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.”
