12 Times Star Trek Predicted The Future

How close are we to creating the future depicted in Star Trek? Well, it’s a progressive, inclusive universe — and the world is getting more inclusive every day (despite any appearances to the contrary). 

The United Federation of Planets doesn’t use money — and why would you when you can just replicate anything you want? The greenback is still king and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, although a few alternate currencies — or at least new ways of looking at currency for a global, digital age, like BitGold — have sprung up. 

We’re not there yet with phasers, teleporters, or replicators, but with a litany of fans in the scientific community saying a collective “make it so,” many of the futuristic visions of the Star Trek universe have become reality — and we’re a lot closer to teleporters and replicators than you might think.

1. Ion Propulsion

Ion engines sound like something straight out of science fiction because they are. NASA uses ion propulsion for its deep space probes, such as the Dawn mission to the dwarf planet Ceres. However, the idea to actually use ion propulsion came from the notorious Star Trek episode “Spock’s Brain.” Marc Rayman, chief engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, first heard about ion engines while watching that episode, and now he’s using them to revolutionize space exploration. They’ll never achieve warp speed or anything, but 112,000 mph isn’t bad!

2. Cell Phones

When Motorola was looking for a way to gain an edge on rival AT&T, they found it in Star Trek. Back in the ’70s Motorola’s chief engineer, Martin Cooper, was working on car phones and not getting anywhere fast. Worse, AT&T were having more luck. But, while watching Captain Kirk on his communicator, Martin made a fateful leap — get the phones out of cars and into hands. Just 90 days later, Martin had his first prototype ready and in early 1973, he made the first public call from a cell phone — to AT&T.

3. Gold-Pressed Latinum

Just because the Federation doesn’t use currency doesn’t mean the rest of the galaxy doesn’t. And the currency of choice is gold-pressed latinum. So maybe we don’t have the latinum bit just yet, but gold has been recognized for its value for thousands of years, so it obviously isn’t going anywhere. Instead, it looks to play a pivotal role in the adoption of digital currencies of the future — like BitGold. It’s not exactly a return to the Gold Standard, but it’s a recognition of gold’s abiding stability and value, and better still, nobody has to haul around gold bars – the app lets you send gold payments within seconds, anywhere on the planet…and beyond.

4. Tricorders

Star Trek had a huge influence on medicine, but the ever-present tricorder is one of the more recent developments. And it’s not actually called a tricorder, but Scanadu’s Scout device does many of the same things. With just a touch to your temple, it can take your blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, and pulse oxymetry, sending the information to a smart phone. Although it’s still waiting for FDA approval, the Scout was available through an Indiegogo campaign for just $199 — for fewer bars of Gold-Pressed Latinum than you would expect to part with for a real, working tricorder.

5. Cyborgs

At this point it’s pretty well singular: Dr. Kevin Warwick of Coventry University in the United Kingdom. In addition to his research on artificial intelligence and robotics, Dr. Warwick is the creative force and test subject behind “Project Cyborg.” In 2002, he received an electrode implant to his nervous system through his arm that he used to control a robotic arm via the Internet. Makes you wonder if maybe we shouldn’t get working on those phasers, just in case…

6. Google Glass

Before the Google Glass, Captain Sisko donned a virtual display device in the war against the Dominion. And yes, Google was inspired by Star Trek. Google vice-president and senior search engineer Amit Singhal cites Star Trek specifically as his driving inspiration. 

7. Non-Invasive Medical Imaging

The Star Trek universe isn’t pain-free, but clearly reducing pain has been a priority. They sensibly showed a commitment to the Hippocratic Oath, first doing no harm by leaving exploratory surgery in the past in favor of non-invasive imaging technology. And, while we haven’t been able to fully do away with exploratory surgery, we’ve certainly been able to reduce it with MRI, CT, PET, and ultrasound scanning devices. 

8. Flatscreens

Flatscreens are everywhere now, but once upon a time, Star Trek could only be watched on bulky, curvy-screened tube TVs — in spite of the fact that the United Federation of Planets used flatscreens exclusively. Frankly, they were long overdue when they finally made it to market. 

9. Tablets

Not only did Star Trek predict personal, handheld computing, but Star Trek: TNG showed tablets as everyday technology aboard the Enterprise, a sort of electronic clipboard/log book/display with a touch screen. The high-powered tablets we use to play Candy Crush today started as a simple, low-budget futuristic prop that grew in its role as the actors used and interacted with them. And, as a bonus, the show also acknowledged that we would one day use fabulous technology to feed a gaming addiction.

10. Bluetooth Earpieces

Before we mistook people for talking to themselves out in public, Nichelle Nichols had to put up with her clunky earpiece as Lt. Uhura. How did that thing not cause neck problems?

11. Hypospray

Even in the future, nobody likes needles. And, once again, the future of medicine is non-invasive. Rather than injecting medications with old-fashioned hypodermic needles, the Federation swears by hyposprays. Now the future of medicine is truly here. Researchers at MIT have developed a hypospray for the 21st century that uses high-pressure jets to administer medicine through the skin. Needle-phobics rejoice!

12. Tractor Beams

Okay, it’s not exactly going to tow a Romulan Warbird into the nearest starbase — or even guide a shuttle into the shuttle bay for that matter — but more MIT researchers have developed a rudimentary tractor beam. They call their invention “optical tweezers” — in a test, the device used a beam of light to pick up, hold, and manipulate individual cells on the surface of a microchip. So it’s still in a microscopic state, but hey, tractor beam. 

Main image via Alpha Memory

Collage image via YouTube / Mikko Reinikainen