# Current and past versions of sci-fi tech?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-and-past-versions-of-sci-fi-tech/295711>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 22, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-and-past-versions-of-sci-fi-tech/295711 "2005-03-22T14:13:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-and-past-versions-of-sci-fi-tech/295711/1 "2005-03-22T14:13:11Z")

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Well, on the internet I can see sci-fi magazine covers with so-called “laser guns” that seem to have been drawn before the invention of real lasers, pictures of 1950s jeep style hovercrafts,[Canadian government made flying saucers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_flying_saucers), [rail guns](http://www.powerlabs.org/railgun.htm), [industrial experiments in making giant robots](http://www.enryu.jp/trail.html) and [home-made robotic exoskeletons](http://www.neogentronyx.com/), but I am sure I can get more depth out of this topic then just searching on line. Any one here have the straight dope on this kind of thing, and/or speculation on the future of such products?

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**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-and-past-versions-of-sci-fi-tech/295711/2 "2005-03-22T16:04:10Z")

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Could you be more specific?  
However, the real-life JetPack winds up looking and performing nowhere near as cool as it’s [Sci-Fi inspiration.](http://www.bijouflix.com/goods/RadarmenVCDCoverMED.jpg)  
is this what you’re looking for?  
see also picture-phones, computors, spaceships…

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**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-and-past-versions-of-sci-fi-tech/295711/3 "2005-03-22T16:11:43Z")

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> [@BMalion](#):
>
> However, the real-life JetPack winds up looking and performing nowhere near as cool as it’s [Sci-Fi inspiration.](http://www.bijouflix.com/goods/RadarmenVCDCoverMED.jpg)

You understand perfectly. Jetpacks might be more likely to get you killed than get you to your destination, but they are still an example of “The future, here today.”

Any other things that people in the past would not be invented yet, or thought would be invented, but would be a whole heck of a lot more functional?

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**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-and-past-versions-of-sci-fi-tech/295711/4 "2005-03-22T16:15:43Z")

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Only pictures? Or will concepts do?

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**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-and-past-versions-of-sci-fi-tech/295711/5 "2005-03-22T16:37:59Z")

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Pictures, people’s memories, top secret diagrams, it’s all good.