Writer Ray Bradbury once called science fiction “the most important literature in the history of the world.” It’s a genre that allows writers a safer place to express social and political commentary set in a happier or bleaker future. Readers or moviegoers use their imaginations to escape to distant worlds or at least distant time.

But beyond all the “message” stuff, sci-fi has some pretty cool tech, doesn’t it? Part of the fun is thinking what it would be like for those snazzy tools or futuristic vehicles you can use to explore the universe.

Lightsaber

In the “Star Wars” world, laser guns don’t hold a candle to laser swords. These sabers are made of light beams that can cut through nearly anything. Lightsabers sever bodies, slice open Tauntaun bellies and solid doors, and block laser bolts. Nothing in our world comes close yet, except maybe a bulky welding torch.

Photo by Flickr user T.78UopXx

Force field

An invisible electric field shows up in just about every sci-film out there. It can create a barrier that you look through, or even a way to safely peer into open space without being sucked into the void. Physicists at the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and the National Science Foundation have been able to describe how these fields could theoretically work, but they can’t make them just yet. Force fields would have some great applications, especially for security purposes. However, home security companies here are getting pretty good at creating a type of force field through monitoring, cameras and other features.

Photo by Flickr user ryaninc

Flying car

Just about any futuristic movie, from “Blade Runner” to “Men in Black” and “The Fifth Element” has a car that can defy gravity. These get you where you need to go, but of course, there’s often traffic jams to worry about in multiple directions and dimensions. Though it would be fun to go straight up to go to work, we’d have to contend with crowded commutes. Scientific minds are already working on making them happen, and there are a few prototype. Of course, some people can barely drive a car horizontally, let alone vertically.

Photo by Flickr user ellenm1

Tricorder

In the “Star Trek” universe, the amazing tricorder is able to analyze everything from atmospheric data to intimate medical information. Away parties use them to check for life forms or sense what’s around them. Someday, our phones/tablets will do the same thing. There’s actually an effort being made to synthesize different parts of what our mobile devices can pick up so someone can make their own science tricorder — it’s called The Tricorder Project.

Photo by Flickr user Jim Bahn

Memory wipes

In “Men in Black,” agents used a portable ‘flashy’ thing to erase people’s memories about encounters with aliens and replace them with different memories. Other sci-fi flicks have shown memory wiping can be used by the good guys to repress painful stuff, and for bad guys to erase evidence of a crime. Science is also working on this and has been able to block or remove some memories with various drugs and psychological intervention.

Photo by Flickr user ☼ Helder

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