Science Fiction Turning Into Science Fact...
Lots of what was previously considered science fiction is now science fact (like instant global communications, space travel, intercontinental air transportation, nuclear power, etc.).
However, it seems some of what is now science fiction is getting closer and closer to science fact all the time. Some of them don't seem as impressive as they really are but consider that the first acknowledged heavier-than-air human flight was only about 100 feet. We went from that to space travel in less than 50 years, so who knows where these will end up...
Optical Invisibility: An optical invisibility "cloak" has already been created that works in 2 dimentions. A 3-dimensional cloak is being worked on at both UC Berkeley and Purdue University. Professor Xiang Zhang, one of the lead researchers, says he expects to be able to provide a practical demonstration "within a few years".
Artificial Intelligence: The Loebner Prize is an annual prize where an AI system tries to pass the Turing test (where a human judge communicates blindly with both a human and an AI, but can't tell the difference). It's been running for nearly 20 years without a clear winner. To win it, an AI must fool 4 out of 12 judges into thinking it's a human. The 2008 "winner" fooled 3.
Teleportation: Already possible with single particles, a team of Australian scientists are devising a system to teleport thousands of particles in one go. They expect to be able to do so routlinely by 2011.
Free Energy: A German physicist has devised a practical means to extract energy from so-called "zero point energy" using what's called the casimir effect. Although it only works on a nanoscopic scale, applications in the field of nanotechnology, and particularily, nanomedicine, are already being considered.
Time Travel: Ronald Mallett, professor of physics at the University of Connecticut, has now perfected what he believes is a valid design for a device that will use circulating beams of light to drag time in a closed loop and use it to send subatomic particles briefly back in time. With funding, he reckons it could be operational in less than a decade.
There are lots more examples too. I'm sure some of them won't pan out but, even if only one of them does, I can't wait to see what they'll be like in 10 years time.
However, it seems some of what is now science fiction is getting closer and closer to science fact all the time. Some of them don't seem as impressive as they really are but consider that the first acknowledged heavier-than-air human flight was only about 100 feet. We went from that to space travel in less than 50 years, so who knows where these will end up...
Optical Invisibility: An optical invisibility "cloak" has already been created that works in 2 dimentions. A 3-dimensional cloak is being worked on at both UC Berkeley and Purdue University. Professor Xiang Zhang, one of the lead researchers, says he expects to be able to provide a practical demonstration "within a few years".
Artificial Intelligence: The Loebner Prize is an annual prize where an AI system tries to pass the Turing test (where a human judge communicates blindly with both a human and an AI, but can't tell the difference). It's been running for nearly 20 years without a clear winner. To win it, an AI must fool 4 out of 12 judges into thinking it's a human. The 2008 "winner" fooled 3.
Teleportation: Already possible with single particles, a team of Australian scientists are devising a system to teleport thousands of particles in one go. They expect to be able to do so routlinely by 2011.
Free Energy: A German physicist has devised a practical means to extract energy from so-called "zero point energy" using what's called the casimir effect. Although it only works on a nanoscopic scale, applications in the field of nanotechnology, and particularily, nanomedicine, are already being considered.
Time Travel: Ronald Mallett, professor of physics at the University of Connecticut, has now perfected what he believes is a valid design for a device that will use circulating beams of light to drag time in a closed loop and use it to send subatomic particles briefly back in time. With funding, he reckons it could be operational in less than a decade.
There are lots more examples too. I'm sure some of them won't pan out but, even if only one of them does, I can't wait to see what they'll be like in 10 years time.
Sal
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Sal
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Sal
When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
Beyond the Path