Captain Christopher Pike.

Mount joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery in its second season and did a great job in closing out the second season of the new series. Fans (and executives) were so pleased, Alex Kurtzman will be putting Mount back onboard the early Enterprise headlining his own new series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The series will feature Rebecca Romjin and Ethan Peck reprising their roles from Star Trek Discovery.

Not to let his real life lag behind his interstellar career, Anson Mount is currently joining the Board of Directors at METI International.

Mount reported on Twitter: “ANNOUNCEMENT: I am deeply honored to have joined this incredible group of scientists, linguists, & thinkers who are collaborating to take on what’s perhaps the greatest creative challenge in the history of our species. More to come in the days, weeks, & centuries ahead.”

Is this a big deal? I think so. METI International conducts scientific research and educational programs in Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). METI is also interested in considering the societal implications and relevance of searching for life beyond Earth, even before detection of extraterrestrial life. METI hopes to create a plan of operation when and if the official discovery of alien life is determined.

On TrekMovie.com Mount elaborates further:

“It is a distinct privilege to be asked to join the outstanding scientists, artists, and innovators that make up the METI team. I look forward to helping this organization expand its footprint in our cultural landscape and educate the general public about our endeavors to connect with extraterrestrial intelligence through scientific methods as we continue to grapple with the implications of this work. As a Starfleet Captain, it brings me unbridled joy to be able to say that I am actually sending out a hail.”
Mount hopes to, as with previous members of the Star Trek cast, using his celebrity status to spur interest in space exploration, space science and programs. Mount has a very opinionated and spirited Twitter feed. His joining of METI seems quite appropriate.

The organization gathers together world-class natural world scientists, scholars, artists, historians and philosophers to study the origins of life in the Universe and then design interstellar messages capable of being detected at interstellar distances. METI hopes to broadcast into space to see if we can find someone out there like us, listening for nearby signals. The organization believes if we can prepare for what they believe is the inevitability of alien life, we can imagine what it takes to promote multigenerational longevity in our own Human society.

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