One of the core elements of science fiction movies has always been, well, science-y fiction.
Floating orbs to help train a young punk kid with a lightsaber. Phasers that always seem to be "set to stun." A loving relationship with an operating system the protagonist calls Samantha. OK, this last one might actually be happening now but we doubt anyone would fess up to it.
But sometimes science truth follows the lead of science fiction. Let's take a look at four moments in cinema history that either predicted the future or helped a wider audience realize what was already out there.
Video Calling: Believe it or not, you'll see two references to 2001: A Space Odyssey but perhaps that shouldn't be surprising. The 1968 film's title alone warns that it's going to be a predictive film.
Wearable Tech: Oh, Dick Tracy. We see you, my man. The comic book character hit the big screen in 1990 sporting high-tech wristwatches that were used to communicate and access information. Sound familiar? Perhaps we should give James Bond an honorable mention here.
Today, we have crazy smartwatches that do way more than communicate. Now, we can make calls, send texts, and even monitor our health metrics through our watches.
Voice Assistants: "Hello Dave." It was eerie but it was personable. Fortunately, today's virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa have less menacing voices but this is once again an innovation first seen in the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The ever-helpful computer HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey responds to voice commands and was a clear precursor to the virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa that we interact with daily. I never did, however, see the off hours when Dave comes home and is too lazy to find a clock. Or is that just me? "Hey Hal: What time is it?" "Time for you to buy a watch, Dave."
Artificial Intelligence: While strong AI, as depicted in movies like Her (2013) and Blade Runner (1982) is still far off, It's coming whether we like it or not (I'm a fan).
These applications have been becoming more prevalent in fields like medicine, finance, and transportation, which we have covered intensively in these blogs.
