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THESE 7 “STAR TREK” TECHNOLOGIES MAY SOON BECOME REALITY
CHRISTOPHER PLAIN·AUGUST 24, 2021
FEATURESIDEASSCIENCEWhen the iconic science fiction television show
Star Trek first premiered in 1966, humanity had yet to walk on the moon, and things like cell phones and the internet were still decades away from becoming more or less ubiquitous.
Still, the groundbreaking show, which evolved into numerous movies and follow-up series, not to mention an entire cult following of dedicated fans, also featured an array of futuristic weapons, ships, and devices to go along with the countless habitable worlds explored by the starship
U.S.S. Enterprise and its intrepid crew.
This included things like Photon Torpedoes, Food Replicators, Warp Drives, Phasers, Life Sign Detectors, Tractor Beams, Transporters, and even a Universal Translator, all of which added to the forward-looking and visionary aspect of the entire Star Trek universe.
In the nearly six decades since, a series of real-world scientific advancements have brought a number of those devices and technologies closer to reality, while some others like cell phones and talking computer interfaces are already part of our everyday 21st-century universe.
Here, we look at seven of those technologies that may one day move from fiction to reality.