I have often thought, Star Trek what wonderful insight. Back in the '60 it was just BS. Looking back on it compare what we have today. A couple of things come to mind. Communicator: "Beam me up Scotty" Not a lot of difference from yesteryear's Flip Phone What about the marble thingy that Dr. McCoy waved above his patients to get a diagnosis? Smaller version of today's MRI? Spok talking to the computer when he was playing his 3D game or other times wanting information. Not much difference from me saying, "Lexus. Play Bluegrass Music" and then my house is filled with banjo music. What about the Holodeck. Not a lot of difference, when putting on the visor, from today's virtual reality. Now for you younger people I can think of at least one example from Star Trek The Next Generation. There maybe some from the sequels. I am sure there are other examples. What about it.
Being a Trekkie from childhood, great thread. Agreed when it comes to STNG, when verbal interface with the ships computer came about, many verbal/computer interfaces exist today. Although not quite the same, a 3D printer could be likened to a replicator. The advancements in prosthetic's has improved a hundredfold in my lifetime, and direct computer/neural interfaces are making advances. Perhaps someday there will be something like the Visor that LaForge wears, that will enable blind people to "see". Personally, I want transporter tech, make traveling way better.
That was the one I was thinking about. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if we see the visor in the next few years. They are working on it. We have cochlear implants for the hearing impaired now. I remember attending a lecture while in college in the early '70s. The presenter was working on direct communications to the brain. They had a thing that had many pins that looked like BNC connector implanted in their head to provide direct communication with the brain. Don't know if I would step into a transporter, but think about it every time I have to take a long fight or late for an appointment. Beam Over.
You're taking me back to my youth. My Dad and I always watched ST after dinner, and I recall the first time in high school when I heard computer synthesized speech. I knew then that computers were the future. Heck, told Chazsbetterhalf that the "phone" I'm typing this on, has more computing power than nearly any computer I've ever purchased or built.
They say that todays cell phones have more computing power than the computer that flew us to the moon.
Way more. Remember, it was still punch cards and "top of the line" magnetic tape at the time Heck, this is still way before the VHS vs Beta wars on home VCR technology
I hear ya. But on a different note, when Canada joined the coalition effort in Afghanistan a movement sprang up to support our troops and one of the ways was to wear red on Fridays and most Fridays I remember this and don my red shirt. But I'm lucky, I'm not being beamed down with the away team.
Yep, if you're not on the bridge crew, you should be leary of away missions. Love this song, listening to it in it's entirety.
A little OT, but Nikola Tesla in 1926: "When wireless is perfectly applied the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain, which in fact it is, all things being particles of a real and rhythmic whole. We shall be able to communicate with one another instantly, irrespective of distance. Not only this, but through television and telephony we shall see and hear one another as perfectly as though we were face to face, despite intervening distances of thousands of miles; and the instruments through which we shall be able to do his will be amazingly simple compared with our present telephone. A man will be able to carry one in his vest pocket."
