Still Waters Posted January 25, 2013 #1 Share Posted January 25, 2013 A miniature working version of a Star Trek-style "tractor beam" has been invented for the first time by scientists at a Scottish university. Researchers from St Andrews demonstrated that the microscopic-scale apparatus could pull tiny particles suspended in water towards it via a beam of light, rather than push them away as would normally happen. Although scientists have been able to manipulate light in various ways for decades, the experts claim they are the first to build a "tractor beam" which works of its own accord and does not require help from a computer to "trap" objects before shifting them. http://www.telegraph...beam-built.html 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Terreur Posted January 25, 2013 #2 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Star Trek: the best idea-giver science has! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeder Posted January 26, 2013 #3 Share Posted January 26, 2013 (edited) Star Trek: the best idea-giver science has! well its early days yet for the beam, but if they throw enough money and research at it, who knows where it will end up!? Agreed re Star Trek Edited January 26, 2013 by seeder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Terreur Posted January 26, 2013 #4 Share Posted January 26, 2013 well its early days yet for the beam, but if they throw enough money and research at it, who knows where it will end up!? Agreed re Star Trek so far, it got us communicators (cell phones), tractor beams and 3D-Printers....all that other stuff is just a matter of time... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeder Posted January 26, 2013 #5 Share Posted January 26, 2013 so far, it got us communicators (cell phones), tractor beams and 3D-Printers....all that other stuff is just a matter of time... and slidey automatic doors! I still remember the first big tesco's near us got auto doors.. I think I drove them nuts as a kid walking endlessly in and out of them! Feeling like I was on Star Trek! Nowadays there are everywhere... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultima Weapon Posted January 26, 2013 #6 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Star Trek has got to be the greatest (and the nerdiest) scifi ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacques Terreur Posted January 26, 2013 #7 Share Posted January 26, 2013 how could i forget to mention slidey doors????? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Merton Posted January 26, 2013 #8 Share Posted January 26, 2013 and slidey automatic doors! I still remember the first big tesco's near us got auto doors.. I think I drove them nuts as a kid walking endlessly in and out of them! Feeling like I was on Star Trek! Nowadays there are everywhere... The first buildings with escalators arrived in Ho Chi Minh City about ten years ago, and there was a long queue of people wanting to try it out -- over and over. Now of course they are everywhere. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csspwns Posted January 27, 2013 #9 Share Posted January 27, 2013 its in star wars too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerberusxp Posted January 27, 2013 #10 Share Posted January 27, 2013 how could i forget to mention slidey doors????? Swish swish As for tractor beams? A death ray would be easier. I just say come to Papa! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkLord Posted January 28, 2013 #11 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Ah Star Trek the show that keeps on giving. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chopmo Posted January 28, 2013 #12 Share Posted January 28, 2013 (edited) hehe... oh how the future will be like computers are to todays geriachtrics =D I sometimes anticipate going cenile with a hover car I wonder if bath robes will still exist Exciting news though considering it doesn't technically kill the person by transporting them to the ship. Edited January 28, 2013 by chopmo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrant lizard Posted January 28, 2013 #13 Share Posted January 28, 2013 The swish swish door noise was actually a sheet of paper being taken from an envelope... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chooky88 Posted January 28, 2013 #14 Share Posted January 28, 2013 It gave us the Wiggles jerseys too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeder Posted January 28, 2013 #15 Share Posted January 28, 2013 (edited) The swish swish door noise was actually a sheet of paper being taken from an envelope... if you like the star trek sound effects you will love pressing buttons on this page, scroll down for verbals http://www.mediacoll.../star-trek/tos/ Edited January 28, 2013 by seeder 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperdyer Posted February 6, 2013 #16 Share Posted February 6, 2013 As far as the heat generation goes, occassionally a ship caught in a tractor beam would break-up because it couldn't take the beam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starseed hybrid 1111 Posted February 14, 2013 #17 Share Posted February 14, 2013 dude that's awsome i love that movie star trek and i love the design of the gadget and etc.and well everything about it.they should make more of these devices that help humanity not make life worse and etc.i love technology but what i fear is that there are people that use for the opposite of good which is evil like the president and his drone attacks on American people even on non American people all life is precious and beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrooma Posted February 16, 2013 #18 Share Posted February 16, 2013 (edited) there's a link on the same page entitled 'british scientists invent non-melting chocolate hob nob'. where's the fun in that?? '....and the winner of this year's ignobel award is....' Edited February 16, 2013 by shrooma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrooma Posted February 16, 2013 #19 Share Posted February 16, 2013 As far as the heat generation goes, occassionally a ship caught in a tractor beam would break-up because it couldn't take the beam. if it was romulan, who cares....? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysticStrummer Posted February 17, 2013 #20 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Cool, but I'd rather have something like the Holodeck. Rudimentary transporters are being worked on too, though they are only transporting atoms or molecules at this point from what I read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junior Chubb Posted February 17, 2013 #21 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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