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Newark Mayor Cory Booker called into N.J. radio station WFMU for a Star Trek trivia challenge.

(Photo by Star-Ledger / AFP file photos)

Listen to Booker's interview below (trivia starts 9 minutes in)

Newark Mayor Cory Booker let his geek flag fly when he called in to New Jersey radio station WFMU to compete with comedian John Hodgman in a round of "Star Trek" trivia.

Booker called into "The Best Show on WFMU" for a 15-minute chat around 11 p.m. Tuesday, a far-reaching conversation that touched on economic success in Newark, the mayor's prolific tweeting and some serious nerding out over one of his favorite TV series.

Booker said he was encouraged to call by his Twitter followers, after Hodgman and the show's host, Tom Scharpling, sent out tweets asking if he would support the Jersey City-based free-form station during their pledge drive.

Scharpling and Booker on Tuesday talked economic recovery in Newark, and Booker stressed the importance of providing care for low-income mothers and children. He also said that his always-active Twitter feed has been a blessing, making it much easier to keep an eye on all corners of his city.

Booker even chastised Hodgman, a Brooklyn resident, for stealing New Jersey's only professional basketball franchise. But he stressed that he loves the comedian's character on "The Daily Show."

"John Hodgman does not know this, but I curl up with him on a regular basis," Booker joked, noting that he often watches the comedian during his late-night appearances. "I come home, and it's just the four of us: Me, Ben & Jerry, and Hodgman."

Then came the main event — the trio delved into the "Star Trek" universe for a trivia showdown.

After neither could name Captain Sisko's son on "Deep Space Nine," Booker took the room to school when Scharpling asked what color shirt guarantees a character will be killed.

Though the popular answer is red, Booker said, a statistical rundown he read online showed that wearing a yellow shirt actually gives you a greater chance of kicking the bucket.

The final question of the night gave Booker one last chance to cut loose: "Kirk rescued a man from the SS Botany Bay who eventually became his nemesis. What was his name?"

"Khaaaaaan," Booker shouted, imitating Kirk's famous scream from the film "Star Trek II," to the delight of the crowd gathered in the studio.

WFMU sustained $100,000 in damages during Sandy, and lost out on another $150,000 when the storm also caused the cancellation of their annual record sale, the Star-Ledger wrote in January. The station relies on donations from supporters to keep it running, and to provide the commercial independence that makes listening such a unique experience.

Scharpling's "The Best Show" is a weekly three-hour radio program that features high-profile comedian interviews, an enormous rotation of rare punk-rock records, and comedy sketches based in the fictional New Jersey town of Newbridge.

Follow Tom Wright-Piersanti on Twitter @LedgerTWP

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