Visionary science fiction godfather Gene Roddenberry thought up countless technologies that were eventually made into reality like the communicators used by the crew of the Enterprise in "Star Trek." Everyone has one of those communicators today and it's called a smart phone.
A number of incredible types of technology seen in movies that are almost too unreal to be believed are actually in use today:
1. Hovercraft: Many movies have featured hovering vehicles, such as the hover bikes in "Star Wars" and the hover boards in "Back to the Future II," but a company located in California has actually created these science fiction wonders.
The bike has a series of fans that rotate beneath the bike, to keep it aloft and hovering over the ground. Unfortunately, the company responsible for creating these bikes hasn't yet said that it will start to market these amazing vehicles.
2. Cryogenic storage: Freezing the body in such a way that it may be reawakened later is a feature of many films and has been a part of science fiction cinema for decades. One of the best films to use this technology was "Demolition Man," which used cryogenic storage to freeze criminals as part of a sentencing program. Cryogenic storage is in wide use today and has gained fame as a method for freezing human bodies so that they may be reanimated in the future.
3. Voice activated computers: The members of Starfleet in "Star Trek" need only talk to the ship's computer to activate essential functions, and the voice companion "Siri" on Apple's line of iPhones performs that same function.
Siri is, admittedly, at her infancy regarding development, but there's no doubt that more voice-activated goodies are set to be released in the next few years. For example, voice-activated technology is starting to show up in a number of automobiles. Drivers may soon get to ride around just like David Hasselhoff with his talking car in "Knight Rider."
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| Image Credits: www.technologyreview.com |
4. Zombies: Although zombies aren't really an invention, the idea of dead cells being animated in such a way to create the illusion of life is something one lab in New Mexico is doing right now. These special zombie cells are actually dead and yet somehow they continue to function. Does this mean everyone should start preparing for the zombie apocalypse?
5. Cybernetic limbs: Just about everyone has heard Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator say that he's a "cybernetic organism. Living tissue over metal endoskeleton." But now one Japanese company has actually created cybernetic limbs meant to help people walk when they have a disability or are extremely aged.
Humorously, the company making those limbs is called Cyberdyne, which is the company that helped to create artificial intelligence that destroyed the world in "The Terminator."
It's only a matter of time until more crazy science fiction inventions start showing up in the world, such as flying cars and all the cool gadgets that James Bond gets to use in his action films. Science fiction writers have a lauded history of thinking up futuristic technology that seems like it would never be a reality when, in fact, those inventions eventually end up on store shelves or in science labs.
Jose SandovalAbout the Author:
Jose Sandoval has worked as a lab technician for the past 11 years. To learn more about biological storage and cold chain management, Jose recommends visiting PBMMI.com.