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
Make us preferred on Google

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

Erin Brockovich
This Past Weekend with Theo Von

Erin Brockovich Perfectly Lays Out Why AI Data Centers Are 'Pushing People Too Far' In Viral Clip

Self-described "people advocate"—a term she prefers over environmental activist or consumer advocate—Erin Brockovich recently sat down with comedian Theo Von on his podcast This Past Weekend. They spoke about her now adult children, the court case and resulting film that made Brockovich a household name, and what she's done since.

About a third of the way into the hour and a half long sit down, Von noted that what made him want to connect with Brockovich was an article she wrote for her Substack, The Brockovich Report, titled, "If Data Centers Are So Great, Why Are They Being Built in Secret?" which launched her mapping initiative posted on the website Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting.

Keep Reading Show less
Jens Spahn
Bernd von Jutrczenka/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Gay Conservative German Politician Resigns After Welcoming Child Via Surrogacy Despite Publicly Opposing It

German conservative Jens Spahn resigned from his position as the leader of the joint CDU/CSU (Union) parliamentary group in the 21st Bundestag after it emerged he and his husband welcomed a child via surrogacy despite openly opposing it.

Per the 1990 Embryo Protection Act, surrogacy remains illegal in Germany, a position long supported by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which reaffirmed its opposition earlier this year. While German law allows parents to raise children born through surrogacy abroad, arranging a surrogate within Germany is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump; JD and Usha Vance
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Trump Dragged After Posting A Photo Of JD And Usha Vance's New Baby Before They Did

President Donald Trump was criticized after he took to social media to share a photo of Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance's new baby boy Alec to congratulate them before the Vances could even do so themselves.

The Vance family welcomed their fourth child, Alec Neel Vance, who joins older siblings Ewan, 9, Vivek, 6, and Mirabel, 4. Trump later shared a photo showing Vivek holding his newborn brother while Mirabel looks on.

Keep Reading Show less
Robbie Williams performs live onstage during the Robbie Williams: Britpop tour.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Robbie Williams Offers Hilarious 'Apology' After Viral Clip Sparks Rumors He Was Taking Drugs During World Cup Final

Robbie Williams is putting a viral World Cup mystery to rest after viewers became convinced they had witnessed something far more scandalous than what actually happened.

During an interview with German TV ahead of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, a tiny white object suddenly dropped from Williams' mouth onto a magenta T-Mobile microphone.

Keep Reading Show less
Reid Rasner
@reid.rasner/Instagram

MAGA Wyoming Candidate Dragged After Sharing Ultra-Cringey Video Of Himself Gearing Up To 'Ban Sharia Law'

Wyoming MAGA Republican House candidate Reid Rasner's social media campaign is so unhinged that Wyoming newspaper Cowboy State Daily titled an article about him "Despite His Videos, Wyoming Politicos Say Reid Rasner Campaign Is Not A Parody."

In one of his more viral videos, posted on TikTok, Rasner journeyed to Fort Collins, Colorado, to find a mosque to stand in front of in a too small camouflage vest and oversized MAGA hat to claim he was banning Sharia Law.

Keep Reading Show less