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General Category => Off Topic => Topic started by: Paul on June 08, 2009, 02:24:12 PM

Title: Star Trek fiction technology used today
Post by: Paul on June 08, 2009, 02:24:12 PM
Often, I can't help but notice how much of the Trek fiction has become reality in the modern day.  My flip phone is the communicator, and my Bluetooth earpiece that goes with it was clearly inspired by Uhura's own earpiece.  My laptop computer looks as though it came from an improved set of The Next Generation.  When I Google web pages, I can have it translate pages from other languages into my own - a universal translator.

What else do you see today in common use that was predicted in the fiction of Star Trek?
Title: Re: Star Trek fiction technology used today
Post by: RobertB on June 09, 2009, 01:08:47 PM
Quote from: Paul on June 08, 2009, 02:24:12 PMMy flip phone is the communicator...
I still say that modern cellphones are not up to Star Trek standards.  Cellphones are reliant on cell phone towers and are thus limited in range.  Whereas, the classic S.T. communicator can transmit to a starship in stationary orbit... a distance of, say, 24,000 miles.  :D  Besides, the classic S.T. communicator can be paired with another to set up harmonic vibrations and cause rock landslides, and it has an emergency beam-up signal.  Let's see a cellphone do that!  ;)
QuoteWhat else do you see today in common use that was predicted in the fiction of Star Trek?
The progress bar seen in all kinds of displays now.

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