WASHINGTON — If the past is prologue, then the utopian coexistence of beings from different parts of the universe in the original “Star Trek” series is what humans should strive to achieve in the present, actor George Takei said in D.C. over the weekend.

The outspoken gay rights activist addressed a crowd of scientists, researchers and geeks gathered for the second annual Smithsonian Magazine Future is Here Festival.

He joined a cast of researchers, physicists and cosmonauts as they explored the convention’s theme: “The future is here.”

But while people such as Google [x] developer Rich Devaul and NASA’s Jon Lomberg explored how technology can propel humans into a new age, Takei sounded a familiar mantra: Diversity is king for a truly modern age.

“What we do today