Poll: You can make a type of technology from sci-fi real. Which do you choose?
- Thread starter Mr. Omega
- Start date
Well i was tempted to take the easy way out, and go with replicators.....
But my suggestion is one that i'm slightly ambivalent over asking for. I'm keeping it broad like OP asked for, so mine is "Nano-technology". Self replicating Nanites that allows for sub-microscopic levels of engineering. It allows amazing feats. of architecture, alternate sources of energy,revolutionizes medicine and allows for new ways to colonize outer space.
Now i'm not talking about the "golden fifties" era of SciFi where everything is sparkly clean and wonderfull. Nanotech would probably cost, cost time,inital rawmaterial and a highly funded braintrust to improve and maintain. This in conjunction with the market crashes (all countries relying on exporting the precious raw-materials go up the yin-yang) the religious implications (you though CLONING had an angry debate about playing god?) and the ...umpleasant warfare possibilites (tailormade dirty bombs, deconstructing nanotech rockets anyone?)
And the base fact that it would planet earth inhabit more people than today. It'd probably overcrowd earth and at best give us more time to go into outer space.
but a man can dream though.
And this is a pretty bitchin' answer too. Shows and amazing understanding of the basic infrastructure of a nation.Hoplon said:
And this is a pretty good idea as well.Sonicron said:As much as I'd love to see power armour, chainswords and boltguns become a reality, I don't want to be responsible for creating tech that'll help destroy the planet even faster.
So, I choose something constructive: Makers.
Maybe this kind of tech has appeared in other sci-fi media, I wouldn't know, I just know it from Transmetropolitan. It's basically a household appliance the size of a stove that creates... well, anything you need in everyday life. Food, drink, clothes etc - pretty much anything that's legal and not specifically trademarked, the maker will create it for you. All it needs is electricity and, of course, matter, be it in the form of high quality and density material or just recyclable garbage, to recombine at the atomic level into whatever pre-loaded configuration you choose.
Basically, instead of chucking most of your garbage in a bin, you can turn it into a delicious ham-n-eggs breakfast.
But my suggestion is one that i'm slightly ambivalent over asking for. I'm keeping it broad like OP asked for, so mine is "Nano-technology". Self replicating Nanites that allows for sub-microscopic levels of engineering. It allows amazing feats. of architecture, alternate sources of energy,revolutionizes medicine and allows for new ways to colonize outer space.
Now i'm not talking about the "golden fifties" era of SciFi where everything is sparkly clean and wonderfull. Nanotech would probably cost, cost time,inital rawmaterial and a highly funded braintrust to improve and maintain. This in conjunction with the market crashes (all countries relying on exporting the precious raw-materials go up the yin-yang) the religious implications (you though CLONING had an angry debate about playing god?) and the ...umpleasant warfare possibilites (tailormade dirty bombs, deconstructing nanotech rockets anyone?)
And the base fact that it would planet earth inhabit more people than today. It'd probably overcrowd earth and at best give us more time to go into outer space.
but a man can dream though.
For me it's honestly a toss-up between FTL Travel and the Future Energy Source. The Energy Source would probably be the most useful right now but FTL drive is frankly a lot cooler and removes one of the largest barriers to space exploration. If I had to choose I guess I'd say FTL Travel.
It's all about solving the energy problem. Create an unlimited energy supply, and most of the things on that list will fall in place quickly. Granted the best source of energy we know of right now (stars), could theoretically be harvested with a dyson sphere, which would require a few other things as well. FTL Travel would certainly make it easier, as well as replicator technology and teleporting to create the sphere, then some way of getting that energy to where it is needed.
If I had to pick a closer to now technology, it would be the space elevator. Create an open door to exploring the galaxy.
If I had to pick a closer to now technology, it would be the space elevator. Create an open door to exploring the galaxy.
All you people saying holodeck are mental, that thing breaks every damn week and nearly kills everyone, why would you ever trust that thing?
Anyway I said FTL, but it was a tough call between that, infinite power and matter replicators. Any one of those on its own would change the world in every way, but FTL is probably the hardest to invent right now.
Anyway I said FTL, but it was a tough call between that, infinite power and matter replicators. Any one of those on its own would change the world in every way, but FTL is probably the hardest to invent right now.
My first thought is the FTL because I'm itching to get off this rock. My second choice would be the holodeck.
The future fuel. All the other stuff is nice, but the future fuel would solve all the world's economic problems and therefore pave the way for better technology. The other stuff couldn't really exist without the future fuel. But then I would choose terraforming because that would be sick.
Other.
A perpetual motion machine that makes electricity.
I'm all for the elimination of at least one of my monthly bills.
A perpetual motion machine that makes electricity.
I'm all for the elimination of at least one of my monthly bills.
Picked other because any list without "Holodecks" is wrong.
FTL is popular but without saying how much faster than light its difficult to say how useful it is. Hell going twice the speed of light, for example, still renders galactic travel a pretty fucking long and a mostly useless endeavour.
Space is big, Really big and REALLY fucking empty.
Honestly I'd say that anything less than 100 times the speed of light would be pointless - And even then we're still talking astronomically long travel times; Going 100 times the speed of light it would still take A THOUSAND YEARS to get from one end of our galaxy to the other. If you go in a straight line and never stop.
Interstellar travel would be a complete waste without at LEAST terraforming also being something we can do.
and for Intersolar travel? The Speed of light is MORE than enough (it takes only a couple of hours to get to Pluto) so no need for FTL for that.
FTL is popular but without saying how much faster than light its difficult to say how useful it is. Hell going twice the speed of light, for example, still renders galactic travel a pretty fucking long and a mostly useless endeavour.
Space is big, Really big and REALLY fucking empty.
Honestly I'd say that anything less than 100 times the speed of light would be pointless - And even then we're still talking astronomically long travel times; Going 100 times the speed of light it would still take A THOUSAND YEARS to get from one end of our galaxy to the other. If you go in a straight line and never stop.
Interstellar travel would be a complete waste without at LEAST terraforming also being something we can do.
and for Intersolar travel? The Speed of light is MORE than enough (it takes only a couple of hours to get to Pluto) so no need for FTL for that.
Synthehol from Star Trek
It is basically alcohol that will not kill you
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Synthehol
It is basically alcohol that will not kill you
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Synthehol
One word. REPLICATORS.
Instant, efortless (and lets hope cheap) way of creating everithing, from tools and clothers to food and medicine.
And with that, Holodecks are just arround the corner (and teleportation, too)
Instant, efortless (and lets hope cheap) way of creating everithing, from tools and clothers to food and medicine.
And with that, Holodecks are just arround the corner (and teleportation, too)
FTL Travel is more scientifically feasible than teleportation I think, so I'm going to go with teleportation. On the other hand even if we had the technology for FTL travel we don't have the materials to withstand it.
Teleportation, IF they manage to solve the problem with killing the original and replacing said person that comes out of the teleporter with a clone.
(And why the hell doesn't spellcheck recognize "Teleportation" yet? It's an established word, god-damnit)
(And why the hell doesn't spellcheck recognize "Teleportation" yet? It's an established word, god-damnit)
Or get you drunk? Basically it's...Well, pretty much alcohol-free alcohol. I.e something that tastes like booze but isn't.Vicarious Reality said:Synthehol from Star Trek
It is basically alcohol that will not kill you
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Synthehol
So, fuck that?