(dramatic music)
- Hello, poppet.
So, science fiction is a genre that's popular
with millions of people across the world,
and that's because it transports us to a place
that's just way more interesting that real life.
And a big part of that are the characters
in the storyline, of course,
but an equally big part is the futuristic technology
that's in the story.
But a lot of people never stop to consider
whether some of these technologies
might actually exist, and believe it or not,
more than a few of them actually do.
So this week, I wanted to share with you
some amazing sci-fi tech that isn't so fictional.
So here they are, ten sci-fi technologies
that actually exist.
Number one are smart contact lenses.
As just one more step to what will
probably end up as us being bionic,
Google has developed a smart contact lens.
The lenses, which will be available to consumers
within the next five years, are a huge deal to diabetics,
who will no longer have to prick their fingers
five to ten times a day.
These lenses measure your glucose levels
simply by being on your eye.
But the really cool thing about them,
are their potential.
They've already developed the wearable computer
Google Glass,
so it's logical that it's just a matter of time
before they're able to merge the two technologies.
It's just kind of unfortunate that Google owns
yet another piece of technology
that could potentially track you.
I mean, they already know what websites you go on.
Yeah, I'm looking at you.
The guy that goes on goatlovers.com.
They know how you like to get freaky.
Number two is Modumetal.
Modumetal is a new aged metal that's the closest
we've ever come to having Adamantium,
the indestructible super metal
found in Wolverine's skeleton.
This nano-laminated alloy
is lighter and stronger than steel,
and is virtually indestructible.
It's a groundbreaking technology that's already begun
to replace traditional metals in things like military armor,
but has almost limitless other uses.
It's believed that this metal will eventually
be in cars, planes, buildings, bridges,
and pretty much anywhere else that requires
traditional steel.
Number three is bioluminescent light.
A company called Yonder Biology
has created something that looks like it's
straight out of the movie Avatar.
The Dino Pet, as they call it, is a container shaped
like a dinosaur that's full of bioluminescent algae.
The algae absorb light energy during the day,
and glow with a brilliant neon light at night.
What's interesting is these algae have always existed,
specifically in the Luminous Lagoon in Jamaica,
but these guys were brilliant enough to turn it
into something you can buy to make your house
look really cool.
See, this is great because it's a much safer
entertainment alternative than those glows sticks,
'cause I remember when I was a kid
I saw another kid bite into one like it was a pepperoni,
and his mouth was glowing.
Then he went to the hospital,
but it was funny for the first while.
Number four is optical camouflage.
Harry Potter fans, get ready for a major nerd boner.
Optical camouflage, better known as an invisibility cloak,
doesn't rely on magic,
but instead is a very real technology.
The way that it works is
by using augmented reality technology,
it bends light around the subject wearing the material,
making them appear virtually invisible
to anyone looking at them.
It doesn't make you completely invisible,
like in the movies, but instead,
gives you a highly translucent look.
It's quite a complex process,
and the real life applications are still being tested,
but everyone can agree, this is really cool.
Imagine being able to walk around like this.
Hello, I want to be your friend.
Don't be afraid.
Number five is 3D printing.
By now, most of us have heard of 3D printers,
which are those printers that can print nearly
any size or shape 3D object from a virtual model.
But what you might not know,
is how far they've already come.
On top of being able to print objects
using plastic, glass, and metal,
these machines are now capable of printing
fully edible food, like mashed potatoes and chocolate,
and even living cells.
There's even a company called Boots Industries
that's developed a self-replicating 3D printer.
Yeah, as in a machine that can create copies of itself.
Self-replicating machines.
Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.
It's not like the enslavement of mankind
was foretold based on that very premise.
Except for every other sci-fi movie for the last 15 years.
But, you know, whatever.
Yea, printable pizza!
Number six are self-driving cars.
Google's self-driving cars have been a reality
for a while in California,
however they still aren't available for commercial use,
unlike in the United Arab Emirates,
where they've had self-driving cars
in commercial use since 2010.
The Zagato Pod car is reminiscent of the robo taxis
from the 1990 movie Total Recall,
and services about 25,000 people a month.
Developed by European company 2getthere,
these fully autonomous cars are part of a growing project
to create a city that runs on clean
and renewable energy sources.
I really cannot wait until these replace regular cars
because they're a lot safer than the way some of you drive.
Kitty agrees.
Number seven is a universal translator.
Similar behind the idea to the Tardis in Dr. Who,
and the universal translator from Star Trek,
a real life universal translator really does exist.
The Sigma Voice Translator is a little device
that you simply speak into in one language,
and it repeats your sentence in another chosen language.
It can translate your speech into more than
25 different languages, and is so advanced,
that it can actually translate what you meant,
not just what you said.
And apparently it's quite accurate
with its translation, which is fantastic,
because the last thing you want is to try to speak Mandarin
in a Beijing restaurant when you really don't
understand the language and you end up
ordering cat or something.
Which I really don't think they'd appreciate.
Unless they actually served cat.
In which case, they'd bring it to you.
Number eight is bionics.
Remember Luke Skywalker's mechanical arm from Star Wars?
Well that technology now exists.
Bionics is the term for the technology
that merges biology and machinery.
From a medical standpoint,
it means the replacement or enhancement
of organs or limbs by mechanical versions.
In fact, just this year, an amputee named Dennis Sorensen
was given a bionic arm that allowed him to feel
the sensation of touch for the first time in nine years.
Now, the technology is still young,
so the bionic hand itself is quite big
and not aesthetically pleasing, but that doesn't matter.
It's not like anyone's gonna go mouth off to him about it.
He's got a metallic arm.
He'll drop you like third period French.
Number nine is the password pill.
If you had entering passwords, then this is for you,
if you aren't completely freaked out by it.
Motorola has developed an edible authentication vitamin pill
that once swallowed, turns you into a living, breathing,
human password capable of unlocking all your devices.
The way that it works is that after swallowing it,
the digestive liquids in your stomach activate the pill.
Once activated, the pill starts emitting an 18 bit signal
from your stomach that's strong enough to be detected
by computers and smartphones, unlocking them.
Interestingly, although Motorola has no immediate plans
to release this to the public, it is FDA approved,
so it could be at any time.
Now, I know a lot of you are going to be against
the idea of edible technology,
but at least it's an oral pill and not a suppository.
Always look for the silver lining, folks.
And number ten, powered armor.
Exoskeletons like those found in the movie Alien
have been around for a while, but are used purely
to enhance human endurance and strength,
not to fly or shoot weaponry, until now.
Powered armor, also known as an exosuit,
essentially makes the wearer a real-life Iron Man.
As hinted by President Obama earlier this year,
America is, in fact, building a real-life Iron Man suit,
but further details are unknown, as it's top secret.
You know, I'd imagine that this suit,
unlike the movie version,
probably takes a long time to put on and take off,
so a practical question would be,
what happens when Iron Man has to go potty?
Did the engineers build in like a little flap?
Or does Iron Man run the risk of pooping
in a billion dollar metal suit?
Just curious.
And that's all for this video, guys.
I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you
to all of you because yesterday I hit
half a million subscribers,
which is a crazy accomplishment that I never
thought that I would get to when I first started doing this,
and yet here we are.
So, thank you so much.
Your support means the world to me.
And if you'd like to add me to Facebook and Twitter,
the links to those will be in the description,
along with all my other social networking links.
And other than that, I will see you guys back here
next Saturday, with a brand new video.
Peace.
(cheerful musical fanfare)
I see you made it to the outtro screen.
Welcome.
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And that's about it.
I'm gonna go outside and enjoy the beautiful sunshine
because Spring is coming, baby.
You can feel it.
It's in the air.
It's nice and sunny, so,
I hope you guys have a great weekend.
I will see you next week.
(laughs)
I don't know what that was.