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5 Future Technologies That Might Become Reality

Published April 11, 2023

Who doesn't want to ride around on a hoverboard? These 5 future technologies prove that the future might not be as far away as we think.


Science fiction movies and books have long been known for their wild and futuristic technology concepts that seem too good to be true. But did you know that some of these ideas are not so far-fetched and could potentially become reality in the future? Here are five incredible science fiction technologies that could actually become a reality:

Hoverboards

Ever wanted to ride a hoverboard like Marty McFly from Back to the Future? While we don't have fully-functioning hoverboards yet—the ones with wheels don't count—scientists have long been working on magnetic levitation technologies that could make it possible to float above the ground.

A team of scientists from Japan and Germany recently published a paper in the science journal, Superconductor Science and Technology, describing how they levitated a small disc using a powerful magnet. They used a special material called a superconductor that can conduct electricity without any resistance when it's very cold. The researchers cooled the superconductor with liquid nitrogen, and it started to float above the magnet. This discovery could lead to new technologies that use magnetic levitation to make things like trains and cars float, reducing friction and making them more efficient.

Teleportation

The idea of teleportation, or the ability to instantly transport oneself to another location without the need for travel, has been explored in countless science fiction stories. While we haven't quite achieved true teleportation yet, researchers have been making strides in developing teleportation at the atomic level.

A team of Chinese researchers recently published a paper in the journal Nature, detailing how they were able to teleport information between two particles separated by over 1,000 km. This phenomenon is has a really fancy name: quantum teleportation, and it uses the strange properties of quantum physics to transmit information instantaneously over long distances. While this type of teleportation can't be used to transport humans or objects, it has important applications in fields like cryptography and quantum computing.

Invisibility Cloaks

Invisibility cloaks, popularized by the Harry Potter series, could potentially become a reality in the future thanks to the development of so-called metamaterials. These materials can bend light in such a way that they can make an object appear invisible to the naked eye.

Researchers at Duke University recently published a paper in the journal Science, detailing how they were able to create a metamaterial that can bend light around an object, making it appear completely invisible.

Artificial Intelligence

While we haven't quite achieved true artificial intelligence yet, researchers have been making strides in developing machine learning algorithms that can learn and adapt to new situations.

A team of researchers from Google recently published a paper in the journal Nature, detailing how they were able to develop an artificial intelligence system that can learn to play and master games without any prior knowledge of the game's rules.

Space Tourism

The idea of being able to travel to space as a tourist seemed like a pipe dream just a few decades ago. However, with the recent advances in commercial spaceflight, space tourism could potentially become a reality in the near future.

Companies such as Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are already offering suborbital flights to paying customers, and NASA has announced plans to open the International Space Station to commercial spaceflight in the near future.


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