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I don’t think I was very good at science when I was in school.

Or, rather, I was good at some aspects of science that I enjoyed. I loved astronomy because it was fun to learn the names of planets and other things in outer space. Earth science was fun too, since that involved rocks and nature and plenty of stuff about the world around us. These were subjects where I could read the textbooks from cover to cover, look at photographs, and think about all kinds of different theories.

But science like chemistry and physics? Science where math was involved and we did more hands-on experiments? Nah. That didn’t hold my interest as much. (Though I admit that sometimes the experiments were cool! But most of the time, I preferred to watch them play out instead of doing them myself.)

So I wasn’t always good at science, but usually I liked it a lot more than some of my other classes. And I like to think that some of that was thanks to my growing interest in science fiction at the time.

I’ve been a big fan of Star Trek since I was eight years old. And in high school, I got into Stargate as well. Both franchises involved travel to other planets (that was the “fiction” in science fiction), but I picked up plenty of actual science terms along the way too. Solar systems, nebula, supernova, black holes, wormholes, and plenty more. (Again, you can see astronomy was my favorite!)

But I also learned about how to solve problems too, because the characters on these shows were always getting into some sort of trouble! Without even realizing it, my young brain just absorbed all that information about testing theories, coming up with alternate plans, and arriving at logical conclusions to save the day.

Science fiction was meant as entertainment, of course, but looking back, I can see how I learned a lot of things from it at the same time. And those things have been useful as I’ve grown up.

I’m not the only one who developed a love for science through science fiction. You can find plenty of accomplished scientists, tech developers, and other people in successful careers who cite Star Trek and similar sci-fi stories as what initially sparked their interest.

Mae Jemison, for example, was the first African-American woman to travel to space. She’s worked as an astronaut, engineer, and physician throughout her career. And she credited Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek, as an inspiration to learn more about space when she was young. (She even later made a guest appearance on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the first astronaut to do so.)

I was thinking about all this recently because I finally got a chance to watch the new Star Trek: Prodigy series. There are two seasons available on Netflix, and this is one of the franchise’s few animated offerings.

It’s also one of the few geared more towards children. Though, for the record, it’s definitely fun for all ages. So, even though I’m not quite the target audience, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to watch more Star Trek.

The first season of the show follows a group of ragtag aliens who find an abandoned Starfleet ship, and then they stumble their way to the Federation, advised along the way by a holographic version of Captain Janeway (the captain from Star Trek: Voyager, my personal favorite). In season two, the group joins Starfleet, but then gets swept up in some fun (and sometimes, harrowing) time travel shenanigans.

I thoroughly enjoyed the series, even if some parts didn’t quite hold my attention as well as it would for a child. The characters were extremely loveable too. But I think the best thing about Prodigy is that it’s the perfect gateway to introduce young folks to Star Trek. The series takes care to explain things about the world of Star Trek, so that people who haven’t been watching for decades can easily jump right in.

And, once you’re hooked, then you can start cultivating a love of curiosity and exploration and maybe in science in general, just like I did as a child.

Science fiction can definitely encourage an interest in the subject. And it doesn’t have to be Star Trek specifically. There are plenty of science fiction series available, new and old, that are geared for people of all ages.

For example, I just recently started watching the Ultraman series, which is a Japanese franchise that has been running for decades. It’s a series of superhero shows (another one of my favorite genres), but it has plenty of familiar sci-fi elements that make it entertaining too. Many of the Ultraman series are free and legally available on YouTube and Tubi, so it’s easy to check out.

I could make more recommendations, but it’s best to search for the kinds of science fiction that you would enjoy yourself!

Everyone needs a good education, but sometimes it can be difficult to get kids interested in what they should be studying. So why not make it more fun?

Ask the kids in your life what they’re interested in, and encourage them to connect it to what they’re learning about in school. Maybe you can find something new to enjoy together – whether that’s a new TV show, book series, craft hobby, or whatever else.

For me, that was science fiction. But it can be something different for everyone.

Good luck with your explorations!

Holly Taylor is a Staff Writer for Roanoke-Chowan Publications. Contact her at holly.taylor@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7206.