The Most Futuristic Predictions That Came True in 2014

[Andy44]

http://io9.com/the-most-futuristic-predictions-that-came-true-in-2014-1674887659

Summary:
1. Telepathy (tech-assisted)
2. NASA "emailed" a wrench to the ISS (3D printing)
3. Suspended animation (medical emergency procedure)
4. Laser weapon deployed on US Navy warship
5. Worm's mind "uploaded" into a robot
6. Computer solved a math problem humans can't check
7. Artificial chromosome built from scratch
8. A company appoints an AI to the board (sounds like Neuromancer...)
9. Mind-controlled prosthetic limbs
10. Visible spectrum cloaking device
11. Gender-neutral pronouns come to North America
12. Orangutan wins human rights in a courtroom
13. Guided sniper bullets (like the 1980s movie Runaway, sort of)
14. Cyber war between US and NK
15. Robot landed on comet

Best comment on the story: "Can you hear the worm scream?" :lol:

 

[Kyle]

Rockets flying with landing gear strikes me as pretty futuristic!

 

[Andy44]

Rockets flying with landing gear strikes me as pretty futuristic!

I hear ya. That would've made the list if I had written it.

Maybe they're saving it for when the first stage manages to fly back and successfully land at the launch site.

 

[fsci123]

God damn... Hail probe.

I didn't know most of that stuff happened.

I was really rooting for the Orion's arm styled gender pronouns. I even plan to make a song featuring one of them.

The worm upload was cool but I feel that the simulation was limited severely by the number of sensors found on the Lego robot.

 

[jedidia]

The worm upload was cool but I feel that the simulation was limited severely by the number of sensors found on the Lego robot.

I don't quite know what speaks more for our techlevel, the fact that we could simulate the mind of a worm and it actually seems to work, or the fact that they could use an actual toy as a suitable test platform... :shifty:

 

[sorindafabico]

#2 would be very useful in Apollo 13.

 

[Andy44]

#2 would be very useful in Apollo 13.

Only if you can 3D-print liquid oxygen or batteries...

 

[statickid]

:lol:

Well he's probably talking about scrubber hose adaptors

 

[Andy44]

:lol:

Well he's probably talking about scrubber hose adaptors

I'll take duct tape over 3D printing any day!

 

[statickid]

What would really be useful would be a material that can be used like a tool then fed back into the printer for reuse in a different printout

 

[Urwumpe]

What would really be useful would be a material that can be used like a tool then fed back into the printer for reuse in a different printout

You mean.... steel? :lol:

 

[N_Molson]

You mean.... steel?

Intelligent steel, that could be programmed to change its shape without having to be heated to 1500°C.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Intelligent steel, that could be programmed to change its shape without having to be heated to 1500°C.

(Source)