Source: Wikimedia | User:Base64
Hong Kong now looks like something out of blade runner or Neuromancer, a vast sprawl of high tech buildings, and lights that bounce off the clouds giving the whole scene an apocalyptic glow. It almost appears unreal, like the still frame from a science fiction movie, one feels the need to take a closer look to see if the brush marks are visible.
This world we live in, has become the science fiction setting that science fiction writers were writing about in the 50s. It's finally here, albeit with a few things not quite as imagined. Space travel for example lies sorely neglected, though we do now have space tourism and spaceports. Flying cars are another science fiction fantasy that just never materialized, due in part to the inability of air traffic control to cope even with planes in the sky, let alone cars. Some day, when humanity has found a cheap source of fuel and has advanced enough computers to manage a profusion of objects moving about the skies, then flying cars may become a reality. Till then we'll just have to content ourselves with Segways zipping about.
Credit: Left: Wikipedia | Right: R.Carson
Segway Personal Transporters are another technological marvel; two wheeled, they keep their balance when you stand on it, and zip forwards when you lean forwards and slow down as you tilt back. Now police in various countries use them, in various incarnations such as the Segway Assault Service (SAS). The storm troopers of many a dark sci-fi tale have arrived. Though for the moment confined mainly to airports and large citys, it seems certain that Segway mounted police offers will soon become a common feature of life everywhere. Segways are also being employed in tourism, with Segway tours of cities available to take in Paris, Chicago, Washington DC, New Orleans, and Atlanta to name but a few.
Credit: NASA-JPL
Though space travel has not proceeded as expected by science fiction writers, we have not been idle. Since the 60s we've been sending numerous probes to every corner of our solar system. We monitor the sun in great detail via the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and have sent probes to Mars in search of life. Millions of people have tuned into the exciting journey undertaken by two probes: Spirit and Opportunity, as they landed on Mars, and began to wander across the martian surface collecting data and taking picture. To everyone's amazement, they not only lasted beyond their 3 month warranties, but they just keep on going - and in the years since they first arrived have brought back a wealth of information that helps us to unravel the mystery of Mars. All this effort is designed with one important question in mind: 'was there ever life on Mars?'
Credit: NASA-JPL
Science fiction writers of the past would surely be delighted by the images that hubble has been bringing in of the Universe. Thanks to this availability of scientific data our understanding of the universe has never been better, and physicists are inching closer to discovering a Theory of Everything.
As we inch closer to these answers, scientists are able to formulate more and more accurate theories to describe the universe and its creation. The current best candidate for a Theory of Everything is String Theory, an elegant and beautiful theory that tells us that all matter is composed of strings of energy that vibrate, and all the different types of matter are the notes that are played upon these strings, while the laws of physics could be compared to the harmonies and symphones that can be played in this cosmic orchestra. Whether string theory is right or not, we do not yet know... time will tell.
In the meantime we can still enjoy the marvellous images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and look forward to the day when we understand in full the processes that led to all the beauty around us.
The Sombrero Galaxy in Infrared Light || Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
The area where we've made the most progress, bounding beyond what even the sf writers were able to imagine is technology. Computers have exploded in popularity, changing in the process from behemoths that take up whole buildings are require megawatts of power and dozens of operators to cheap handheld devices with access to the unlimited knowledge accessible on the Internet. The Internet itself would no doubt be another surprise. While writers envisaged networking applications, it is unlikely anyone envisaged the explosive growth and development of the Internet. Robotics is another area that has advanced, though perhaps not quite as quickly as people envisaged in the 1950s. It turned out the problem of having a robot navigate the ever changing landscapes in which humans are comfortable, would take another 70 years to crack. Meanwhile advances in robotics have brought about the first science fiction style robotic arms, that are actually capable of delicate enough movement that amputees can have a replacement almost as dexterous as the one they lost.
All in all, we have come a long way, and we have an exciting road ahead of us. Who knows what will come next?
