Things Star Trek got right, things it got wrong, & things yet to be.

[msbhaven]

I have a blog I'm trying to get rolling and I was thinking about posting a new entry with this idea as the topic. Since it's a relatively new thing for me that not a lot of people read yet or comment on I thought I would post here to get some ideas for discussion of the topic. So here are a couple of my thoughts on what Star Trek got right, what they got wrong, and what remains to be seen.

Things they got right:

Automatic doors.
This is what got me thinking about this as I was walking out of Target yesterday. When I was a very small child in the 70s automatic doors were quite rare and they all worked on a pressure plate principle. In the 60s when Star Trek first came on the scene they were almost unheard of outside of elevators. While they aren't quite as common as what you see in Star Trek they HAVE become so ubiquitous as to be just another part of the landscape that most of us don't give a thought to.

Things they got wrong:

The future history of space flight.
By the early 20th century we were supposed to be sending out deep space sleeper ships with crews frozen by cryonics. Didn't happen. Not only are we not even close to that we haven't even gone back to the moon at this point. I think this was a symptom of the optimism of space exploration in the 60s. Everybody thought the sky was no longer the limit and that we would be on Mars and beyond at this point. That's not even close to reality unfortunately though.

Thinks that might come to pass:
Medical scanning devices that fit in the palm of your hand. A lot of the scanning tech we see in a medical tricorder exist today, but in most cases it fills a whole room. It's easy to see science solving that problem within the next hundred years. The overwhelming tech trend of the the last 50 years has been smaller and less expensive with more power. An MRI or CAT scan device that fits in the palm of your hand and is available for a couple of thousand seems like something that would be within reach in our lifetime.

So share your thoughts and let me know what you think ST got right, got wrong, and might come to pass in our life time.

Ashlee

[fred41]

remember the injection gun that McKoy uses instead of a needle...they have something like that ...a friend of mine was a diabetic and he used something like that. It used pressure to shoot the medication through the skin instead of a needle.

[BellaBellucci]

remember the injection gun that McKoy uses instead of a needle...they have something like that ...a friend of mine was a diabetic and he used something like that. It used pressure to shoot the medication through the skin instead of a needle.

I don't know what it's called in real life, but on the show it's called a 'hypo-spray.'

Great topic! How about the TNG episode called Darmok? The alien that fought alongside Picard showed his a slideshow of his family pictures on a handheld device that looks suspiciously like every smartphone I've ever seen. :lol:

~BB~

[Merkurie]

Remember the disks they used to store information for the computer -- got that
Tricorder -- basically got that
Giant flat panel displays -- so got that
Communicators -- so 1990s
Women in command of things -- check
Russians serving on spaceships with Americans -- check

[msbhaven]

I don't know what it's called in real life, but on the show it's called a 'hypo-spray.'

Great topic! How about the TNG episode called Darmok? The alien that fought alongside Picard showed his a slideshow of his family pictures on a handheld device that looks suspiciously like every smartphone I've ever seen. :lol:

~BB~

An excellent example. Mobile communication was one thing Star Trek really nailed!!! The first communicators looked like the early flip phones, and had about the same capabilities. The TNG communicators could be considered equivalent to blue tooth technology, and the Ipod/Smart Phone looking device is a good catch too.

[seamonkey]

In the Star Trek canon, we should be about to fight World War III with nuclear weapons right about now. Could still happen!

Though cell phones emulate communicators, they are reliant on a network of cell towers that provide power to amplify and convey the signals, which the Trek communicators do not (they are self-powered).

In the original series, data was transferred by "tapes" on little square cards, though the later series upgraded these to be more in keeping with evolving computer technology. The later series also featured touch screen interfaces rather than the buttons and switches of the original series, another match to what we have now in iphones and ipads, etc.

It's important to know that Roddenberry was a liberal idealist, and some call the Star Trek world a socialist utopia. As I am also of such political persuasion, that is one part of the appeal of all the Star Trek series for me. No money, almost everything is free, people work toward self-betterment and for that of others, no internal wars, one big group hug singing Kumbaya.

Plus Uhuru in that hot mini skirt uniform! She gave me a lot of boners!

[msbhaven]

In the Star Trek canon, we should be about to fight World War III with nuclear weapons right about now. Could still happen!

Though cell phones emulate communicators, they are reliant on a network of cell towers that provide power to amplify and convey the signals, which the Trek communicators do not (they are self-powered).

In the original series, data was transferred by "tapes" on little square cards, though the later series upgraded these to be more in keeping with evolving computer technology. The later series also featured touch screen interfaces rather than the buttons and switches of the original series, another match to what we have now in iphones and ipads, etc.

It's important to know that Roddenberry was a liberal idealist, and some call the Star Trek world a socialist utopia. As I am also of such political persuasion, that is one part of the appeal of all the Star Trek series for me. No money, almost everything is free, people work toward self-betterment and for that of others, no internal wars, one big group hug singing Kumbaya.

Plus Uhuru in that hot mini skirt uniform! She gave me a lot of boners!

In Star Trek cannon we should have already gone through the Eugenics Wars AND World War III. Thank God genetically engineered supermen have not tried to enslave humanity and the bombs haven't been dropped yet.

Actually cell phones rely on cell towers for signals NOT power. Their power is either self contained or is drawn from an AC or DC adapter. Communicators don't use a cell tower network it's true but you can get satellite phones that do not require a cell network as well. Obviously they aren't THAT common but then you better believe the US Military has plenty of them and that's really what we are being shown in Star Trek for the most part, a military organization (protest of peaceful exploration on a weekly basis not withstanding). A communicator does have a somewhat limited range, and requires either another communicator near by or a larger transmitting receiving station to operate. Many models of cell or satellite phone DO have direct unit to unit local communication ability (just like the old walkie talkies). The only real difference I can see in the Star Trek communicators is that they might have a longer range and more ability to punch through atmospheric disturbances or jamming (of course the things failed on an almost weekly basis as a convenient plot device).

The real breakthrough in the Star Trek Universe is subspace communication. We aren't even close to anything remotely like that.

Yes that's the problem with trying to model future tech. The future keeps look different, then what we imagined it would.

I'm not going to discuss the political intent, ideals or beliefs behind Star Trek in this thread. That kind of thing always devolves back in to a commentary on present day politics, AND that ALWAYS seems to devolve in to a naming calling shouting match. I try to avoid political discussions at all cost these days.

Ashlee

[PomonaCA]

I think if liberalism didn't dominate the political landscape during the 1960's and for a good part of the 70's and didn't exist today as a recessive part of the American psyche, we would be on Mars by now. But everyone is so fucking worried about insulting a species or God forbid another country that we're sitting around like a bunch of women trying to be liked by everyone.

[seamonkey]

I'm not going to discuss the political intent, ideals or beliefs behind Star Trek in this thread. That kind of thing always devolves back in to a commentary on present day politics, AND that ALWAYS seems to devolve in to a naming calling shouting match. I try to avoid political discussions at all cost these days.


Yes, I see what you mean about devolving already. I'm sorry I mentioned it.

When you think about science fiction and Star Trek in particular, it's almost like the future predicts the present, or what's just ahead.

Here's a question: why does the warp drive give out every time someone gets so much as a hangnail?

Yes, yes, it's just a literary device to create tension, but I always wondered about that.

And one more: why do the characters in the 24th Century all have 20th Century hobbies? I know, another literary device to give viewers things to relate to the characters so they don't seem too "alien."

Here's something to consider: what will English (or any language) actually sound like in 400 years? If you think about what it was like 400 years ago (16th and 17th centuries, Shakespeare's time), you can sort of extrapolate into the future. I'm guessing it would be mostly understandable to us today, though it would take a lot of concentration, and there would be many slang and vernacular additions, corruptions, and other changes made in the centuries in between.

[alpha2117]

Yes, I see what you mean about devolving already. I'm sorry I mentioned it.

When you think about science fiction and Star Trek in particular, it's almost like the future predicts the present, or what's just ahead.

Here's a question: why does the warp drive give out every time someone gets so much as a hangnail?

Yes, yes, it's just a literary device to create tension, but I always wondered about that.

And one more: why do the characters in the 24th Century all have 20th Century hobbies? I know, another literary device to give viewers things to relate to the characters so they don't seem too "alien."

Here's something to consider: what will English (or any language) actually sound like in 400 years? If you think about what it was like 400 years ago (16th and 17th centuries, Shakespeare's time), you can sort of extrapolate into the future. I'm guessing it would be mostly understandable to us today, though it would take a lot of concentration, and there would be many slang and vernacular additions, corruptions, and other changes made in the centuries in between.


Actually Blade Runner probably got that right in a way. The streetspeak is a mix of languages. If you watch Hindi movies you regularly pick up English words spread through common conversation. In all likelyhood english will remnain the language of commerce worldwide so it will become the Human language but Hindi and other Asian dialects from places like China will start to slip in as India and China become economic powerhouses over the next 100 years. English is full of German, French and Spanish words now and in all likelyhood will have more slang plus Asiatic terms spiced through it over the next few hundred.

[seamonkey]

Staying in the Star Trek mode, what if we meet and form relationships with intelligent species on other worlds (who have some kind of language)? That would get interesting.

[traLika]

I used to love Star Trek and Lost In Space when I was a kid! :)

Star Trek was spot on about our society being more multicultural.

On the technical side:

Cloaking devices – man has already developed adaptive camouflage systems that can make objects blend in with their surroundings. Active camouflage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Mediated-reality-easel.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Mediated-reality-easel.jpg/200px-Mediated-reality-easel.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/0/08/Mediated-reality-easel.jpg/200px-Mediated-reality-easel.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_camouflage)

Transparent aluminium – this has now been made. http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2009/090727_2.html

Universal translators – Google Translate is a step in the right direction! http://translate.google.com/#

It's just a shame that interstellar travel looks impossible from where we're standing at the moment... :-(

[traLika]

Staying in the Star Trek mode, what if we meet and form relationships with intelligent species on other worlds (who have some kind of language)? That would get interesting.

Yes, but could be risky. As the great scientist Stephen Hawking recently pointed out: "If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans".

[serial138]

Actually Blade Runner probably got that right in a way. The streetspeak is a mix of languages. If you watch Hindi movies you regularly pick up English words spread through common conversation. In all likelyhood english will remnain the language of commerce worldwide so it will become the Human language but Hindi and other Asian dialects from places like China will start to slip in as India and China become economic powerhouses over the next 100 years. English is full of German, French and Spanish words now and in all likelyhood will have more slang plus Asiatic terms spiced through it over the next few hundred.

I think Firefly was going in the right direction as well, with English and Chinese being mixed fluently together in conversations. Granted, Firefly had to cater to an English speaking crowd and resorted to swearing in Chinese, but the idea is the same.

[Richctdude]

computer disks!!

[seamonkey]

computer disks!!

Yes! Those "tape disks" in the original series presaged these, more like the old Zip disks, which have already come and gone!

[msbhaven]

The cloaking tech I knew about but not the transparent aluminum. THAT is bad ass!!! Comments on the evolution of language remind of that South Park Gooback episode. LOL

Ashlee

[NRT]

one thing start trek got wrong. How come they never had seat belts? They clearly needed it in the future all the rocking and throwing about that happened the ship was hit.

We have not had any vulcuns or aliens working with us. Teleporting. and it is probably unlikely humans could survive on another planet without space suits

[liam]

Holodeck Porn.... when masturbate actually could be better than the real thing?

[Caff_Racer]

Here's something to consider: what will English (or any language) actually sound like in 400 years? If you think about what it was like 400 years ago (16th and 17th centuries, Shakespeare's time), you can sort of extrapolate into the future. I'm guessing it would be mostly understandable to us today, though it would take a lot of concentration, and there would be many slang and vernacular additions, corruptions, and other changes made in the centuries in between.

I'm not in agreement on that point. I think that in 400 years time, English will sound as alien to us as Anglo-Saxon does today, although Anglo-Saxon is the direct ancestor of what we know today as English.

Anglo-Saxon: éala éarendel engla beorthast, ofer middangeard monnum sended*

Modern English: Hail Eärendel brightest of angels, over Middle-earth to men sent.

As you can see, familiar, albeit totally alien to most people today, I'm sure.

(From the Old English poem "Crist" by Cynewulf)

*Much to my regret I don't have a keyboard that can reproduce the language-specific letters of the Anglo-Saxon alphabet.

[southern81]

can't say i'm a fan of star trek, i'm more a fan of STAR WARS, but alot of thing star trek predicted has come true. mostly smaller PC's. think about it when the show was running pc were huge now you can carry them around in a briefcase

[alpha2117]

I'm not in agreement on that point. I think that in 400 years time, English will sound as alien to us as Anglo-Saxon does today, although Anglo-Saxon is the direct ancestor of what we know today as English.

Anglo-Saxon: éala éarendel engla beorthast, ofer middangeard monnum sended*

Modern English: Hail Eärendel brightest of angels, over Middle-earth to men sent.

As you can see, familiar, albeit totally alien to most people today, I'm sure.

(From the Old English poem "Crist" by Cynewulf)

*Much to my regret I don't have a keyboard that can reproduce the language-specific letters of the Anglo-Saxon alphabet.

However we live in a post Samuel Johnson world. Once someone developed a dictionary and the language started to develop a clear set of words then the old practice of huge variations of spelling and pronunciation depending on where you were fell by the wayside. Also Anglo-Saxon changed rapidly post the Norman invasion and the introduction of French as the language of commerce. Eventually the two languages formed the hybrid language we have today. Whilst it is possible it could again mutate with either Hindi or Chinese it's actually appearing more a case that Hindi and Chinese are mutating towards English. In all likelyhood in 400 years people will be speaking a English variant spiced with Chinese/Hindi and possibly some other asian/middle eastern words. It would still be recogniseble to us in general structure and most wordsthough although many specific terms would be alien.

[seamonkey]

I'm not in agreement on that point. I think that in 400 years time, English will sound as alien to us as Anglo-Saxon does today, although Anglo-Saxon is the direct ancestor of what we know today as English.

Sorry, but you've got your dates wrong. You are citing OLD English (Anglo Saxon = Anglish = English) which lasted from about the 5th Century to sometime between the 9th and the 11th Centuries (Viking and Norman invasions of England). What followed was the development of MIDDLE English until about the 15th Century (as typified by Chaucer's Canterbury Tales). From just before Shakespeare's time (15th & 16th Century) until now we see the development of MODERN English.

We can understand Shakespeare's English pretty well without assistance and that is from 400 years ago.

However, it is entirely possible that in the next 400 years there could be enough additions and changes (occurring more frequently) that would make English much less understandable. The world of the past century and foreseeable future are significantly more mobile and interconnected than in previous centuries. This provides the means by which more substantial changes can take place.

[traLika]

Sorry, but you've got your dates wrong. You are citing OLD English (Anglo Saxon = Anglish = English) which lasted from about the 5th Century to sometime between the 9th and the 11th Centuries (Viking and Norman invasions of England). What followed was the development of MIDDLE English until about the 15th Century (as typified by Chaucer's Canterbury Tales). From just before Shakespeare's time (15th & 16th Century) until now we see the development of MODERN English.

We can understand Shakespeare's English pretty well without assistance and that is from 400 years ago.

However, it is entirely possible that in the next 400 years there could be enough additions and changes (occurring more frequently) that would make English much less understandable. The world of the past century and foreseeable future are significantly more mobile and interconnected than in previous centuries. This provides the means by which more substantial changes can take place.

:iagree:

[LibertyHarkness]

human race wont be in existence by the time we would be capable of space travel/colonisiation etc ... i give the human race another 100/150 years at best ...

[Quiet Reflections]

human race wont be in existence by the time we would be capable of space travel/colonisiation etc ... i give the human race another 100/150 years at best ...
100 years? fucking optimists

[trish]

On the subject of speech, I have serious doubts whether a "universal translator" can ever exist. They may even be issues that make it logically impossible...though I'm not absolutely sure, I'll have to ask Mr. Spock.

[BigDF]

human race wont be in existence by the time we would be capable of space travel/colonisiation etc ... i give the human race another 100/150 years at best ...While I would agree we evolve rather slowly, I think we'll surpass that in fact I give us perhaps another 1000 years in this form. But then, today, I am an optimist.:) Ask me this again on one of my dark days.

At any rate it is very pleasant to see you this morning, Sarge.:Bowdown::Bowdown::Bowdown:

[traLika]

While I would agree we evolve rather slowly, I think we'll surpass that in fact I give us perhaps another 1000 years in this form. But then, today, I am an optimist.:) Ask me this again on one of my dark days.



I wouldn't be surprised if we only lasted 150 or 1000 years.

It seems clear that mankind won't do much about climate change (and other environmental issues) until it has to, but by then we might be on the wrong end of an exponential curve and it could be too late. Easter Island on a global scale...

[msbhaven]

Doomsday pessimism has been with us in it's present form since at least the 50s. All I know is whatever course man's future holds, we really don't have a clue what it looks like or how we will get there. At best we are guessing our asses off!

[Merkurie]

We may have 15 minutes or 15,000 years.

We still have not adopted the Prime Directive.
We are closer to acceptance or other races cultures and creeds than we were in 1966. We have a long way to go toward treating all earth species with respect let alone alien species.

[traLika]

Doomsday pessimism has been with us in it's present form since at least the 50s. All I know is whatever course man's future holds, we really don't have a clue what it looks like or how we will get there. At best we are guessing our asses off!

:iagree: Very true!