I think Shatner's asking Rush these things because he really wants answers. He's not pretending he has the answers to everything either. From his song "Real":
I have saved the world in the movies
So naturally there's folks who think I must know what to do
But just because you've seen me on your TV
Doesn't mean I'm any more enlightened than you...
I'd love to help the world and all its problems
But I'm an entertainer, and that's all
So the next time there's an asteroid or a natural disaster
I'm flattered that you thought of me
But I'm not the one to call...
- William Shatner
Yep.
Shatner’s no lilly.
He had Rush over to watch the Pittsburgh-? game a month or so ago.