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Celebrities and scientists remember Leonard Nimoy

"Star Trek" fans mourned on Friday as news broke that Leonard Nimoy, the man who inspired a generation of Trekkies, died at age 83.
/ Source: NBC News

"Star Trek" fans mourned on Friday as news broke that Leonard Nimoy, the man who inspired a generation of Trekkies, died at age 83.

He was best known for his portrayal of Spock, the pointy-eared, logical alien who accompanied William Shatner's Captain Kirk on the U.S.S. Enterprise on its journeys through space. He did more, however, than just bring "Live long and prosper" into the lexicon. He was a photographer and poet, and did plenty to inspire scientists who do real work every day to explore the final frontier.

Don Lincoln, a senior physicist at Fermilab, a top particle physics laboratory, also had kind words for Nimoy.

"As a young boy, I was riveted by 'Star Trek' and its uplifting vision for the future of humanity," he told TODAY. "Leonard Nimoy’s character portrayed intellectual discipline and a love of logic — some of the finest attributes to which any scientist can aspire. Although Spock was fiction, he inspired me to dig more deeply into science."

His former castmates also honored him.

"I loved him like a brother," Shatner said in a statement. "We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love."

George Takei, who starred alongside Nimoy as Sulu, also took to social media to express his condolences.

Nimoy's legacy as Spock lived on in the "Star Trek" reboot in 2009. He appeared in the movie to mentor his past self, played by Zachary Quinto, who took to Instagram to pay tribute.

Other actors, directors and writers who were influenced by Nimoy also made their feelings known.

The 83-year-old actor was no stranger to social media. His last message on Twitter has been retweeted more than 77,000 times by fans looking to heed his advice.