50 years ago yesterday, television viewers across these United States begane to explore "the final frontier," thanks to the prophetic genius of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Star Trek's influence is difficult to quantify. Its gadgets helped inspire researchers to invent the cell phone, virtual reality, and more recently, transparent aluminum. The show broadcast the first interracial kiss on television. Trekkies arguably did as much for fandom as Star Wars obsessives, and it was the first subculture listed in the Oxford English Dictionary.But—obviously—more important than any of that stuff is the show's effect on GIF artists. Star Trek reaction GIFs abound, but the original work by animators like Scorpion Dagger and Victor Courtright are pure gold. Let the shiny molten goodness of this week's GIF Six-Pack wash over you as you celebrate five decades of living long and prospering.See more Star Trek GIFs on GIPHY.Related:How to Create the 'Star Trek' Teleporter Effect for Your Own Sci-Fi FilmInspired By Star Trek, Artists Create A "Teleportation" InstallationNew Media Artists Pay Tribute To The Star Trek Universe
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