The technologies you're using today were first just imagined concepts - a figment of science fiction. The Internet, hoverboard and mobile phones were only ideas you used to read about in books or watch in movies. However, thanks to advancements, many of these concepts have come true.
As more and more scientists experiment, develop and innovate, the line drawn between science fiction and real life could eventually become non-existent. Below are some incredible concepts from science fiction that are already happening in real life:
1) Driverless Car
Driverless cars appeared in the 2002 movie "Minority Report," but back in 1976, "Logan's Run" featured the concept first and called these cars "pods." Today, Google cars are actually being road tested and General Motors employees will test the company's model in late 2016, as previously reported on HNGN.
2) Human-like Robots As Employees
Cyborgs or androids were written about in the 1886 novel "Tomorrow's Eve." Today, these human-looking machines are already employed in Japanese hotels and retail stores, and they have been doing news broadcasts on TV.
3) Wearable Gadgets
In the 1930s science fiction comic strip "Dick Tracy," the police detective wore a 2-way radio on his wrist. It's a lot similar to the Apple Watch which was released in April 2015. Wearable gadgets have been a big thing this year and it's just the start! There's more expected in 2016, including pet trackers, swimwear, jeans and jewelry, according to Wearable.
4) Invisibility Cloak
While it isn't in stores yet, engineers from the Pennsylvania State University were able to develop cloth that could conceal shapes or objects in visible light, similar to the invisibility cloak Harry Potter wore in the fantasy series or Frodo was gifted with in "Lord of The Rings."
"Keep in mind, this is an entirely new design," says engineer Xingjie Ni, via Seventeen. "The advantage for future consumer or even military application is that we're starting from a very, very small size."
5) Tablets
Voyagers on "Star Trek" made use of the PADD, a concept that the sci-fi writers of the shows introduced in the 80s, per Ars Technica. Stanley Kubrick also had ideas about a tablet computer in the "2001: Space Odyssey" from 1969. There's a scene where people watched videos from a pad while having their meals. More than thirty years later, people have been enjoying the device in a similar manner with the iPad being the more popular choice.
6) Video Calls
Today, you can make video calls with friends and families via Facetime using your smartphone or tablet, but science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke envisioned this in the 60s while writing "2001: A Space Odyssey" with Kubrick. Even the 60s cartoon series "The Jetsons" made use of cool video calls.
7) Life on Mars
Finding life on Mars is a science fiction obsession and there are many literary works and films based around this. In real life, NASA and other space agencies have been exploring the Red Planet and while it has yet to happen, people will be moving to Mars in the future. The plans have been laid out through the Mars One mission that is expected to take place in 2026.
8) Bionic Body Parts
Anyone born before the 1980s knows "The Six Million Dollar Man." Darth Vader from "Star Wars" wore a bionic body part, too. Back then, you might have wondered how people like them could get on with their lives, but today, a 16-year-old named Patrick Kane is a living, real-life example. Kane was first fitted prosthetic parts in 2010 which have been upgraded in early 2015.
"I found it really easy to learn," he said, according to Touch Bionics. "Controlling the hand feels very natural, although it does take a bit longer to learn how to use the automatic grips and gestures, so it was very useful to be able to work with the Touch Bionics' therapist on these skills."
Here are more ideas from science fiction that have come true:
