The Vulcan salute is not the easiest hand gesture in the world. For some reason, I can do it perfectly with my left hand, but I cannot do it at all with my right hand. That’s pretty ironic because I am right-handed. Apparently, I’m not alone because a lot of Star Trek actors have also struggled with the salute, having to pre-position their fingers off-camera to get it just right. 

Like so many great Star Trek things, the salute was created by Leonard Nimoy himself. It was inspired by a Jewish blessing called the Priestly Blessing. When he was a boy, he saw the blessing (which uses similar finger positioning to the salute) performed at an Orthodox synagogue, and it clearly stuck with him through the years. Today, the salute is so iconic that it even has its own emoji! If you’ve spent countless hours perfecting your Vulcan salute because you’re a real Star Trek fan, these Star Trek memes will help you live long and prosper.