POV gun or holodeck: sci-fi gadgets we wish for

Kevin Hofer

17.8.2018

Translation: machine translated

Whether it's the sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who, the universal translator from Star Trek or the time machine from the book of the same name. Science fiction is full of cool gadgets. I asked my colleagues which one they would like to have.

The wishes of the workforce vary widely, although "Star Trek" gadgets are very popular. Which gadgets would you like? Write it in the comments column.

Food at the touch of a button

Who could this wish come from if not food editor Simon Balissat? Devices that deliver food at the touch of a button feature in many works of science fiction. It would be great just to be able to press a button and then dig right in. Not to mention the fact that world hunger would be a thing of the past. With this in mind: Cheekan! Good!

Not exactly food at the touch of a button, but Quentin Aellen's extra wish is also good:

Teleporting/Beaming

Teleporting/beaming is by far the most popular among projectors. Including sports editor Patrick Bardelli. Has he suddenly become too lazy to run? "No, but it would be great for the commute to work or on holiday," says Patrick. I agree with him on that.

The transport of matter over long distances can be found relatively early on in science fiction works. For example, in "The Man without a Body" by Edward Page Mitchell from 1877, where the teleportation attempt goes badly wrong. In Fred T. Jane's "To Venus in Five Seconds: An Account of the Strange Disappearance of Thomas Plummer, Pillmaker", as the title suggests, the protagonist is beamed to the planet Venus. However, teleportation was popularised by "Star Trek". Quick nerdy fact: the phrase "Beam me up Scotty" never appears in the original series in exactly this form.

Point of View Gun

Of course, a gadget from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series is a must. With the Point of View Gun, your counterpart can see things from your perspective. Category Marketing Specialist Quentin Aellen would like to use the gun in discussions with his girlfriend. Then I hope Quentin gets his hands on the first of six guns produced. Because this is the only one that works on women. The intergalactic consortium of angry housewives who commissioned the POV gun only wanted it to work on men. However, the supercomputer Deep Thought, which produced the weapons, had already finished producing the first example by this time.

Holodeck

Forget VR glasses. Only the holodeck from "Star Trek" guarantees true immersion. This is the gadget that Senior Category Sourcing Manager Claudio Widmer wants. With the holodeck, you no longer need to wear glasses. It is an interactive, virtual environment. Creatures and objects generated with it can be touched and moved in space and time.

The Australian company Euclideon claims that it can realise holodecks similar to "Star Trek". Check it out in the video.

Dermal regenerator

And again "Star Trek", somehow our workforce seems to be made up of Trekkies. Category Sourcing Manager Roy Sonderegger wants, among other things (he sent me a larger list), the Dermal Regenerator. This can be used to heal minor skin wounds within a short space of time. It also removes scars and can simulate wounds.

The dermal regenerator could actually make the leap into reality. Researchers at the University of St Andrews and Harvard Medical School have developed a similar technology. It allows wounds to be healed with lasers instead of stitches. You can find out exactly how this works here.

Ansible

The sci-fi novels by Ursula K. Le Guin are more about relationships and cultural and social processes than fancy technologies. But there are still one or two interesting tools. My favourite sci-fi gadget is the Ansible, known from several of Le Guin's novels. This device allows you to communicate over interstellar distances without delay. Communication without lag, faster than light. That would be something.

Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the Ansible yet. But that could change soon. There are various projects for the film adaptation of certain books by Le Guin.

Bonus: Kingsman Umbrella

Not from a sci-fi work, but still a futuristic-looking gadget is what editor Luca Fontana wants: the Kingsman Umbrella. The umbrella serves as a ballistic shield and weapon for the Kingsman agents. The handle can also be used as a grappling hook. Luca simply wants the item for the sake of coolness. Ideal for ploughing through the crowd at the Migros checkout without drifting into the wrong queue. And simply for the sake of coolness. Or to bang a bit of rubber shot into the A-values of the shitting pigeons above me. And for the sake of coolness.

Kevin Hofer

Senior Editor

kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.ch

From big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.

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