Trekking Technology

Through the fires, wheels, sails, transport and communication, science has now evolved as a new era. Communication and technology has become a part of every person’s universe and, you and I are no exceptions. I could say that it all started with a ‘big bang’, however, for me, it all started with Star Trek.

Star Trek introduced us to communicators, which are now well known devices named ‘cell phones’. The personal computers that we use in everyday work, originated as a spark of an idea in the popular continuing series as well. To track a location, technology has developed a Global Positioning System, which now adorns our automobiles, for when we need to find our way. A sliding door for when we walk in and a tablet to play all our favorite android games on, today’s technology has it all. However, what is surprising is that it all existed once before. It all started in 1966, almost 47 years ago, by a television series, Star Trek.

With the world progressing at today’s pace, it is evident that new inventions are still being made at this very moment. However, the question that arises is - what next?

We can cure world hunger by an innovative technology such as replicators. Replicators are a device which can replicate any known material thing. One can easily imagine replicating food and clothes and sending that to the less fortunate. However, for that, the man must not be as selfish as he is today. It may as well be seen possible in the near future, for scientists have developed a hamburger from lab grown meat.

The most famous device anyone could ever think of is probably a transporter. Every generation has seen transporters in fiction. Whether it is star trek or an episode of Doraemon, it is amazing to think that one could travel miles with the snap of their fingers. The possible drawbacks of this are there, of course, just as they are with any other technology. There is a possibility that our limbs may not materialize the same way or that we may lose a part of ourselves at one place whilst the rest of us is elsewhere.

With the excess of everyday traffic, we could help lower it by travelling in space. We could have our own space travelers and travel like the Jetsons. This would not only lower the traffic levels but would make travelling possible at a much faster speed. After reading about the flying car in Harry Potter, it is believable that a transport system such as that may exist some day.

If it was at all possible, and one could find a way to efficiently dispose off nuclear waste, nuclear reactors could be a common thing. They could be used to run cities and towns efficiently. And hence, we could shake hands with an epoch of zero power cuts.

Frequent visit to our doctors is essential to maintain proper health. Per contra, it is not always that the disease is diagnosed. Now, one can imagine a device which can check and diagnose any problem with the patient by just a sample study of their blood. It may be possible that such a device may put doctors out of work, but would still be efficient for the people who need to test medication to get healthy.

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody showed a possibility of linking twins. By eating a certain sweet, their thoughts and actions became one. It also introduced that by eating a certain type of meal, humans would be able to communicate with whales. We can imagine a device such as that being formed. With the help of this device, an individual could speak with various other mammals, reptiles and birds. This could contribute to a harmonious society. It would also tell us what these species other than us think of.

There is another device whose invention excites me. Imagine a device which looks similar to a wristband that could send waves to control our brain. These waves would sort out and act as an ‘antivirus’ for our brain. It would help filter our thoughts, sort them into separate folders, and these folders could be accessed when required. By the help of these, we could stay focused on the task at hand and not let our emotions disturb our logic.

However, at this rate of technological advancement, it is essential to look at the environment around us. Filling up with smoke and dust, the acid rains and the increasing global warming is a threat to the biotic society. To cure global warming, inventors could work forth to develop artificial ozone. This layer could then be stretched in the stratosphere as per the human requirements. This would not only help survival, but will also make Earth a healthy place to live on once again.

Necessity is the mother of all inventions. These inventions, not only make life easier but also help in laying a good foundation for new seeds to be planted. For this reason, just as Kurt Vonnegut has said, “We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.”