The Tart Sci Fi Tech Wish List

Tart Roundtable

By Rebecca Buchanan
August 1, 2006

The Question: Which one piece of advanced technology from any science fiction tv series or movie would you like to see developed in the real world, and why?

Corrina: At first, I was going to say the TARDIS from Dr. Who. A vehicle that can move anywhere in time and space and can also protect its occupants from virtually any harm is something I definitely want for myself.

Except, the question isn't what I want, it's what I would like to see developed in the real world and I don't particularly trust the human race with a TARDIS, so I had to rethink the question. I'd have to say the advanced medical technology from Robert Heinlein's Time Enough for Love. That technology is not only able to cure practically any injury, it's also able to keep a person young and immortal.

Deanna: I'm going with a practical answer here and saying that pretty much any medical technology from Star Trek I'd like to see developed.

While it would be cool to have laser guns or warp drives, I think we could all benefit from machines that can scan our bodies and diagnose and fix diseases immediately. I know at the very least it'd save lives ... and bring down the cost of my monthly health insurance.

Katherine: I'm torn on this one. Faster than light travel and teleportation certainly have their merits, as do the "makers" of Transmetropolitan and the synthesizers found in Star Trek. There would certainly be no shortage of food or medicines, and if both of them can get their raw materials from where I think they can get them from, it certainly represents the ultimate in recycling.

There are times when it would certainly be nice to have phasers (Star Trek), light sabres (Star Wars), or cohe wands (Paratwa stories).

And lord knows there are times I could use some sort of time travel equipment.

But, I think I'm going to go for a very "pedestrian" invention, but one that would make exploration of space much easier (and more healthful) and have several useful applications here on earth. Artificial Gravity — the kind that does not rely on centrifugal force. I mean the kind wherein a specific surface is somehow defined as "down/floor", no matter what the ship is doing.

Kim: My response is similar to Wolfie's; I most want technology that would let me see all my friends and family in far off places — the TARDIS. But then I thought about how that could be a problem if I was using it every day so I could live far from where I work, which I'd like to. Plus, if I was the only one to have one, I'd have to hide it from everyone, or they'd be pestering me to help them move house or something all the time. Or, if we all had them, I can't believe that wouldn't risk some kind of damage to space time. So I'm going back to the transporter idea — clean, rapid transit for all.

Margaret: The universal translator (or babel fish, a la The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). That way I could watch any anime I wanted without worrying about whether or not it had been subbed or dubbed — and without being frustrated by the occasional subtitle malfunction like the one during a showing of The Twelve Kingdoms at AnimeNext in June which so painfully reminded me that I do not actually speak Japanese.

If the universal translator also conferred instant literacy in any language encountered, as I believe such gadgets usually do in both Star Trek and Hitchhiker's Guide, it would be even better. Then I could actually take advantage of all the untranslated manga on sale for three dollars or less at the
Japanese-owned BookOff store just a few blocks from where I work in midtown Manhattan, instead of being unable to read even the titles of the ones whose creators don't incorporate the English-language name of the series into the cover design.

Of course, this technological innovation would also be extremely helpful for real-life travel. Not to mention situations like attempting to explain to the ex-Yugoslavian maintenance man that something is wrong with the sink in the ladies' room at work.

Marissa: I'd go for artificial reality or 'total immersion video games' (from the BBC series Red Dwarf), which steps up from virtual reality games by putting the gamer into a fully-realized artificial world to play in. Sort of like the holodecks in Star Trek: The Next Generation or the cyberpark in the "Legion" episode of Red Dwarf, except that the player doesn't wander around physically in the computer-generated world.

Of course, in the episode "Back to Reality", the crew of the Red Dwarf learns that they've been playing a total immersion RPG for the last four years, in which the people they think they really are turn out to be character outlines for the game ... and that they've completely failed to get the 'good endings' for their characters!

So, y'know, between frittering away years of your life and the necessary ... er ... hookups for food-bags and bio-feedback catheters, artificial reality isn't perfect. But it sure sounds fun in moderation!

Patti: The fold-up-into-a-briefcase spaceships on The Jetsons!

Rebecca: Holodecks. Yeah, okay, I get the addiction danger — but, really, it's only a small proportion of the population that is currently misusing phones or computers. I think most people would behave responsibly.

And come on!! We're talking about being able to live any fantasy you want! Be a character in your favorite book (Robin Hood? Scarlett O'Hara? Ripley?). Change the course of history (think the Romans should have taken on the Aztecs? No problem!). Go on a date with the hunk of your dreams. Talk philosophy with Socrates, war tactics with Sun Tzu. Heck, write your very own holodeck adventure.

Yep. Definitely holodecks.

Sheena: I have to go with teleporters. Travel would be so much quicker! And I (along with many other Star Trek fans) would have to utter the line "Beam me up Scottie". :) As long as they don't work like Wonka-Vision and shrink us!

Wolfie: Wow, that's a toughie. My first thought would be the holodeck technology of Star Trek — imagine being able to walk through your favourite fantasy world, ne? Then again, how would you ever get anyone out of their fantasies? No, it sounds a little too tempting and dangerous to me. A better choice would be Trek's food replicators — we'd never go hungry again, and everything would be recycled! You'd be able to eat your favourite foods with zero effort!

On a personal level, though, I'd rather have a TARDIS. Unlike a Stargate, it can go anywhere, not just where there's another gate. And unlike Trek's transporters, it has long-range capabilities. Plus it has infinite storage capacity! It's like the ultimate RV! Plus you can go visit famous moments in history and see first-hand what's true and what's not! (Of course, there's always a danger of screwing up history, too, so I'd probably stick to seeing things in my own time ....) But above all, there are people I love dearly who live in different places, and I'd like to be able to see any of them whenever I wish!