I recently binged the fourth season of The Expanse. I think it is a great series and it is considered some of the best hard science fiction series out. Depending on who you ask, the events take place somewhere between 200 and 350 years in the future. The thing with looking into the future it always seems like people are either too optimistic or too pessimistic on technology.
When watching Star Trek: The Next Generation or DS9 today I am always laughing at the computer tech. Sure you have warp drive, teleportation, and replicators, but what is the deal with your other technology. Every time I see someone using a PADD I keep thinking isn’t my 2003 Palm Pilot better, and what would people in the future make of my Android smartphone.
In The Expanse they have figured out fusion energy and fusion drives and can cure cancer and severe radiation poisoning. But their everyday tech is pretty pedestrian. Everyone is still using basically smartphones, tablets and screens. Granted if I could get the cool glass smartphone it would be nice. With a wave of their hand, they can cast video call from their smartphone to a big screen. People today want to know how they manage that without the I am sorry your current Android phone is not compatible with this AppleTV device please upgrade to the new iPhone 42S. That is some serious science fiction there.
Where are the machine brain interfaces, video display contacts, and tiny behind the ear bone conduction audio devices. Many of these technologies are in not far from being a reality today. I am also finding it interesting that the VR (Virtual Reality) or AR (Augmented Reality) displays already seem out of date. Here are some data scientists working in the second season.
It looks cool until you see the demos for the Microsoft Hololens 2.
Or maybe the Magic Leap is even better:
While people claim fusion is 20 years away and always will be, why is our computer tech and interfaces better now than 200+ years in the future.
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