Technology mimics Star Trek

[ardchoille]

I was watching Star Trek today and found it amazing that many of our modern gadgets mimic what we saw over the course of several Star Trek series.

Star Trek, original series: Flip-open communicator
Modern times: Clam shell cell phones

Star Trek, all series: Transporter
Modern times: Physicists have found a way to create a copy of an atom over a distance using a laser

Star Trek, TNG/DS9/Voyager: PADD
Modern times: iPad mini

Now we just need someone to come up with warp drive so we can study space that is further out.

 

[J. A.]

As far as I know they're also working on needle-free injections.

 

[twerppoet]

And then there is this in the works.

Scanadu Scout, the first Medical Tricorder | Indiegogo

 

[squib]

Speaking of technology, can anyone tell me what changed from the very first monitors where you had to be careful not to leave one screen on for too long, and now it doesn't happen, at least I think it doesn't.? Thanks, squib

 

[twerppoet]

Speaking of technology, can anyone tell me what changed from the very first monitors where you had to be careful not to leave one screen on for too long, and now it doesn't happen, at least I think it doesn't.? Thanks, squib

The older CRT screen has a phosphor coating. You made pictures by shooting a beam of electrons at it. By moving the beam quickly you could draw the picture so fast that the human eye saw it as a continuous picture. Kind of like when kids draw in the air with sparklers.

This phosphor coating wore out with time, and wore out more quickly the brighter the the picture. If you left the same picture/image displayed too long that part of the coating wore out more, and resulted in a shadowy permanent after image.

There are several new technologies, but none of them depend on a beam hitting a screen. Instead each pixel either generates it's own light, or lets a small portion of backlight though. There is no coating on the screen to wear out.

Cathode ray tube - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

OLED - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thin-film transistor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[twerppoet]

Another Star Trek(ish) device I'd like to have.

http://CommBadge.net

 

[J. A.]

Sometimes a cloaking device would be very useful, but we're far from getting it, afaik.

 

[ardchoille]

And then there is this in the works.

Scanadu Scout, the first Medical Tricorder | Indiegogo

Hey, that is great news. I'd be interested in something like that.

 

[ardchoille]

The older CRT screen has a phosphor coating. You made pictures by shooting a beam of electrons at it. By moving the beam quickly you could draw the picture so fast that the human eye saw it as a continuous picture. Kind of like when kids draw in the air with sparklers.

This phosphor coating wore out with time, and wore out more quickly the brighter the the picture. If you left the same picture/image displayed too long that part of the coating wore out more, and resulted in a shadowy permanent after image.

There are several new technologies, but none of them depend on a beam hitting a screen. Instead each pixel either generates it's own light, or lets a small portion of backlight though. There is no coating on the screen to wear out.

Cathode ray tube - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

OLED - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thin-film transistor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yeah, CRT's used an electron gun to shoot the beams of electrons at the screen. This is also why screen savers were developed. LED and LCD screens don't have such a gun.

Very informative post, thank you for your continued teachings

 

[J. A.]

Something like Geordi's visor is tested with blind rats, and I've just read that transparent aluminium armor (aluminum oxynitride or ALON) is tested by the Air Force in hopes of replacing windows in aircrafts.

 

[ardchoille]

Warp engines use the energy created from matter anti-matter collisions for power. I just watched a documentary about physics. Within that program it was shown that scientists have been able to create and isolate anti-matter. The amount of anti-matter that is created is small at the moment, just atoms, but they're working on it.