Reply To: A new way of generating electricity

[Phil’s Dad]

digh wrote:
Science Fiction can help inspire science.

Hear, hear.

I’ve mentioned Jules Verne before. He featured submarines in 1873 and space travel in 1865.

Many stories include electronic paper (even Harry Potter). We now call it an ipad. (Xerox is doing something on a fold-able/pocket-able version too)

Arthur C. Clarke wrote about satellites and is often given credit for first recognizing the geosynchronous orbit. He also talked about space elevators. They get a mention on this forum now and again. Nanotechnology was mentioned in the stories of Richard Feynman. Nanotubes may be the critical material needed to create the space elevator.

Star trek mentions nanotechnology too. MEMS are heading that way. Real transparent aluminum, used by Star Trek to make a tank for saving the whales, got a mention on this forum not so long ago (although as far as I can tell it is completely useless). The Star Trek communicator possibly led to cell phones.

(OT The boss actually said “Beam me up Scotty” in PMQs this week)

The Universal Translator? How about Google Translate? Well maybe not. But Star Trek had AI and cryogenics ahead of the curve. Geo-engineering anyone…

What pleases me though is all these stories and shows recognized that it always was, and still is, about humanity not technology.