Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The Best Futuristic Technologies From Science Fiction

People Break Down The Best Futuristic Technologies From Science Fiction
photography of Astronaut beside satellite
Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Science Fiction has often been a predictor of what technologies might be possible in the future and has occasionally guided scientists in developing new tech.

Efforts to create a Universal Translator are ongoing, though none have yet reached the level of real-time translation seen in Star Trek.


Redditor I-Like-Being-Alone asked:

"What are your favourite examples of advanced technology from Science-Fiction?"

Replicators

"Star Trek replicators"

-sadh*ndjob

"Yep. Any consumable item, at any temperature, perfect everytime."

-Fickle-dill-pickle

"Yes. I want nachos. With cheese, and beef, and beans, and salsa, and tomatoes, and sour cream, and olives."

"I live in Japan, obtaining some of those items is nearly impossible. I weep. Even Taco Bell nachos bel grande would be welcome at this point."

-ClancyHabbard

Infectious Luck

Giphy

"The positive viruses from Red Dwarf - sexual magnetism virus and luck virus"

-Item_Successful

Capsule Corp To The Rescue

"Capsules from Dragonball. We would save so much area just from parked cars alone."

-pvtskittels

"A portable house and car sound amazing"

-Zorro5040

​Instantaneous Travel

"Teleportation; whether we're talking Star Trek, Dr Who, etc. Flying/driving needs to become a leisure activity"

-MrBlusie

"But most forms of teleportation would just bring up The Ship of Theseus Paradox since most forms of teleportation breaks the user down and reconstructs them elsewhere. Are we truly the same person or were we just killed and a clone was placed to replace us?

-ForgottenForce

You Could Be Anything

"The Omnitrix. The fact that you can use this device with millions of alien samples and walk around in their shoes and use their unique traits is pretty cool. Plus you could become a superhero...or a supervillain, whichever you choose lol"

-WrathfulBroly

"All good fun till you turn into something that can't survive in Earth's atmosphere and implodes from the pressure difference."

-Northerleyfire

"Hopefully there would be some form of safeguard to prevent that... But that would depend on the device working correctly, and a competent user... 🤪"

-4rd_Prefect

Really Fast Travel

"Surprised not to see literally any of the multiple forms of FTL tech yet. Warp drive, slipstream, slipSPACE, wormhole tech, stargates…"

-Sawsamurai

"Right. All of the other things are mere convenience. If we can figure out FTL, we can literally control the galaxy."

"Problem is, it's probably not possible. That makes me sad."

-heuristic_al

Instant Big Mac

"This is a silly one... I always wished the microwave thingy from Spy Kids was real. The one where, it looked like a candy bar before putting it in there and then BOOM Big Mac?"

"That's honestly something I think was always pretty cool."

-Storm137

New-Old Tech

"Mine would have to be a particular in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. Basically, it's a voice-to-text-typewriter. The character misspeaks while dictating to the device and so she has to throw out the paper and start again. I love how the idea of a word processor just didn't come to him. It shows how there's so many innovations that couldn't be easily predicted."

-SmartAlec105

"Like Dick, who imagines robot teachers or super computers that run the world but they all run on tape."

-RavioliGale

It Sonics Things

doctor who television GIF by BBC America Giphy

"The sonic screwdriver"

-SavageCabbageGG

Just So Useful

"A Star Trek's tricorder. A portable device which can tell me what something is or wha's wrong with someone? So good."

-Megidra989

Some of these are certainly fantastical and seemingly impossible, but an iPhone would seem completely absurd to someone from 100 years ago. Anything is possible.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

screenshots of Leonardo DiCaprio at the Golden Globes
@kylebuchanan/X

Lipreader Breaks Down What Leonardo DiCaprio Was Flamboyantly Saying In Viral Golden Globes Video

A candid moment of actor Leonardo DiCaprio at the recent Golden Globes went viral for the actor's over the top mannerisms and facial expressions.

The video snippet left people laughing, but it also left them wondering what exactly he was saying. The only word everyone seemed to decipher was "K-pop," a genre of popular music originating in South Korea.

Keep Reading Show less
Barron Trump
Chip Somodevilla/AFP via Getty Images

MAGA Has 'Simple Diplomatic Solution' For How The U.S. Can Acquire Greenland—And It Involves Barron Trump

MAGA supporters have everyone rolling their eyes after they suggested President Donald Trump's son Barron Trump could marry 18-year-old Princess Isabella of Denmark in exchange for Greenland.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and is, alongside the Faroe Islands, the only other autonomous territory within the Kingdom. Citizens of both Greenland and the Faroe Islands are full citizens of Denmark. As one of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union, Greenland’s citizens are also recognized as EU citizens.

Keep Reading Show less
Ilhan Omar; Elon Musk
Kent Nishimura/Getty Images; STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Ilhan Omar Effortlessly Drags Elon Musk After He Parrots Easily-Debunked Conspiracy About Her

Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar called out billionaire Elon Musk after he claimed erroneously that Somalis are being brought illegally to Minnesota to help keep her in office.

Musk amplified a graphic on X that asserted Democrats support illegal immigration as a way to absorb noncitizens into their voting base. Musk accused Omar, who was born in Somalia, of profiting from the purported arrangement.

Keep Reading Show less
do not cross police barricade tape close-up
David von Diemar on Unsplash

True Crime Lovers Reveal 'Dumb Mistakes' Serial Killers Make That Get Them Caught In The End

True crime has become incredibly popular with the introduction of cable television then streaming services and podcasts.

Once just a section in bookstores, there are entire cable channels dedicated to recapping crime.

Keep Reading Show less
UFC stars Mackenzie Dern, and Brian Ortega at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes.
Rich Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty Images

'Vanity Fair' Just Explained That Out-Of-Place UFC Moment At The Golden Globes—And Yeesh

At the Golden Globes, there are a few things we all can reliably expect: couture gowns, a headline-making host, unexpected versus disappointing wins, the emotional speeches, and at least one bit that lands… oddly.

This year’s most baffling attempt arrived courtesy of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which briefly hijacked the ceremony with a moment so out of place it felt like the broadcast had accidentally cut to a different network.

Keep Reading Show less