Real world alternatives to Trek Tech?

[OpenMaw]

This is sort of a thought exercise that i've been fuddling with over the last couple of weeks. Everyone can feel free to participate, post articles, what have you, on the subject.

The notion in question. When looking at the technology behind Star Trek, certain things have become a semi reality(Cell phones, laser beams), that were once just a strict piece of fiction, others have been shown to be scientifically unlike or highly improbably. (Warp drive, transporters).

So here's the question. What scientific articles or what pieces of tech have come into being that could actually, become something very like what we saw on Star Trek? Or, could even go one step beyond what Star Trek had envisioned?

I'll start with the Alcubierre drive.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...h-prepares-to-create-a-warp-bubble-in-the-lab

http://zidbits.com/2012/12/what-is-the-future-of-space-travel/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive

Although there are still a great number of questions about it, and it's definitely not a sure thing, when I started reading about this it filled me with a sense of excitement, and genuine hope that a manned interstellar flight, and FTL at that, could actually occur within my life time. So awesome.

 

[T'Girl]

When looking at the technology behind Star Trek, certain things have become a semi reality(Cell phones, laser beams)

Laser beams predate Star Trek by many years, and communicators seem to be basically point to point communications, more like a fairly simple radio transceiver than a cell phone with it's combination of radio handsets, receiver towers, phone lines and the occasional satellite.

Compared to modern multifunction smartphones, the communicator borders on the ridiculous.

 

[OpenMaw]

When looking at the technology behind Star Trek, certain things have become a semi reality(Cell phones, laser beams)

Laser beams predate Star Trek by many years, and communicators seem to be basically point to point communications, more like a fairly simple radio transceiver than a cell phone with it's combination of radio handsets, receiver towers, phone lines and the occasional satellite.

Compared to modern multifunction smartphones, the communicator borders on the ridiculous.

I suppose I should have been more specific regarding my comment on "lasers." There are currently in development weapons systems, lasers, that will have the same functionality of the Trek phasers. That is, both lethal, and non lethal take down capability.

 

[SchwEnt]

I don't think lasers predate Star Trek by many years.
The first laser was functional in 1960. Star Trek premiered 1966. That's not many years.

Of course, the laser patents were filed years earlier, and the theories years before that. But working hardware? Fairly recent for Star Trek.

 

[Mytran]

Comparing smartphones to communicators is a bit like comparing trains and 4x4s. While one is sleek and modern and offers a wide variety of personal choices in luxury, it is useless without the extensive infrastructure which needs to be laid out well in advance (people always seem to forget about the mobile phone masts!). The communicator is more like a satellite phone which, like the 4x4, may be less pretty and multifunctional but does exactly what you need it to do, wherever you need to go.

If course, modern satellite phones are getting smaller by the year, so the TOS communicators are looking more and more and more like oversized toys:
http://www.ashburysatcom.co.uk/?gclid=CL-LlJ-4-7kCFdQZtAodQmwA3w

Ah well, never mind