Google Doodle Boldly Goes 'Where No Man Has Gone Before'

Google

Google is wishing Star Trek a happy 46th birthday today with a special interactive Google doodle. 

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Don't worry the search engine giant knows the show actually debuted on Sept. 8, 1966 but it wanted to get an early jump on the celebration by rolling out the doodle a day early. 

The original series debuted on NBC on a thursday night with the episdoe titled the "Man Trap," about a creature on a remote planet who takes over the body of female archeologist and then the body of the ship's doctor, Leonard McCoy.

Although, it was the first episode aired, it was not the pilot. Two versions of the pilo were made--"The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before"--but were not aired  by NBC until later in the first season.

Fans can find the doodle on the homepage here.

The doodle is actually an interactive animation that tells a mini four-scene story and features some of the show's original sound effects.

Ryan Germick, Google's chief doodler (what a great title)  and Doug Simpkinson, both self-confessed Star Trek geeks and the team behind today's tribute, called working on it a labor of love.

Besides being full of fans, the pair emphasized that one reason the company was excited to do a special Star Trek doodle was that the values of Star Trek and way it portrayed technology in the future were in line with Google's own values. 

Though they were reluctant to spoil the details, the pair promise lots of fun surprises and hidden easter eggs for fans who click around the doodle.