We all know that LeVar Burton has famously played a space traveler in the hugely successful Star Trek: The Next Generation series, but nowadays he is spreading the word that human travel beyond our solar system may actually become a near-term reality for people who aren’t actors — or even astronauts.

As a member of the advisory council of the 100 Year Starship project, Burton is a champion of the idea that we can make human interstellar travel capabilities a reality within the next century.

We had the chance to catch up with Burton this week at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas and talk to him about 100 Year Starship, which he discussed in a panel at the festival. It was also great to be brought up to speed on his other initiatives, such as the Reading Rainbow iPad app. In the video embedded above, you can hear Burton tell us how tech concepts that were purely fictional back in the TNG days are now realities, why it’s important for technology and art to be brought together, what he really thinks of Google Glass (and how it compares to what Geordi La Forge wore), and more.