Buzz
It’s long overdue for some new breakthroughs to shape our physical world. While nature sticks to its age-old narrative, it’s up to humankind to turn the impossible into reality. Over the years, science has gifted us with revolutionary cures and technologies that would have shocked anyone from over a century ago. Try explaining text messaging to someone reliant on the Pony Express for quick communication. We’re continually introduced to extraordinary devices, usually after the military has had its fun playing with them, almost on a decade-by-decade basis. Remember when microwave technology amazed us, or when the iPod completely phased out CDs? We haven’t been caught off guard and awed in a while, so here are the top ten futuristic inventions we should be enjoying right now—or at least very soon (you can only reinvent the iPod or Xbox so many times).
10. Time Travel Devices
(As seen in: the Back to the Future series, The Time Machine, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, The Twilight Zone, Terminator, Planet of the Apes, Time Bandits, Donnie Darko, Click, Futurama, and numerous other animated series).
If you had the ability to travel through time, when would you choose to go? Maybe back to the era of Jesus to witness his miracles firsthand… Or perhaps to pre-WWII Germany to stop Hitler’s rise to power… Or even to the time when Hot Tub Time Machine was being written so you could toss the screenwriter’s Macbook into a brick wall. Time travel offers endless possibilities, but it also carries the risk of dangerous paradoxes, potentially altering the present in harmful ways. According to time travel theories, such as H.G. Wells’, the past is immutable, with some events being unavoidable (like death or natural disasters). Even if we could figure out how to survive the intense forces of a wormhole, a shortcut through the space-time continuum, why would we want to risk the unpredictable, and possibly catastrophic, results? These potential outcomes have been explored endlessly in pop culture. For now, let’s just keep our eyes ahead.
9. Anti-Gravity Technology
(As seen in: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory).
Why should astronauts be the only ones enjoying weightlessness? This is a potential breakthrough that has yet to be realized. Picture the morbidly obese no longer bound to special hospital gurneys and able to move freely without crutches or walkers (though those cup holders are a nice touch). While it shouldn’t be an excuse for poor health, the impact on joint health, particularly the knees, would be revolutionary. Plus, imagine floating around your home like a ghost, or gliding up floors of a shopping mall without needing an escalator. Whether it’s in the form of Wonka Soda Pop or a big red button that lets you walk on the ceiling, it’s time to make this a reality. NASA isn’t doing much else at the moment anyway.
8. Holographic Televisions
(As seen in: Star Wars, Back to the Future II, Minority Report, coverage of the 2008 presidential elections).
We already have glasses-free 3D technology, which comes close to a hologram, but it’s not quite the same. A hologram occupies real space and can simulate reality without actually changing it. Meanwhile, “3D” only works in a single direction—popping in and out of your face. The difference is, with holograms, you should be able to watch an action movie where life-sized, translucent warriors circle around you, making you feel like part of the fight. Right now, all we can do is watch that action from inside a virtual box.
7. Food Particlizers
(As seen in: the Star Trek franchise).
Disregarding scientific principles that state matter cannot be created or destroyed, these fantastically advanced devices could replicate or synthesize any food stored in its database as effortlessly as burning a CD. While there were a few unspoken rules, such as not being able to create living organisms or certain critical minerals and materials, who cares? This virtual buffet could completely eliminate world hunger. No longer would we be bombarded with commercials of starving children in developing nations asking for “just 3 cents a day…” The world would be satiated on digital delicacies.
6. Laser Weapons
(As seen in: virtually every sci-fi movie/TV show/radio program ever).
A bullet has its limits. In the future, everything is bulletproof, but a laser, like the kind used in a lightsaber, can slice through a steel door a foot thick with ease. In a world of excessive, unchecked material consumption, harnessing the destructive power of light could be far more efficient than mass-producing iron just to turn it into shrapnel. The military budget might even get a little more flexible, something that could ease the strain of today’s harsh economic conditions. Lasers might just be the key to getting this country back on track, and let’s not forget the moment when robotic repo men finally decide they’ve had enough.
5. Android Robots
(As seen in: Star Wars, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lost in Space, Blade Runner, Robocop, Terminator, Bicentennial Man, The Stepford Wives).
Robots already do a multitude of things that humans simply can’t. They mass-produce consumer goods, maintain security, perform surgeries with incredible precision, and entertain us endlessly. Plus, they vacuum for us, just like Rosy from The Jetsons. But they don’t exactly provide companionship when we’re lonely (like GERTY from Moon or KITT from Knight Rider), nor do they seek out human emotions (like Data from Star Trek: TNG), or act as a stand-in when there’s no human available. Robots don’t need food, money, or anything else that makes humans vulnerable, just the occasional software update and a recharge. By not prioritizing this, we are missing out on potential advancements in all areas of life that robots could offer.
4. Teleportation
(As seen in: The Jetsons, The Fly, Star Gate, Star Trek).
If there’s one thing Jeff Goldblum has taught us, aside from how to make neuroses sound attractive, it’s that teleportation can be a dangerous operation. At least, it is when it involves reparticalization and moving between confined spaces. (Yes, I know the 80’s sci-fi flick is a remake, but Goldblum’s performance is still as relevant as ever—especially with fly hairs on a shoulder blade). His character failed to account for all possible errors—after all, there are countless microscopic particles in any space. How can we be sure to separate the particles of a person from any that belong to the environment when breaking them down and reconstructing them? Plus, flies and insects are the greatest contamination risk in sterile environments. I’m guessing he wasn’t the most diligent student in medical school. The Star Trek teleporter, however, has never had these issues—unless, of course, you accidentally beam a Tribble on board, or input the wrong coordinates. But that’s more of a Scotty problem than a flaw in the design. Imagine how traffic or being late would be a non-issue; commercial efficiency would demand something more practical than a slow, pollution-emitting vehicle that can’t even break the speed of light.
3. Personal Jet Packs
(As seen on: James Bond in Thunderball, Boba Fett in the Star Wars franchise, the video game Pilot Wings for Nintendo 64, Iron Man, experimental military personnel, rich eccentrics).
It’s high time we had jetpacks. This has been the demand of every futurist since we first saw how amazing they could be. There’s even a band called 'We Were Promised Jetpacks.' The military has struggled to find a practical use for them beyond a flashy waste of fuel, and they don’t serve to catch criminals like the Thought Police in Minority Report. They would break down the barriers of personal limitations, giving individuals the freedom to soar through the air like superheroes over national landmarks. Imagine the feeling being akin to the thrill a motorcyclist feels on an open road; now, add a third dimension to that freedom, and a tidal wave of sheer joy would sweep over the Earth, akin to a new pleasure unleashed from the heavens—how would we handle it? Probably with the enthusiasm of a screaming schoolgirl.
2. Flying Cars
(As seen in: The Jetsons, Star Wars, Back to the Future II, Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, real life).
The highways are overcrowded, which is exactly why it’s time to start utilizing the skies for traffic. While planes never get stuck in traffic and soar at altitudes far higher than most would ever tolerate, they are still the quickest way to travel. The drawback is that air travel comes with rigid schedules, unlike the freedom of the open road. Now, imagine if daily air travel was as common as driving. Road trips would become far more convenient, and those who prefer not to inhale other people's germs could finally escape. Flying cars would also mean no more loud babies—unless, of course, you have one yourself. However, the flip side is that the skies would become just as congested as the highways, leaving you stuck behind some reckless driver in their flying Hummer, clogging up the clouds.
1. Invisibility
(As seen in: Harry Potter, The Invisible Man, Predator, real life).
Although military research has brought us a form of invisibility cloak that could potentially hide tanks, military bases, and soldiers from enemy sensors, it isn’t fully transparent or available for purchase just yet. In the realm of modern camouflage, ‘invisibility’ just means highly advanced camouflage. In H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, a special concoction bends light to make the person who drinks it utterly invisible, allowing them to move about unnoticed. While this power offers tempting, though usually nefarious, opportunities, its true practical use would likely be in wartime. Outside of that, it would just be the ultimate tool for creepy voyeurism.
