"I don't believe in the no-win scenario."

The scene was pretty grim – Captain Kirk, well, actually Admiral Kirk, now, and the rest of the landing party were trapped in a cave beneath the surface of a barren planet. The Enterprise was long gone, and it looked like all hope was lost. One of the members of the party, a young lieutenant, Saavik, who had just graduated from Starfleet Academy, took this time to ask the old admiral something that had been bugging her. It was about the “Kobayashi Maru”, a special test they gave in the academy for which there was no good solution to the problem. The test was graded on how well you lost.

Saavik: "Sir, may I ask you a question?"
Kirk: "What's on your mind, Lieutenant?"
Saavik: "The Kobayashi Maru, sir."
Kirk: "Are you asking me if we're playing out that scenario now?"
Saavik: "On the test, sir. Will you tell me what you did? I would really like to know."
McCoy: "Lieutenant, you are looking at the only Starfleet cadet who ever beat the no-win scenario."
Saavik: "How?"
Kirk: "I reprogrammed the simulation so it was possible to rescue the ship."
Saavik: "What?"
David: "He cheated."
Kirk: "I changed the conditions of the test. Got a commendation for original thinking. I don't like to lose."
Saavik: Then you never faced that situation. Faced death.
Kirk: I don't believe in the no-win scenario.

At that moment, Kirk’s communicator beeped, and Spock’s familiar voice came through: “We’re ready to pick you up , sir.” The look of shock was evident on everyone’s face, as it became clear that Kirk had a rescue plan worked out all along. As they dissolved into the transporter beam, Kirk looked at Saavik and repeated, “I don’t like to lose.”

Wow. That was a fantastic scene, the kind that made Star Trek fans want to jump out of their seats and start cheering. The year was 1982 and the movie was “Star Trek II: The Wrath of the Khan”.

So, why do I bring this up? Well, fast forward 25 years to 2007. Dr. Randy Pausch, A university professor at Carnegie Mellon, is faced with his own Kobayashi Maru test, having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Shortly after learning that treatment was futile, he was asked to give a “Last Lecture”. It a common practice for professors to give a special lecture to students which would sum up their life experience and all that they had to share, as if he was about to die and this was his last chance to share what was most important to him. The fact that Dr. Pausch actually did have terminal cancer was just a coincidence, yet it made all the difference. On Sept 18, 2007, he stepped onto the lecture stage for the last time, and gave an unforgettable speech. It was recorded, and you can still see it on the web (below). The speech was incredible and was soon watched by millions across the web (the current YouTube count is 6,662,280).

One of the people touched by his talk was William Shatner, the actor who played Kirk in Star Trek. He was so moved by Dr. Pausch’s stand that he sent him an autographed photo, with that classic quote from the movie “The Wrath of Khan”:
“I don’t believe in the no-win scenario.”

That was a beautiful quote to read, especially in the context of someone fighting cancer. At the core of the cancer experience is the word "Hope": Hope for healing, hope for recovery, hope for survival, hope for a reason, a purpose, for something good to come out of the dark valley. Dr. Pausch did not recover from his cancer, but in the way he dealt with death, and life, he taught the world a great deal. William Shatner's sentiment expressed that beautifully.

For those of you who have not yet seen Dr. Pausch's famous "Last Lecture", just click below to see the video. It's well worth your time.