Space Tech and Science Fiction: Upgrading Your Inspiration through Sci-Fi
During the festive season, people often binge Netflix and read books. Elon Musk's biography shows how sci-fi shaped his vision. Here's our list of must-watch movies that inspired today's tech.
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Star Trek, Back to the Future, Star Wars: How They Inspired Inventors and Scientists
Science fiction books and movies have an extraordinary quality. Often, artistic fiction becomes a source of inspiration for entrepreneurs, inventors, and scientists. A living proof of this is ex-Motorola's Director of Research and Development, Martin Cooper. He once confessed that several technologies from the film "Star Trek" inspired the design of the first mobile phone in the early 1970s.
Similarly, this iconic series sparked an idea in a former Apple senior scientist Steve Perlman. In an interview, he revealed that his insight about the QuickTime player came to him after watching an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," where a character listened to multiple songs on their computer. There are dozens of stories like that. Here's a compilation of fantastic films in which authors foresaw the future and inspired inventions we use today.
The flip phone and QuickTime player are not the only developments inspired by the "Star Trek" franchise. The film also predicted the invention of smartwatches, 3D printers, wireless headphones, voice control, etc.
In terms of the amount of inventions that no one is surprised by now, the movie "Star Trek" can be compared to "Back to the Future."
From the latter, fans already realized self-lacing sneakers Air Mag, a working version of a flying board - hoverboard, biometric data recognition technology, robot waiters, holograms, contactless video games, smart glasses, plasma TVs, etc.
The "Star Wars" series also inspired a huge number of inventions. For example, the creation of bionic prostheses, holograms, jetpacks, robots, and even inspired scientists to develop a warp drive.
What Other Iconic Movies Have Inspired inventors?
The movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968). Invention: Tablet.
The sci-fi film "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick is still considered one of the cult classics. It was in this film that viewers first saw how artificial intelligence and a cryogenic chamber could work. But still, the device for reading newspapers - a rectangular interactive screen built into the table of the spaceship - deserves special attention. It closely resembles a tablet.
Some people are convinced that Kubrick's film inspired businesses to create it. Notably, 12 years ago, the film was involved in a legal dispute between Apple and Samsung. The former sued the South Korean group for stealing the tablet idea. To convince the court otherwise, Samsung's lawyers showed a scene from "2001: A Space Odyssey," dated 1968. Apple had to withdraw the lawsuit.
The movie "Blade Runner" (1982). Invention: Digital billboards.
Another invention that now seems commonplace was predicted 40 years ago in one of the first cyberpunk films - "Blade Runner". In the film, the creators "immerse" viewers in the future and demonstrate giant digital billboards on skyscrapers. In reality, such equipment for outdoor advertising was first installed by "Watchfire Signs" only in 2007. It's quite possible that this film inspired their development.
The movie "War of the Worlds" (2005). Invention: Laser Cannon.
Several directors managed to anticipate the development of a laser weapon. For example, it can be seen in "Star Wars," "Men in Black," and the movie "War of the Worlds." Eventually, films probably served as a prototype for real laser weapons (Laser Weapon System (LaWS)). It was first tested in 2014. The laser managed to burn a car and shoot down a drone in just 2 seconds.
Movies "The Terminator," "Runaway" (1984), and "Transformers". Invention: Combat robots and drones.
It can be said that the first mentions of unmanned combat machines were found in 1984 in the movie "Runaway," but more famous blockbusters "The Terminator" and "Transformers" likely inspired their practical realization. It's no secret that in recent years, combat unmanned machines have become an integral tool for combat operations in military conflicts.
Movies "Johnny Mnemonic" (1995) and "The Matrix" (1999). Invention: Implantable electronics.
To some extent, film producers anticipated the implantation of electronics into human bodies. Yes, the technology is not yet widespread, but volunteers can already implant an RFID tag in their arm to open locks. The latest possibility was announced by the company Neuralink at the end of September 2023, having received permission to begin clinical trials from an independent oversight board.
The movie "Woman in the Moon" (1929). Invention: Elements of rocket construction.
Cinematic visions also inspired space exploration. One of the first films in history to show space travel was "Woman in the Moon" directed by Fritz Lang. The film was also included in NASA's list of the most accurate science fiction films. This is not accidental. This is not accidental: the film's technical consultant was an outstanding German engineer and one of the founders of rocketry, Hermann Oberth. In the movie, you can find surprisingly many details released in reality: from the type of launch complex to the use of a multistage rocket. Interestingly, the creators of "Woman in the Moon '' invented the countdown before launch. Initially, it was intended as an artistic technique to increase viewer tension. The movie turned out to be so successful that later it became an essential part of real rocket launches. It is also interesting that Werner von Braun, a future rocket and space technology engineer, worked as a repairman in the pavilion where the film was shot. Forty years later, under his leadership, NASA made a real manned flight to the Moon.
What Other Technologies From Movies Have Been Realized?
Not only iconic films have been a source of inspiration for inventors and visionaries. Individual technologies we use now can be found in the films:
Movies "Devil's Seed" (1977) and "Electric Dreams" (1984). Invention: Smart Home.
Movies "The Love Bug" (1968), "Total Recall" (1990), and the series "Knight Rider" (1982). Invention: Autonomous Vehicles.
The movie "Minority Report" (2002). Invention: Gesture-Controlled Computer, Personalized Advertising.
Movie "Frankenstein" (1931). Invention: Genetic Engineering.
Movie "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (2005). Invention: Ear Translator.
Movie "Her" (2013). Invention: Generative Artificial Intelligence, Voice Assistant.
Movie "Fahrenheit 451" (1966). Invention: Interactive Television, Plasma Panels.
Movie "Metropolis" (1927). Invention: Video Communication.
Movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (1968). Invention: Flying Car.
What Have Modern Movies Inspired Scientists To Do?
Science fiction movies inspire not only inventors but also scientists.
For example, the film "Interstellar" ignited the desire in a group of physicists not only to check Kip Thorne's theory of the structure of black holes but also to go further. For this purpose, they chose one of the black holes, similar to the one that appeared in the movie. Then the scientists set up telescopes to capture the black hole. And they succeeded!
Moreover, the film "The Martian," in which Matt Damon played a botanist, inspired many people. And it's not just about those who came up with memes about growing potatoes on Mars, but also about breeders. They liked how the film's creators showed a representative of their profession and decided to name a new variety of tomatoes "Solanum watneyi" in honor of the main character Mark Watney. The scientists also sent M. Damon an invitation on behalf of the Botanical Society of America to join their ranks as an honorary member.
This is very similar to the story of the film "Avatar." The only difference is that the blockbuster in this case inspired scientists to name a new species of pterosaur, which was discovered in the Chinese province of Liaoning.
However, not all modern films, such as "Gravity," "Inception," "Serenity," "Moon 2112," and"Pandorum," can create such inspiring stories. But surely it's just a matter of time.
We're convinced that science fiction has pre-emptively conducted PR and marketing for your future ventures. Major franchises such as Star Wars, Star Trek, and Back to the Future have already accumulated legions of dedicated fans, many of whom are waiting for products like yours. We hope that this article will not only revive your love for these beloved movies but also spark a fresh idea, prompting you to seek out a business idea among the interstellar adventures. Should our insights initiate a creative spark in you, we'd be delighted to hear about it! Our team eagerly awaits your stories of innovation. Live long and prosper!" (echoing the iconic words of Spock from Star Trek)
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