Useless Facts
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5 facts · checked October 31, 2026
Today’s Useless Fact
Newton, Hawking and Data Held the Same Job
Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking and Star Trek's Data all held the Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics at Cambridge, Data only in a future timeline.
Why it’s true →Latest Facts
- Movie Facts
Riker Directed the Borg Movie
Oct 31, 2026Star Trek: First Contact (1996) was Jonathan Frakes' first feature film as a director.
- Internet History
YouTube's First Video Is 19 Seconds of Elephants
Oct 31, 2026The first video uploaded to YouTube, "Me at the zoo," is a 19-second clip of co-founder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo, posted April 23, 2005.
- Celebrity Facts
The Actor Who Was Almost Riker
Oct 31, 2026Billy Campbell was one of the last two actors considered for Commander William Riker before Jonathan Frakes was cast.
- Nerd Culture
Newton, Hawking and Data Held the Same Job
Oct 31, 2026Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking and Star Trek's Data all held the Lucasian Professorship of Mathematics at Cambridge, Data only in a future timeline.
- TV Facts
The Only Star Trek Guest Star Who Played Himself
Oct 31, 2026Only one real person has ever played himself in the Star Trek franchise. Can you pick him from four names? No sign-in, instant answer.
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Trivia Questions
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One of them was a real astronaut, but she still played a fictional officer.
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Answer: Stephen Hawking
In "Descent, Part I," Data plays poker on the holodeck against simulations of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, with Hawking playing himself. StarTrek.com calls him the only actor to play himself in the franchise. The other three were real guest stars too, but all of them played fictional characters.
- Mae Jemison: She played transporter officer Palmer in "Second Chances" (1993).
- Stephen Hawking: He played himself at Data's holodeck poker table in "Descent, Part I" (1993).
- Ashley Judd: She played Ensign Robin Lefler, seen in Season 5's "The Game."
- Billy Campbell: He played the rogue captain Thadiun Okona in "The Outrageous Okona" (1988).
Sources: StarTrek.com, “A Look Back at Descent” ↗ · StarTrek.com, “10 of the Best TNG Guest Stars” ↗
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Answer: Stephen Hawking
In "Descent, Part I," Data plays poker on the holodeck against simulations of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, with Hawking playing himself. StarTrek.com calls him the only actor to play himself in the franchise. The other three were real guest stars too, but all of them played fictional characters.
- Mae Jemison: She played transporter officer Palmer in "Second Chances" (1993).
- Stephen Hawking: He played himself at Data's holodeck poker table in "Descent, Part I" (1993).
- Ashley Judd: She played Ensign Robin Lefler, seen in Season 5's "The Game."
- Billy Campbell: He played the rogue captain Thadiun Okona in "The Outrageous Okona" (1988).
Sources: StarTrek.com, “A Look Back at Descent” ↗ · StarTrek.com, “10 of the Best TNG Guest Stars” ↗
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