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There is a new article up, looking at a few technologies which are staples of science fiction, and when they might make an appearance in the real world (if ever!). It would be great to hear any other thoughts or suggestions - please post any such here in the forum :-)

Science Fiction to Science Fact

Good article..

But some things are so obvious -- especially to those under 40 -- because they're in front of us that its hard to realise they were once science fiction.

e.g. Flip phones, mobile phone -- from original Star Trek TV series. I read that Motorola admitted they copied the Star Trek 'communicator'


'internet' - similar world wide information databases written about long before internet.

- geo-stationary satellites: famously written about by Arthur C Clarke years before there were any artificial satellites

sure there are many more

also voice communications with a computer

Science fiction in Star Trek, remember in the movie Star Trek IV The Voyage Home when when Scotty tries to use a 20th C computer

Scotty: Computer! Computer?
[He's handed a mouse, and he speaks into it]
Scotty: Hello, computer.
Dr. Nichols: Just use the keyboard.
Scotty: Keyboard. How quaint.

Now you have Siri

Thanks Peter, glad you enjoyed the article, and all those are good points.
I would love it if someone at a network edited an old episode of StarTrek so that the computer goes, "I'm sorry Scotty, I didn't catch that. Here's some things I can do. Would you like me to make a date in your calender?" Or some such:-)