Klingon, the language spoken by the ridgy-foreheaded aliens of the Star Trek universe, has had an unusual journey from nerdy lark to a living language people sue movie studios over. Whether it’s owned by Paramount or is a genuine living language spoken entirely by nerds, though, there’s no denying Klingon is slowly creeping into every aspect of our lives, including, it turns out, the guided audio tours of major government museums.
Just in time for Star Trek’s 50th anniversary, the Air And Space Museum has rolled out an audio tour entirely in Klingon. And this isn’t some government nerd winging it, either; the translation was done by the man who created Klingon, linguist Marc Okrand. But you don’t have to go on a tour of the museum to hear the gravelly tones of Klingon describe man’s journey to the skies and beyond. You don’t even have to pay for it — because it’s on the free Go Flight app. But you should visit the museum anyway, because, you know, the glory of human achievement and pioneering and all that.
This is, of course, hardly the first time Star Trek has cropped up at the Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian has been the home of the original model of the USS Enterprise for years, which it recently gave a loving restoration. And with this tour now available, there’s never been a better time to double down on your nerdery.
(Via the Washingtonian)
