6 replies to this topic

[Still Waters]

www.smh.com.au said:

Starships, warp speed, transporters, phasers. Think Star Trek technology is only the stuff of fiction? Think again.

Doctor Peter Jansen, a PhD graduate of the Cognitive Science Laboratory at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has developed a scientific measurement device based on the tricorders used by Captain Kirk, Spock, Doctor McCoy and other space adventurers on the classic TV series that has spawned numerous spin-offs in more than 45 years.

"Star Trek inspired me to be a scientist" said Jansen, who has been formally working on his tricorder prototypes since 2007, but toying with the idea of making a functioning device since he was "a kid in high school."

Read more...

[BeastieRunner]

That's really cool.

[Sundew]

It is interesting how many Star Trek devices or procedures have become science fact; energy weapons and scalpels (LASERs), personal communicator (cell phone), computer books/tablets, anti-matter containment, tricorders, cloaking devices, matter transporter. Some of these devices are still in very early stages of development and, no, they don't operate like the ones on "Star Trek" as of yet; the matter transporter has only moved a few atoms or photons, but it's a beginning. The real breakthrough would be space-warp technology, which has been theorized by some scientists as possible, but it's likely centuries away from any practical device, if it is even possible. It might be the only way that we could ever reach another solar system in a reasonable time.

It may be more fantasy than science fiction that we will ever develop inertia dampening fields, tractor beams, "shields", deflectors or artificial gravity as displayed on "Star Trek", but who knows, at one time all the rest of the technology was fantastic. Excuse me, I have to answer my communicator.

[Ad hoc]

seems logical. a process of taking existing technologies, making them more compact, and combining them into one unit or interface. very much a thing of the times.

Edited by ad hoc, 19 April 2012 - 05:44 AM.

[csspwns]

i wonder when could we have time machines and teleporters. probably 10000000AD when im dead and rotting in my grave

[DKO]

Next step the Holo-Deck.  

[Kludge808]

Something I like about this - I like a lot about this - is that he's not trying to hide it but rather has made it open source.  This sets him apart from numerous others who make claims then won't expose them to peer review.  (Cold fusion, anyone?)  This is very much so a "warm fuzzy" in my thinking.  I wonder if there's a list anywhere of other open tech projects like this ...