Inventions of the future

Firewalkwithme · 22-07-2005 2:00pm #1

What invention, that has not yet been invented, do you think would make the biggest change to the world if it was available today?

I'd choose either time travel or teleportation.

For example, with teleportation, if it were widely available things like immigration, hunger and war / terror attacks would all be greatly affected. What if it were possible to teleport a bomb to anywhere in the world? Or food, people, goods, anything at all.

As for time travel, well it's far more unlikely that this will ever be truely possible but when you see things like the Hubble deep field image that showed all the galaxies just after the Big Bang, you are essentially looking back through time. What if it were possible to point a camera at any point in space (even somewhere on Earth), choose the time you want to view and begin watching full motion video of that point in time and space. Now that would be pretty cool IMO.

Sparky · 22-07-2005 2:01pm

Despatch wrote:

What invention, that has not yet been invented, do you think would make the biggest change to the world if it was available today?

I'd choose either time travel or teleportation.

For example, with teleportation, if it were widely available things like immigration, hunger and war / terror attacks would all be greatly affected. What if it were possible to teleport a bomb to anywhere in the world? Or food, people, goods, anything at all.

As for time travel, well it's far more unlikely that this will ever be truely possible but when you see things like the Hubble deep field image that showed all the galaxies just after the Big Bang, you are essentially looking back through time. What if it were possible to point a camera at any point in space (even somewhere on Earth), choose the time you want to view and begin watching full motion video of that point in time and space. Now that would be pretty cool IMO.

The flying car, no more traffic.

Firewalkwithme · 22-07-2005 2:02pm

Sparky_S wrote:

The flying car, no more traffic.

Yeah but you'd still have to find a parking space

The Gnome · 22-07-2005 2:08pm

The replicator things (from star trek not sg1). Make anything, anytime! Woo!

Firewalkwithme · 22-07-2005 2:10pm

The Gnome wrote:

The replicator things (from star trek not sg1). Make anything, anytime! Woo!

Yeah they're cool, I was kinda assuming that they'd be part of the whole teleportation package though, forgot to mention that.

If they existed the world most likely end up in anarchy.

HarryHoudini · 22-07-2005 2:11pm

Without a doubt it will be the transmogrifier, and years from now we'll all be thinking back on how we got by without one.

full forward · 22-07-2005 2:13pm

teleportation would be the big one. It would mean we could all holiday on Mars once someone put a telleporter up there. It would change surgery. A tumor could be just beamed out of a person with no cutting. A baby could be beamed from the womb. THere would be no need for cars, plains or public transport. THere would be no need to go to the shop as goods could be beamed directly to your house.

Did you every wonder why there are no toilets on star trek? They dont need em. They just beam it out of there!

Megatron · 22-07-2005 2:13pm

Despatch wrote:

Yeah they're cool, I was kinda assuming that they'd be part of the whole teleportation package though, forgot to mention that.

If they existed the world most likely end up in anarchy.

unfortuantly it wont' ever happen.

Look at teh hisenburg ( spelling) theory.

In one esp of star trek ( next gen) they even put it in as a inside joke

"Rerouting the patter through the Hisenburg compensations ... image is stablising ... Captin i have him"

"Very good Mr. O'brien"

Firewalkwithme · 22-07-2005 2:13pm

HarryHoudini wrote:

Without a doubt it will be the transmogrifier, and years from now we'll all be thinking back on how we got by without one.

What does a transmogrifier do exactly?

Oh, I thought of another one - a female comedian (comedienne or whatever it is) except she's not an ordinary female comedian, she's funny

simu · 22-07-2005 2:14pm

Some Spacely Sprockets would always be handy!

The Gnome · 22-07-2005 2:14pm

Actually maybe the replicators aren't such a good idea. You'd need a licence, there'd be a tonne of legislation and "The Man" would squeeze the fun out of them.

Firewalkwithme · 22-07-2005 2:15pm

full forward wrote:

Did you every wonder why there are no toilets on star trek? They dont need em. They just beam it out of there!

That's pure genius

full forward · 22-07-2005 2:18pm

Despatch wrote:

That's pure genius

Why thank you. Its funny cos its poo.

juno75 · 22-07-2005 2:26pm

A Blaster. All my life I wanted one. To do good with of course

http://www.starwars.com/databank/technology/blaster/

rubadub · 22-07-2005 2:31pm

Your not going to see teleportation, or a funny comedienne in your lifetime so what about real possibilities.

A tv that detects when ads are on and starts flicking to other channels that do not have ads on. Everybody does it already manually, but it should detect when your program is back on and flick back automatically. Totally possible invention, videos that detect ads are out a good while.

Music search engine that you can just hum a song into and it will find it.

Sarky · 22-07-2005 2:36pm

I'm still waiting for the French to perfect a pair of self-removing trousers. Man, that would be sweet.

Pigman II · 22-07-2005 2:37pm

Personally I'd wish someone would hurry up invent a lightsabre. It's an elegant weapon for a more civlised time (ie the future). Plus they're not as random and clumsy as a blaster.

Besides they come in a range of nifty colours I reckon there can't be a person alive who wouldn't be cheered up after getting one as a gift.

kjt · 22-07-2005 2:37pm

The Smellonitor.

Your browsing through a nice site and get the smell of something....

Hopefully before this comes out their wont be many shít sites left lol

Firewalkwithme · 22-07-2005 2:44pm

How about clothes that never need to be washed or ironed for the domestically challenged among us?

thelordofcheese · 22-07-2005 2:46pm

I still hold out hope for a device that'll allow you to stab people in the face via the internet.

The Gnome · 22-07-2005 2:48pm

thelordofcheese wrote:

I still hold out hope for a device that'll allow you to stab people in the face via the internet.

I love it

freewing · 22-07-2005 2:48pm

the time travel thing is not gonna happen. if it were invented we would already know , however an auto pilot as standard on all cars cos its not the drive home that bothers me its more the nutters i have to tolerate

,if i could sit back and read the paper i might not be so bad

22-07-2005 2:49pm

Despatch wrote:

How about clothes that never need to be washed or ironed for the domestically challenged among us?

Nah, there'll just be invisible clothes.

Firewalkwithme · 22-07-2005 2:55pm

thelordofcheese wrote:

I still hold out hope for a device that'll allow you to stab people in the face via the internet.

I read something recently about scientists who were able to make a kind of clay like substance take on whatever shape they wanted, I think a face was mentioned as an example. I guess a dagger would be possible too. Who knows what this could do for the online adult entertainment industry (use your imaginations)

Peteee · 22-07-2005 2:58pm

rubadub wrote:

Music search engine that you can just hum a song into and it will find it.

This already exists. If I was bothered, i'd find a list. Its either humming or whistling anyway

Zapho · 22-07-2005 3:00pm

Despatch wrote:

I read something recently about scientists who were able to make a kind of clay like substance take on whatever shape they wanted, I think a face was mentioned as an example. I guess a dagger would be possible too. Who knows what this could do for the online adult entertainment industry (use your imaginations)

You mean like T-100? Cool...

Firewalkwithme · 22-07-2005 3:02pm

Computers that could be controlled by thoughts alone would be cool. THat would leave my hands free to do other things while I'm surfing

Firewalkwithme · 22-07-2005 3:03pm

Zapho wrote:

You mean like T-100? Cool...

Yeah that's what it sounded like but on a smaller yet incredibly expensive scale.

monkeyfudge · 22-07-2005 4:20pm

rubadub wrote:

Your not going to see teleportation, or a funny comedienne in your lifetime so what about real possibilities.

Scientists in Australia actually managed teleportation a year or two ago. It was only sub-atomic particles, but at least they proved it was possible.

Oh.. and Tom Conti's daughter, Nina Conti, is a very funny woman... well her monkey is anyway.

Personally I'd like to see wireless energy transmission.

][cEMAN** · 22-07-2005 4:36pm

The PC that is run by the brain is already in the works. It's being tested by people who are disabled from the waist down.

The scientists are already being critisized about it as they've opened the guys head and attached a device inside the brain, when there is a theory that it could just as easily work from an external device.

Timetravel - who said we would know about it? Timecops (bad movie) shows that people would be policed on such matters. Also if you consider alternate realities and time being relative, who's to say that there aren't realities that run slower than ours, or behind ours to the point where you could THINK you're time traveling, but you'd actually be traveling into an alternate dimension that hasn't quite caught up with us yet.

In star trek they have 1 toilet in the ship (upper deck - and yes i'm sad for knowing this), and it's hardly needed as replicator food is designed to break down entirely in the body.

As for the flying car, see Back to the Future II - There is already air traffic control and flight paths for planes, even though there aren't really THAT many of them. Think what it would be like with flying cars. It would be a complete nightmare. It's bad enough driving on a road and having someone come at you from infront, but to be able to come at you from infront, behind, the side, above, below...you'd be constantly on edge looking out for an accident.

Self removing trousers. They're half way there - it's called a girlfriend. They remove them for you. Try it sometime

Clothes that never need to be washed or ironed - black shell suits. They're not nice. Also consider swimming trunks - I mean c'mon, they get cleaned while you're swimming

. If not, then swimming trunks with a third sealable pocket for washing up powder.

I've got an invention in mind. It's something that not everyone will want, but it would still make me millions. It's for people who are either lazy, or too busy when doing a certain task. It's just working out the design/materials that I can use, a cost, and getting a backer. Anybody interested?

The TV that detects ads and changes the channel - SKY+ already have a system to record your favourite shows. I don't know if it cuts out the ads. It would be nice if it could, and had the capacity where it prerecorded every show on every channel (huge HDD space and unlimited connection would be necessary) so if you had an ad-block option turned on, it would censor everything for you just like BIG BROTHER. You could flick the channels in peace. If it were turned off it wouldn't prerecord.

is_that_so · 22-07-2005 4:38pm

rubadub wrote:

A tv that detects when ads are on and starts flicking to other channels that do not have ads on. Everybody does it already manually, but it should detect when your program is back on and flick back automatically. Totally possible invention, videos that detect ads are out a good while.

Yes please
plus a range of medical cures most notably MS, Alzheimers, AIDS and cancer

][cEMAN** · 22-07-2005 4:52pm

I'd like to see more cures yeah, but before this is carried out through more DNA work i'd like to see an extensive study carried out on the behavoural patterns of Twins/Triplets etc to see if very similar genetic makeup made people act the same. It would decide if behaviour was nature over nurture. Also split them at birth and test etc.

That way if we saw that people with very similar DNA acted very similarly, altering our DNA (designer babies) would turn us all into conditioned drones set to grow up exactly the same way. This would be exactly what the society in "Brave new world" would be like with the A+'s, A's, A-...B....C...D etc grades. Society could be designed into a soulless efficient machine.

][cEMAN** · 22-07-2005 4:55pm

Just noticed your sig

Despatch wrote:

Mr Wendal is now a highy successful motivational speaker with numerous books available on self help and financial management. To attend one of Mr Wendals inspirational seminars entitled "Get yo-self up off the sidewalk bro" please contact me - I'm his booking agent. Thanks for your time - Peace.

Nice to see i'm not the only person I know who likes Arrested Development.

CrimE · 22-07-2005 4:59pm

freewing wrote:

the time travel thing is not gonna happen. if it were invented we would already know

Not true. Who says that in the future they have made laws saying that they cant tell us? Or people who have been told have kept their mouths shut as they would be considered lunatics.

Mmm inventions.... invent some kind of programme to replace all politicians so it could do their job but do it well

Pighead · 22-07-2005 5:03pm

When Pighead goes for his midnight jogs, he can't run too fast or he might trip on a hard-to-see crack/rock/or street bum. I want shoes that absorb impact pneumatically and use that energy to power one or more LEDs to illuminate the sidewalk.

The air under the shoe gets compressed when the shoe hits the ground. The air drives a magnetic piston through coils; a spring or compressed air on the other side moves it back before the next impact.
(C)Pighead2005

Pighead · 22-07-2005 5:09pm

Not really an invention but definitely useful in todays dangerous world,As everyone knows, dogs have keen noses for smelling things. I think that just about any animal could be trained to sniff for bombs if the same techniques are used to train dogs. Kangaroos are in particular a good candidate for detecting and removing bombs because they have a pouch to carry the bomb in, and they can hop away really fast.

Blisterman · 22-07-2005 5:14pm

An alternative fuel for cars. Think about it, wars would be prevented.

Kernel · 22-07-2005 5:32pm

Zero point energy motors,

Fusion Reactors,

Cure for Cancer / AIDS and Ageing,

Tesla's Wireless transmission of electricity (only if we don't have ZPE motors),

A fair form of government.

StupidLikeAFox · 22-07-2005 5:37pm

' wrote:

[cEMAN**']
As for the flying car, see Back to the Future II - There is already air traffic control and flight paths for planes, even though there aren't really THAT many of them. Think what it would be like with flying cars. It would be a complete nightmare. It's bad enough driving on a road and having someone come at you from infront, but to be able to come at you from infront, behind, the side, above, below...you'd be constantly on edge looking out for an accident.

Futurama tbh

Also the adblock thing for tellys wont work. Why would anyone advertise if nobody will see it? Lot less revenue for tv stations etc etc

rubadub · 22-07-2005 6:56pm

Myth wrote:

Nah, there'll just be invisible clothes.

They are already out there. I was telling a garda I was wearing some last week, but the judge was having none of it.

I remember in the 80's there were brainwave sensor things you stuck on your head to control computer games. They had prototypes and there was talk of them being available cheap in the future.

rubadub · 22-07-2005 6:59pm

Peteee wrote:

This already exists. If I was bothered, i'd find a list. Its either humming or whistling anyway

I'll have to have a look, maybe I can finally get that circus song. re-de-diddle-lidle-le de de de

Ri_Nollaig · 22-07-2005 7:24pm

couldnt the next big invention come as a surpirse? like moorse code came from nowhere really but it fixed an on going problem and had very big effect

Capt'n Midnight · 22-07-2005 9:50pm

Ri_Nollaig wrote:

couldnt the next big invention come as a surpirse? like moorse code came from nowhere really but it fixed an on going problem and had very big effect

You mean the device that'll allow you to stab spammers in the face via the internet ?

Capt'n Midnight · 22-07-2005 9:55pm

Despatch wrote:

What does a transmogrifier do exactly?

A dial on the side of the box may be pointed towards one of several settings, also marked on the box ... More settings can be added by ... Notably, the transmogrifier makes a "boink!" sound when activated. The latest version has a built in ethicator.

Calvin wrote:

"I'm safe"

Capt'n Midnight · 22-07-2005 9:59pm

Kernel wrote:

Zero point energy motors,

Fusion Reactors,

Cure for Cancer / AIDS and Ageing,

Tesla's Wireless transmission of electricity (only if we don't have ZPE motors),

A fair form of government.

Oh boy, this I gotta nail, ZPE if it worked would create a run away effect and destroy the earth, think about it.

Fusion reactors - lots of waste heat, to add to the greenhouse effect.

A cure for Ageing, yeah they had those back in the French Revolution, also cured dandruff.

Tesla's - some of his stuff is still cutting edge, though it would cause a lot of interference to radio and TV. Oddly enough the way it worked would cause a build up on the antipoidean part of the globe (redundant definition I suppose) could be used as a sneaky weapon..

netwhizkid · 22-07-2005 9:59pm

I'd say the big invention of the future or the past as the technology is already there but it is not economically viable. Is Hydrogen power, if it could be produced CO2 free (through renewable energy) it would provide emmision less driving unless you count a few water droplets that. I think that possibly the next "futuristic" experience might be house roboticseg. a robotic house maid

lazygit · 22-07-2005 10:01pm

Discombobulator ftw!

http://www.thottbot.com/?i=9263

Capt'n Midnight · 22-07-2005 10:01pm

Pighead wrote:

Not really an invention but definitely useful in todays dangerous world,As everyone knows, dogs have keen noses for smelling things. I think that just about any animal could be trained to sniff for bombs if the same techniques are used to train dogs. Kangaroos are in particular a good candidate for detecting and removing bombs because they have a pouch to carry the bomb in, and they can hop away really fast.

The CIA have used remote control CATS so it's doable, and kangeroos are the most efficient users of energy of land mammals, the only problem is that they have been known to dump joey's when under threat so you can imagine just how long they would hold the bomb, (there is usually another one in the pouch and another in suspended animation in the womb so kinda one life to save three)

Capt'n Midnight · 22-07-2005 10:03pm

freewing wrote:

the time travel thing is not gonna happen. if it were invented we would already know , however an auto pilot as standard on all cars cos its not the drive home that bothers me its more the nutters i have to tolerate ,if i could sit back and read the paper i might not be so bad

We just need to go back in time. back in the old days you could go out and get absolutely twisted and stagger back to the cart. The donkey would then take over do it's thing and you'd wake up at home.

Capt'n Midnight · 22-07-2005 10:05pm

Pigman II wrote:

Personally I'd wish someone would hurry up invent a lightsabre. It's an elegant weapon for a more civlised time (ie the future). Plus they're not as random and clumsy as a blaster.

Besides they come in a range of nifty colours I reckon there can't be a person alive who wouldn't be cheered up after getting one as a gift.

IIRC the first words of Episode IV were "A long time ago.."
main problem is that they aren't much use unless you are prescient, and I reckon than any of us who could see into the future would be buying tickets for the €100,000,000.00 next week

Capt'n Midnight · 22-07-2005 10:09pm

rubadub wrote:

A tv that detects when ads are on and starts flicking to other channels that do not have ads on. Everybody does it already manually, but it should detect when your program is back on and flick back automatically. Totally possible invention, videos that detect ads are out a good while.

Music search engine that you can just hum a song into and it will find it.

AdZap was developed a long time ago, it used the teletext type signals that the TV networks used to tell the local network when the ad break was (a bit like the little thing in the top right on UTV breaks) - you could also use a PVR so time delay too.

there was a phone service for the tunes IIRC, it cataloged them by noting if each note was lower , the same or higher than the previous one , so even tone deaf people could use it .

Inventions of the future

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