'Star Trek' Tech We Use Today (Almost)

Roon

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Wed May-13-09 09:27 PM
Original message

'Star Trek' Tech We Use Today (Almost)

For the past four decades, "Star Trek" has been influencing and predicting new gadgets and technologies. How close are we to Trek-inspired phasers, tricorders and invisibility cloaks?
http://tech.msn.com/products/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=19523950&imageindex=16

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Pacifist Patriot

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Wed May-13-09 11:06 PM
Response to Original message

1. Star Trek had invisibility cloaks? I thought that was Harry Potter.

I'm still waiting for injections that spray into the skin rather than insert a needle. Mind you, that mobile phone thing is stellar!

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sarge43

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Thu May-14-09 06:19 AM
Response to Reply #1

5. Klingons had cloaking tech. Caused Star Fleet a lot of trouble.

Edited on Thu May-14-09 07:12 AM by sarge43

Spray injection has been around since at least the 70's. I have the scar to prove it. If you twitch or jerk while you're being punched, instant incision.

I believe some of the advance med centers have basic bio beds.

Some of the advanced GPS are all for practical purposes primitive sensors, tri-corders. Very soon we'll have ones that do basic weather. Blackberries that will take bp, temperatures, etc. (If we don't already. I can't keep up.)

Cell phones. When I was watching the movie and some one flipped open his communicator, I thought, "I can do that."

(typo)

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Pacifist Patriot

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Thu May-14-09 07:28 AM
Response to Reply #5

7. Ah, I was thinking cloak as in article of clothing. Didn't even think of it in terms of...

"cloaking a ship."

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bikebloke

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Thu May-14-09 11:47 AM
Response to Reply #1

10. I got a jab that way.

In Nepal, we heard about a meningitis outbreak, so went to a clinic for the jab. They had an air gun that sprayed the stuff through the skin.

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sarge43

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Thu May-14-09 12:47 PM
Response to Reply #10

14. They're one of those tech that read better than they live.

They can be dangerous. I've seen a few people cut quite badly and they hurt in any case.

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HiFructosePronSyrup

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Thu May-14-09 12:40 PM
Response to Reply #1

13. The Klingons stole it from Bilbo.

Dr. Spock sang a song about it.

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sarge43

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Thu May-14-09 12:48 PM
Response to Reply #13

15. .....

:spray:

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justabob

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Wed May-13-09 11:22 PM
Response to Original message

2. restaurant patrons THINK we have replicators :)

or so it seems. The age of fast food (I guess) has made people, even smart ones, think that fully prepared food just appears magically (in seconds)... exactly the way their mothers made it. I can't tell you how many customers I have experienced this with, and I work in a cafe with a scary fast and good kitchen.

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DS1

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Wed May-13-09 11:26 PM
Response to Original message

3. new link, starting at one instead of 16 out of 17

http://tech.msn.com/products/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=19523950

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Roon

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Thu May-14-09 12:25 AM
Response to Reply #3

4. Doh!

Thanks for that, DS1.

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LiberalEsto

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Thu May-14-09 07:24 AM
Response to Original message

6. I would love to be able to say: Tea, hot, English Breakfast

and have a perfect cup of tea appear in a replicator whenever I wanted one. With Lactaid milk.

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sarge43

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Thu May-14-09 08:44 AM
Response to Reply #6

8. I'd like the tech that kept everything so clean. n/t

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Robb

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Thu May-14-09 12:35 PM
Response to Reply #8

11. Swarming Roombas, of course

...Roombas powered by dilithium time-space continuums or some crap like that.

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sarge43

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Thu May-14-09 12:38 PM
Response to Reply #11

12. You're fluent in Technobabble. Excellent. n/t

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Thu May-14-09 11:12 AM
Response to Original message

9. i wish my flip-phone made that squeaky noise when i open it to make a call

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