Weekend Open Forum: What sci-fi tech would you like to see become reality?

[Jos]

The world of sci-fi has promised us many exciting gadgets and in some cases it has delivered. From self-driving cars to 3D printers; even stuff that we might find ordinary nowadays -- like video calls, touch screen devices, roombas or even a set of earbuds -- was likely imagined before its time in movies and novels like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Trek and Fahrenheit 451.

And yet there’s still so much that science and technology hasn’t grasped. Jet packs, hoverboards and flying cars are yet to fill the skies, and we’re not much closer to building the transporter platform aboard U.S.S. Enterprise.

For this Weekend Open Forum we’d like to hear what science fiction technology would you like to see become reality? And grounding our hopes a little bit, what futuristic gadgets do you think might enter our lives in the next 20 years or so?

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https://www.techspot.com/news/59083-weekend-open-forum-what-sci-fi-tech-reality.html

 

[yRaz]

Holograms. I would love me a holodeck, I'd never leave. Screw 4k. That or replicators from star trek, I'd never stop eating. Luckily for me, if technology ever gets to that point they will probably have the medical technology to cure any obesity related diseases I may have from abusing the replicator.

 

[m4a4]

First, limitless energy. Then a molecular builder that can build almost anything with enough time and energy...

 

[captaincranky]

The "Warp Drive"! Nothing else is even a distant 2nd. Oh look, a bad pun, no forethought necessary...

Holograms. ....[ ]....That or replicators from star trek, I'd never stop eating. Luckily for me, if technology ever gets to that point they will probably have the medical technology to cure any obesity related diseases I may have from abusing the replicator.

No need. you just hop on the transporter pad and beam the extra pounds into the nearest star.

Of course, I suppose that would depend on how much you're planning in the way of replicator abuse. We don't want to knock anything out of orbit, now do we?

 

[TheDreams]

Cryogenic Sleep, I want to wake up in 150 years and see if we've destroyed ourselves yet.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Cryogenic Sleep, I want to wake up in 150 years and see if we've destroyed ourselves yet.

So you want things to change, without actually being one that helps change them?

 

[dividebyzero]

What sci-fi tech would you like to see become reality?
Governmental fiscal responsibility.

If pressed to confine myself to the sci-fi literature/entertainment genre, I'd have to say human consciousness storage and transference. If you could retain your essential essence and have it decanted into clones or cyborg/engineered chassis in the future then you'd probably see most other technologies realized over time.

 

[Guest]

Vulcan Death Grip!!!

 

[yRaz]

No need. you just hop on the transporter pad and beam the extra pounds into the nearest star.

Of course, I suppose that would depend on how much you're planning in the way of replicator abuse. We don't want to knock anything out of orbit, now do we?

that's all we need, interstellar grease fires

 

[cliffordcooley]

If I'm not mistaken that would be the same as a solar flair.

http://news.discovery.com/space/pow...e-hits-earth-causes-radio-blackout-141025.htm

.

 

[yRaz]

If I'm not mistaken that would be the same as a solar flair.

http://news.discovery.com/space/pow...e-hits-earth-causes-radio-blackout-141025.htm

.

perhaps we could put a warp drive on my power chair fueled by my replicator abuse

 

[TheDreams]

So you want things to change, without actually being one that helps change them?

Yes, I know I won't amount to being someone of great contribution so I might as well see the outcome!

 

[captaincranky]

Yes, I know I won't amount to being someone of great contribution so I might as well see the outcome!

OTOH, there might be no one around for you to inform, "I told you so".

That would take some of the winds or righteousness out of your sails.

perhaps we could put a warp drive on my power chair fueled by my replicator abuse

Or, we could just melt the excess of you down to make Bio-diesel, and use old fashioned piston power.

 

[Benny26]

Has to be the Warp Drive for me. It holds so many advantages. Replicators would be my second.

 

[davislane1]

1. Holodeck.
2. Gundams.
3. Genetic enhancements.

The holodeck is likely the furthest off of the three, due to the complexity such a machine would possess. Nevertheless, having such an advanced simulator would be an incredible asset. Although I strongly believe such a device would be used primarily for entertainment, it would be the de facto king of professional training simulators. Imagine, being able to learn any skill or trade in a real world environment merely by executing a program. No need to drop $150,000 on a degree, no need to drive across state to the nearest racing school, etc. just select from the menu screen and go.

Gundams will probably never happen due to their incredible impracticality. Even so, mechs are a timeless sci-fi technology, and it would be cool to see a few, even if they were just for show.

Genetic enhancement is an area of sci-fi that will probably become reality in the coming decades. I speculate that this will begin with a more widespread acceptance of prenatal genetic tinkering over the next decade (such as turning on/off genes responsible for significant birth defects), and progress toward so-called designer babies and eventually gene treatments that affect cognition. Although there are obvious ethical and philosophical problems with genetic manipulation, I'm of the opinion the future stock of citizenry 20+ years down the road will scarcely care.

Governmental fiscal responsibility.

In your defense, mythography and science fiction are not wholly unrelated. They both concern the make-believe.

 

[yRaz]

We could melt the excess of you down to make Bio-diesel, and use old fashioned piston power.

please, even Willy Nelson wouldn't turn down the opportunity to make a rascal go warp 9

 

[Mithan]

Well, lots of stuff obviously, but the thing that would be the best for everybody is that Re-Ionizer or whatever it was called in Elyssium that healed people of all cancers, sicknesses, wounds, whatever.

That would be an amazing invention.

 

[captaincranky]

please, even Willy Nelson wouldn't turn down the opportunity to make a rascal go warp 9

I think you're confused about the time dilation properties of psychedelic substances.

Everything appears to be at warp 9, but it's just you're just slowed down to warp -9, while the rest of the world is at its normal speed.

And even then, (6aR,10aR)-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), will only power you to about Warp-6. Further lengthening of the time dilation coefficient, requires the fuel additive Lysergic acid diethylamide. This will take you to approximately Warp-8.5. Full warp-9 requires another fuel additive, 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine. However, using any amphetamine based accelerant, will shorten the life of the warp containment core considerably.

Or as Scotty so eloquently puts it, "Ay Cap'n warp-9! I givin' er all she's got, but she'll nah take much more o' this a'fore she blows".

 

[dividebyzero]

Vulcan Death Grip!!!

+1 redshirt

 

[yRaz]

I think you're confused about the time dilation properties of psychedelic substances.

Everything appears to be at warp 9, but it's just you're just slowed down to warp -9, while the rest of the world is at its normal speed.

And even then, (6aR,10aR)-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), will only power you to about Warp-6. Further lengthening of the time dilation coefficient, requires the fuel additive Lysergic acid diethylamide. This will take you to approximately Warp-8.5. Full warp-9 requires another fuel additive, 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine. However, using any amphetamine based accelerant, will shorten the life of the warp containment core considerably.

Or as Scotty so eloquently puts it, "Ay Cap'n warp-9! I givin' er all she's got, but she'll nah take much more o' this a'fore she blows".

you win this time cranky, this time.....

 

[Raoul Duke]

Transporter of course! Near instant travel around the globe. Just hope the cost is low. Sure don't see one of these being realized. Was thinking the other day the cell phone is essentially the 'communicator' of the original Star Trek except theirs needed a cover to protect the knobs, never thought of touch screen tech. Science fiction sure never seems to have a need for laundry so I guess I would take some never wear out self cleaning clothes as well.

 

[captaincranky]

Transporter of course! Near instant travel around the globe. Just hope the cost is low. Sure don't see one of these being realized.

First off, "billions", is the "new millions. So, nothing is cheap, even a four block ride on the subway. ("Underground" for those of you still under British rule). But more importantly, it would take away the old, overused, and greatly abused "I was stuck in traffic" excuse for being late for work. And you gotta know, "my transporter beam wouldn't start" wouldn't fly. (in a manner of speaking).

Was thinking the other day the cell phone is essentially the 'communicator' of the original Star Trek except theirs needed a cover to protect the knobs, never thought of touch screen tech.

The famous SR-71 "Blackbird", set just about every speed record on the books, and it did it with all analog instrumentation. Not a single touch screen in the whole mach 3+ masterpiece.

Science fiction sure never seems to have a need for laundry so I guess I would take some never wear out self cleaning clothes as well.

If I had self cleaning clothes, then people might want to spend more time around me. So, "no thanks".

 

[deathspeed]

Light sabers, anyone?

 

[Guest]

Teleportation, of course. Then we would have to deal with increased obesity and even cheating in racing sports (of course that wouldn't happen at first - the prototype would be a large clunky device)

 

[Guest]

Well at first, a cheap energy source would be preferable so that human can stop bickering among themself.
After that, food and medicine and some big *** space ships so that we can colonize planets and such.