The future of technology in Sci Fi

[BillTre]

How about something we could use to terraform Earth?

Bacteria, fungi, soil nematodes, and tardagrades (if terrestrial).

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

Sounds great if I'm a star-nosed mole.

 

[BillTre]

Star-nosed moles are pretty cute!
They could evolve to run the planet!

 

[hsdrop]

I'd say (almost) perfect insulation is here already ...

wow just wow now that some real life sci fi made real all i can say is wow lol

 

[EnumaElish]

Off-topic Post

Star-nosed moles are pretty cute!
They could evolve to run the planet!

A friend recently sent around an e-mail with the subject line “lost cat bulletin.” Open the message and — gack! — there was a head-on shot of a star-nosed mole, its “Dawn of the Dead” digging claws in full view and its hallmark nasal boutonniere of 22 highly sensitive feelers looking like fresh bits of sirloin being extruded through a meat grinder.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/science/10ugly.html?8dpc&_r=0

Is there an evolutionary reason why I find some features attractive and others repugnant? Would such preferences have been adaptive in our ancestors? Those questions are the bailiwick of evolutionary psychology. And although answers are elusive—and indeed, may be forever beyond our grasp—it’s fun to think about these things.

Although Steve Gould was an implacable enemy of sociobiology, he sometimes indulged in evolutionary psychologizing. In one of his more famous essays, “A biological homage to Mickey Mouse” (free online) [BAD LINK?], Gould noted that over the fifty years since his creation, the image of Mickey had evolved from a rather etiolated rodential form into a squat creature with a big head, big eyes, and short limbs, which were made to seem even shorter but putting them in clothes. Here’s a figure from Gould’s essay (do read it: it’s blessedly free of the can't and pomposity that plagued his later efforts):

https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/why-are-animals-cute/

 

[hsdrop]

hey does anyone watch Rwby i know it not hard core sci-fi but i would love to try to build a fully functional Crescent Rose (Rwby's closable high impact sniper scythe)

and please if you have no idea what I'm referring to don't hesitate to look the web base show up on youtube i can only hope that you will be as in awww of the show as i am

 

[ohwilleke]

My wife was telling me about a man and woman who met at a ComiCon. She was from France and spoke no English. He was an American and spoke no English. Just American. But they did have language in common, Klingon. They used that to communicate until they learned each other's language, and got married.

/anecdote.

One of the members of the couple that raised their kid to speak Klingon as a first language is a passing acquaintance of mine.

 

[ohwilleke]

* I want a compact brain scanner that could convert the electromagnetic activity in your brain into a realized multi-sensory (at least 3D visual that could feed into a 3D printer, and sound, and perhaps more) of what somebody is trying to imagine. For example, suppose you saw the guy who jacked your car and would recognize him anywhere and would recognize his voice, but you lack the artistic and vocal skills to recreate that image yourself which would allow somebody who knew the perp to ID him. With this tool, the image and sound could be directly plucked out of your brain without the witness having to have any personal skill.

* I want a little non-humanoid robot in my car that recharges from the generator while the car is running, pops out of a little door the size of your gas tank door when you park, gives your grimy windows and car exteriors a sponge bath (with an environmentally safe antifreeze fluid), wrings out the dirt on the ground, and then climbs back into its little door, closes the door and turns itself off. Basically a squeegee bot. The deluxe version would wax the car too.

* I want a mouth wash that she swish once that prevents you from ever getting cavities again (this technology is almost ready for prime time).

* I want bioengineered mythical and extinct creatures. Give me dragons. Give me winged micro-horses (cube-square scaling makes them impossible at full size). Give me unicorns. Give me three headed dogs. Give me dinosaurs. Give me dire wolves. Give me Thylacoleo. Give me reptiles with three functioning eyes like the ancestors of the tuatara had.

* I want a payment system that relies exclusively on your driver's license or ID without the need for credit cards, loyalty cards, gift cards, debit and ATM cards, tickets for events, etc. (I was a big fan going one step further with biometric ID methods, until I realized that if somebody hacks your biometric data, which is surprisingly easy to do, it is very hard to get a new one.)

* I want a key fob that glows if there is a human sized living being behind the door you are about to open, or around the corner in the dark alley that you are approaching, or behind the car next to yours in the parking lot at 2 a.m.

* I want a fire alarm that can tell the difference between burned popcorn in the microwave and a house fire.

* I want a game where the "ball" moves of its own power like a Golden Snitch.

* I want a suit or shield that magnetically deflects bullets like the one the cop from the future in Continuum has. Indeed, pretty much all of her gadgets are pretty cool.

* I want a podium that uses sound to identify any bullet fired in its vicinity, that upon hearing a shot has a laser pop out and fry the bullet in mid-flight in an instant before it can hit anyone.

* I want grocery stores that deliver ultra-fresh fish and meat by importing it live and then slaughtering it when a customer orders it (sort of like restaurant lobster tanks but generalized).

* I want a medium sized airship that can swoop down on a car wreck on an interstate highway during rush hour, take a date stamped high resolution holographic picture of the scene in more wavelengths than the human eye can see plus a sonar or radar scan to overcome line of sight issues in a mere instant, grab two or three crashed vehicles with giant claws, and then vacuum up all the spilled fluids and smaller debris, in a process that takes just a few minutes, after which it deposits the cars in an impound lot and takes on the next gridlock inducing traffic accident.

* I want a pipeline/tanker truck/tanker ship/tanker train additive that acts like a self-clotting agent that self-seals leaks upon exposure to air and then can easily be removed with some sort of filter when the fluid reaches its destination.

* I want a word processor with the compatibility of Microsoft Word but the design sensibilities of an Apple product that has all the options I want and none of the options that I don't want, without having to spend hours customizing the program and building templates.

* I want a laundry machine that I can load once, which then washes with an automatically selected ideal combination of the right kinds of detergent/fabric softener/bleach and then drys your clothes without having to be transferred to another machine (I've actually seen something close but so some reason they are very rare).

* I want a newspaper-like product accessible via a web browser that omits the kinds of stories I don't like, and priorities the stories that I do like in a way that aggregates all available versions of a breaking news story with novel content on the web (including linkable profiles to people mentioned, etc.) while eliminating duplication and purging outdated information.

* I want a food ordering/delivery app that works like a Pandora radio station, starting with a few seed preferences and then evolving to learn your preferences over time while randomizing what you will eat on any given day and inserting novel options similar to things you have liked in the past, to give you some variety. It would have "meal" or "snack" buttons that you could choose from, would consider time of day and your recent history of orders, would flash its top choice which you could thumb up or down, and then automatically order your foot with a linked credit card account from the food providers delivery service or a third party delivery service based upon whatever option was better, tip appropriately and direct the food to be delivered to where ever you happen to be at the moment. Optional features could activate pre-set types of dietary restrictions or styles of diets (e.g. South Beach, low fat, Kosher, vegetarian, vegan, etc.).

* I want a water-proof, shatter resistant Kindle and phone.

* I want a Roomba-like robot that not only mows the lawn, but also fertilizes it, aerates it, edges, and waters the lawn, even if you lawn has steep slopes and shallow ditches and shrubs and trees and flower gardens in the way.

* I want an emissions testing service that comes to you instead of requiring you to come to the vehicle.

* I want a small drone that intentionally crashed into tree branches hard enough to knock off snow that could break the branches but gently enough not to break the branches itself, that could deal with block after block of trees so people wouldn't have to go out and shake the trees or hit them with brooms during spring and autumn snow storms. It should be capable of working in rather high winds.

* I want the equivalent of top of the line TV dinners that don't have to be refrigerated until they are cooked and can be heated up in a microwave.

* I want an alcohol substitute that can be taken by people who are pregnant, or nursing, or on prescription drugs that aren't compatible with alcohol, that still helps people loosen up and relax and still tastes good.

* I want a small microwave oven that can be folded up and put in a backpack to take with you camping that has its own high energy density power source.

* I want a pill you could take every month or three that gives your gut bacteria a tune up that makes it optimal compared to whatever you have going on at the time in your digestive tract.

* I want a device similar to a birth control implant that could be implanted under your skin for prescription opioid users and heroin addicts that would automatically release naloxone into the system of the person with the implant in the event that the narcotics in the person's system reached life threatening overdose levels. A similar deliver system could be used in lieu of an epipen that would deliver epineprine into the system of someone with a life threatening allergy when it senses biomarkers in someone's body that signal that a severe allergic reaction is in progress.

* I want a lab on a credit card style device the size of a pack of cards with a needle on the end that could be plunged into someone's blood stream to determine what kind of venom or poison or drug OD was in a person's system in just a few seconds so that a first responder or trained amateur could determine which of a portfolio of anti-venoms and poison antidotes that come in a kit with the diagnostic tool that responder should administer to the person at risk and in what dose. These kits could be positioned in public places in a manner similar to automated external defibrillators are today at places like stadiums, airports, first responder vehicles and so on.

* I want a substance that could be delivered by syringe or a tranquilizer dart type contraption that rather the rendering someone unconscious would be milder and simply chemically suppress anger, fear, rage and similar intense emotions that are likely to lead to violence or self-harm, while reducing the risk of death from an overdose of the substance.

* I want a gun-like device that would go behind the front grill of a police car that would shoot a strong, very hard to remove (without the right specialized chemical solvent) adhesive covered GPS tracking device at a vehicle in front of the police car that it was pursuing so that the car in question could be located even if it eluded pursuit or the police car called off the chase to protect innocent bystanders. A handheld version could be made available to police and security personnel to track fleeing individuals. The impacts would be designed to not be noticeable to the person being pursued in the heat of their flight. Similar devices could also be useful for military forward observers tagging enemy vehicles or personnel for strikes by smart ordinance of some kind.

* I want shirts with a coating that automatically release deodorant into your armpits when you sweat, and similar automatic release stink neutralizer chemicals for shoes.

* I want a trout sized drone that a fisherman could drop into a lake or river that would roam around and identify the most promising fishing spots that would report back to a smart phone app. A variant of the drone/app pair could be used for search and rescue by lifeguards or other first responders in the event of a suspected drowning or if there was a suspected body underwater that needed to be retrieved.

 

[ohwilleke]

* I want a microphone connected to a sound analyzer that can distinguish between the sounds people make normally and the sounds that people usually make only when they are in a state of genuine distress that could automatically summon help and provide an audio feed to a dispatcher when emergency situations arise. This could be used for everything from baby monitors to an alternative to the "blue light" phones in deserted areas of parking lots and college campuses.

* I want a prime time reality TV show that features airborne drone battles.

* I want a smart phone app that delivers opera translations in real time to members of the audience, without the need for expensive seat back or overhead translation screens.

* I want a ring or necklace that people with a history of mental health problems or hearing impairments or other invisible vulnerabilities that would automatically send alerts to the smart phones of police and other first responders identifying the person's name and condition with an up to date photo to prevent confusion with the wrong person that would then provide the top few tips for handling these situations to the responders. For example, a cop who was familiar with how to handle autistic teens dropped down and started doing pushups near him knowing that the teen would likely imitate him and be distracted from his current threatening course of behavior, but most responding law enforcement officers wouldn't know that unless this high tech medic alert system gave them tips on how to handle the situation, turning them into instant experts.

* I want one or two passenger un-piloted air taxi aircraft with a range comparable to commercial aircraft that can take off from and land at general aviation airports.

 

[hsdrop]

lol practising for book length thread writing lol

 

[Ryan_m_b]

The future is here...

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Also as an admin note: This thread is for posting about technology from science fiction that you would like to see invented or for posting links showing such technology might be around soon. When you make a post at the very least reference the franchise you're taking it from, or post a relevant link. Posting simply speculative technologies that you would like will eventually run afoul of our rules and result in a thread lock.

 

[hsdrop]

* I want a compact brain scanner that could convert the electromagnetic activity in your brain into a realized multi-sensory (at least 3D visual that could feed into a 3D printer, and sound, and perhaps more) of what somebody is trying to imagine. For example, suppose you saw the guy who jacked your car and would recognize him anywhere and would recognize his voice, but you lack the artistic and vocal skills to recreate that image yourself which would allow somebody who knew the perp to ID him. With this tool, the image and sound could be directly plucked out of your brain without the witness having to have any personal skill.

* I want a little non-humanoid robot in my car that recharges from the generator while the car is running, pops out of a little door the size of your gas tank door when you park, gives your grimy windows and car exteriors a sponge bath (with an environmentally safe antifreeze fluid), wrings out the dirt on the ground, and then climbs back into its little door, closes the door and turns itself off. Basically a squeegee bot. The deluxe version would wax the car too.

* I want a mouth wash that she swish once that prevents you from ever getting cavities again (this technology is almost ready for prime time).

* I want bioengineered mythical and extinct creatures. Give me dragons. Give me winged micro-horses (cube-square scaling makes them impossible at full size). Give me unicorns. Give me three headed dogs. Give me dinosaurs. Give me dire wolves. Give me Thylacoleo. Give me reptiles with three functioning eyes like the ancestors of the tuatara had.

* I want a payment system that relies exclusively on your driver's license or ID without the need for credit cards, loyalty cards, gift cards, debit and ATM cards, tickets for events, etc. (I was a big fan going one step further with biometric ID methods, until I realized that if somebody hacks your biometric data, which is surprisingly easy to do, it is very hard to get a new one.)

* I want a key fob that glows if there is a human sized living being behind the door you are about to open, or around the corner in the dark alley that you are approaching, or behind the car next to yours in the parking lot at 2 a.m.

* I want a fire alarm that can tell the difference between burned popcorn in the microwave and a house fire.

* I want a game where the "ball" moves of its own power like a Golden Snitch.

* I want a suit or shield that magnetically deflects bullets like the one the cop from the future in Continuum has. Indeed, pretty much all of her gadgets are pretty cool.

* I want a podium that uses sound to identify any bullet fired in its vicinity, that upon hearing a shot has a laser pop out and fry the bullet in mid-flight in an instant before it can hit anyone.

* I want grocery stores that deliver ultra-fresh fish and meat by importing it live and then slaughtering it when a customer orders it (sort of like restaurant lobster tanks but generalized).

* I want a medium sized airship that can swoop down on a car wreck on an interstate highway during rush hour, take a date stamped high resolution holographic picture of the scene in more wavelengths than the human eye can see plus a sonar or radar scan to overcome line of sight issues in a mere instant, grab two or three crashed vehicles with giant claws, and then vacuum up all the spilled fluids and smaller debris, in a process that takes just a few minutes, after which it deposits the cars in an impound lot and takes on the next gridlock inducing traffic accident.

* I want a pipeline/tanker truck/tanker ship/tanker train additive that acts like a self-clotting agent that self-seals leaks upon exposure to air and then can easily be removed with some sort of filter when the fluid reaches its destination.

* I want a word processor with the compatibility of Microsoft Word but the design sensibilities of an Apple product that has all the options I want and none of the options that I don't want, without having to spend hours customizing the program and building templates.

* I want a laundry machine that I can load once, which then washes with an automatically selected ideal combination of the right kinds of detergent/fabric softener/bleach and then drys your clothes without having to be transferred to another machine (I've actually seen something close but so some reason they are very rare).

* I want a newspaper-like product accessible via a web browser that omits the kinds of stories I don't like, and priorities the stories that I do like in a way that aggregates all available versions of a breaking news story with novel content on the web (including linkable profiles to people mentioned, etc.) while eliminating duplication and purging outdated information.

* I want a food ordering/delivery app that works like a Pandora radio station, starting with a few seed preferences and then evolving to learn your preferences over time while randomizing what you will eat on any given day and inserting novel options similar to things you have liked in the past, to give you some variety. It would have "meal" or "snack" buttons that you could choose from, would consider time of day and your recent history of orders, would flash its top choice which you could thumb up or down, and then automatically order your foot with a linked credit card account from the food providers delivery service or a third party delivery service based upon whatever option was better, tip appropriately and direct the food to be delivered to where ever you happen to be at the moment. Optional features could activate pre-set types of dietary restrictions or styles of diets (e.g. South Beach, low fat, Kosher, vegetarian, vegan, etc.).

* I want a water-proof, shatter resistant Kindle and phone.

* I want a Roomba-like robot that not only mows the lawn, but also fertilizes it, aerates it, edges, and waters the lawn, even if you lawn has steep slopes and shallow ditches and shrubs and trees and flower gardens in the way.

* I want an emissions testing service that comes to you instead of requiring you to come to the vehicle.

* I want a small drone that intentionally crashed into tree branches hard enough to knock off snow that could break the branches but gently enough not to break the branches itself, that could deal with block after block of trees so people wouldn't have to go out and shake the trees or hit them with brooms during spring and autumn snow storms. It should be capable of working in rather high winds.

* I want the equivalent of top of the line TV dinners that don't have to be refrigerated until they are cooked and can be heated up in a microwave.

* I want an alcohol substitute that can be taken by people who are pregnant, or nursing, or on prescription drugs that aren't compatible with alcohol, that still helps people loosen up and relax and still tastes good.

* I want a small microwave oven that can be folded up and put in a backpack to take with you camping that has its own high energy density power source.

* I want a pill you could take every month or three that gives your gut bacteria a tune up that makes it optimal compared to whatever you have going on at the time in your digestive tract.

* I want a device similar to a birth control implant that could be implanted under your skin for prescription opioid users and heroin addicts that would automatically release naloxone into the system of the person with the implant in the event that the narcotics in the person's system reached life threatening overdose levels. A similar deliver system could be used in lieu of an epipen that would deliver epineprine into the system of someone with a life threatening allergy when it senses biomarkers in someone's body that signal that a severe allergic reaction is in progress.

* I want a lab on a credit card style device the size of a pack of cards with a needle on the end that could be plunged into someone's blood stream to determine what kind of venom or poison or drug OD was in a person's system in just a few seconds so that a first responder or trained amateur could determine which of a portfolio of anti-venoms and poison antidotes that come in a kit with the diagnostic tool that responder should administer to the person at risk and in what dose. These kits could be positioned in public places in a manner similar to automated external defibrillators are today at places like stadiums, airports, first responder vehicles and so on.

* I want a substance that could be delivered by syringe or a tranquilizer dart type contraption that rather the rendering someone unconscious would be milder and simply chemically suppress anger, fear, rage and similar intense emotions that are likely to lead to violence or self-harm, while reducing the risk of death from an overdose of the substance.

* I want a gun-like device that would go behind the front grill of a police car that would shoot a strong, very hard to remove (without the right specialized chemical solvent) adhesive covered GPS tracking device at a vehicle in front of the police car that it was pursuing so that the car in question could be located even if it eluded pursuit or the police car called off the chase to protect innocent bystanders. A handheld version could be made available to police and security personnel to track fleeing individuals. The impacts would be designed to not be noticeable to the person being pursued in the heat of their flight. Similar devices could also be useful for military forward observers tagging enemy vehicles or personnel for strikes by smart ordinance of some kind.

* I want shirts with a coating that automatically release deodorant into your armpits when you sweat, and similar automatic release stink neutralizer chemicals for shoes.

* I want a trout sized drone that a fisherman could drop into a lake or river that would roam around and identify the most promising fishing spots that would report back to a smart phone app. A variant of the drone/app pair could be used for search and rescue by lifeguards or other first responders in the event of a suspected drowning or if there was a suspected body underwater that needed to be retrieved.

ok all of this is grate ideas. do you have any ideas or way to get them to happen??

 

[DaveC426913]

None of those things hold a candle to my sci-fi fantasy - which is way out there.

In my future, we have no new advances in any technology - but current technology we do have works.

My cellphone doesn't go belly up if I look at it wrong.
My PVR records shows from when they start until when they end - not two minutes before.
My computer has software that does what I expect it to do, when expect it to do it - and no more.
My hot water facuet put out hot water. My cold water faucet puts out cold water. A combination of the two puts out water of a commensurate temperature.
My thermostat has increments that roughly match the actual temperature, not requiring a pair of nano-tweezers nad microscope to raise the room temp by one degree.
My clock radio has buttons that I can actually use to program the alarm for the right wake up time.
My printer doesn't forget where the network is every two days.
My modem doesn't need to be rebooted weekly.
My USB goes into the slot in the correct orientation on the first try, not the second, or inexplicably, the third.

Admin note: on-topic, since these are definitely science-fiction, definitely desirable, definitely beyond today's technology. Franchise: real-life.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

None of those things hold a candle to my sci-fi fantasy - which is way out there.

In my future, we have no new advances in any technology - but current technology we do have works.

My cellphone doesn't go belly up if I look at it wrong.
My PVR records shows from when they start until when they end - not two minutes before.
My computer has software that does what I expect it to do, when expect it to do it - and no more.
My hot water facuet put out hot water. My cold water faucet puts out cold water. A combination of the two puts out water of a commensurate temperature.
My thermostat has increments that roughly match the actual temperature, not requiring a pair of nano-tweezers nad microscope to raise the room temp by one degree.
My clock radio has buttons that I can actually use to program the alarm for the right wake up time.
My printer doesn't forget where the network is every two days.
My modem doesn't need to be rebooted weekly.
My USB goes into the slot in the correct orientation on the first try, not the second, or inexplicably, the third.

Admin note: on-topic, since these are definitely science-fiction, definitely desirable, definitely beyond today's technology. Franchise: real-life.

Just put the raised logo on the top and it will usually fit. If it doesn't remember that you have to put them in the other way 'round.

 

[DaveC426913]

Just put the raised logo on the top

So it requires, not 20, but 40% of my sensory input channels just to stick a plug in a socket.

 

[hsdrop]

None of those things hold a candle to my sci-fi fantasy - which is way out there.

In my future, we have no new advances in any technology - but current technology we do have works.

My cellphone doesn't go belly up if I look at it wrong.
My PVR records shows from when they start until when they end - not two minutes before.
My computer has software that does what I expect it to do, when expect it to do it - and no more.
My hot water facuet put out hot water. My cold water faucet puts out cold water. A combination of the two puts out water of a commensurate temperature.
My thermostat has increments that roughly match the actual temperature, not requiring a pair of nano-tweezers nad microscope to raise the room temp by one degree.
My clock radio has buttons that I can actually use to program the alarm for the right wake up time.
My printer doesn't forget where the network is every two days.
My modem doesn't need to be rebooted weekly.
My USB goes into the slot in the correct orientation on the first try, not the second, or inexplicably, the third.

Admin note: on-topic, since these are definitely science-fiction, definitely desirable, definitely beyond today's technology. Franchise: real-life.

omgs i love it i could not stop smiling and giggling to myself and yes all of them count as fiction science

 

[hsdrop]

Just put the raised logo on the top and it will usually fit. If it doesn't remember that you have to put them in the other way 'round.

that is so not true the cable is absolute proof of 4th demichel space in our universe

 

[Filip Larsen]

My USB goes into the slot in the correct orientation on the first try, not the second, or inexplicably, the third.

A desire shared by many I believe, including me. I understand that a solution is underway for both USB and for Apple gear so now its hopefully just a matter time until the universe is back at its normal number of perceivable dimensions.

On the other hand, there ought to be basis for at least an Ig Noble Price for solving why it often takes three tries to insert a standard USB ...

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

I would really like to hear from everyone about their favorite sci fi gadget or tech. That could or has become a real life gadget or tech. For example the star trek communicator was the base idea for the flip cell phone. Also if the gadget or tech had not been invented yet you can share any ideas of how you would make it work.

Picture a station built on top of Kilimanjaro where people could catch an elevator to space, and another at Cerro Guagua Pichincha*. People go up one side and come down the other. We climb out of the deepest part of Earth's gravity well without the horrendous amount of effort needed now. That would be sweet.

*Both near the Equator to give maximum elevation from existing terrestrial features.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

A desire shared by many I believe, including me. I understand that a solution is underway for both USB and for Apple gear so now its hopefully just a matter time until the universe is back at its normal number of perceivable dimensions.

On the other hand, there ought to be basis for at least an Ig Noble Price for solving why it often takes three tries to insert a standard USB ...

I recently got a USB cable with a flared piece behind the end (for grasping with thumb and finger). This positive feedback or similar should be built into the cables.

 

[ohwilleke]

If we are using cables for anything but supplying power in the future, I will be gravely disappointed.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

If we are using cables for anything but supplying power in the future, I will be gravely disappointed.

Good for preventing interception of data.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Also as an admin note: This thread is for posting about technology from science fiction that you would like to see invented or for posting links showing such technology might be around soon. When you make a post at the very least reference the franchise you're taking it from, or post a relevant link. Posting simply speculative technologies that you would like will eventually run afoul of our rules and result in a thread lock.

It's been 11 post since this request and none have discussed or linked to science fiction media. Because this thread is popular I'll give it one more chance but can everyone kindly re-read the subforum rules and understand that this is a place for discussing or developing science fiction media. It is not a free-for-all subforum for futurism.

 

[Filip Larsen]

Right, so to get back on the sci-fi track, I would give a high probability to computers becoming "directly" interfaced to the human brain and perhaps even develop into something as common as the smartphone is today. The enabling technology seems to be neural interfacing, and nano-scale low-power computing. While the former seems to be right around the corner in form of mind-controlled prosthetics, the later may be possible with technology like IBM's True North chip or perhaps with bio-computers. Once enabled we might get functions ranging from simple SMS-like communication features (as described in Oath of Fealty) up to full "body function assist" ("neural nanonics" as described in The Night's Dawn trilogy and in other stories of Peter F. Hamilton).

In fact, I am very fond of Hamilton's detailed technological and sociological description a wide range of possible "outcomes" regarding integration of computers and the human brain. He has given so many variations that at least one of them is bound to end up becoming reality one day