Science fiction has broadened and inspired the imaginations of millions worldwide, and while providing a glimpse into our possible future, at times it has also served as the basis for the progress of technology beyond many of our wildest dreams.<\/p>\n
Imagine a future where astronaut-miners or \u201cdroids\u201d travel to nearby asteroids in search of water and precious minerals and metals.\u00a0 Sounds a lot like James Cameron\u2019s film, Avatar, doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 In the film, humans mine a fictional moon named Pandora for a precious metal called unobtainium.\u00a0 Whereas Avatar was science fiction, a group of wealthy entrepreneurs announced plans this week that they hope to begin mining asteroids in the near future.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Planetary Resources<\/a> announced that it hopes to begin mining near-Earth asteroids for everything from water to precious metals and minerals.\u00a0 Although it sounds like science fiction, Planetary Resources co-founders Eric Anderson and Peter Diamandis hope to launch the first stages of their ambitious project in as little as 18 months to two years, and they\u2019ve attracted some very high-profile advisers and investors including James Cameron, NASA astronaut Tom Jones, Google Execs Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, Ross Perot, Jr., and Charles Simonyi.<\/p>\n While asteroid mining may seem far-fetched, some aspects appear to make sense.\u00a0 Many of these near-Earth objects are easily accessible from Earth.\u00a0 Asteroids are known to contain water and are also believed to contain untold riches in precious metals and minerals.\u00a0 Besides the obvious potential to make gazillions of dollars, asteroid mining may help open up space for further exploration (and exploitation).\u00a0 According to Anderson, \u201cIf you believe it\u2019s important to have continued prosperity for future generations, we need resources from somewhere.\u00a0 Near-Earth asteroids are way, way more appealing than just about any other place we might look.\u201d<\/p>\n But if asteroid mining still seems too \u201cout there,\u201d a sampling of other technologies that sound like science fiction but are already in use today just might convince you that \u201ctruth is stranger than fiction.\u201d\u00a0 According to the website \u201cThings Nerds Like<\/a>,\u201d the alien \u201cheat rays\u201d in H. G. Wells\u2019 classic, \u201cThe War of the Worlds,\u201d may have been the inspiration for the U.S. military\u2019s \u2018Active Denial System,\u2019<\/a> which uses a focused beam of directed wave energy to \u201cheat up\u201d the outer layers of human skin, causing intolerable pain.\u00a0 The device is used for crowd control.<\/p>\n Another unusual device used to control people is the Mosquito<\/a>.\u00a0 Billed as \u201cteenager repellent,\u201d the Mosquito emits a high-pitched whine that irritates young people and is used to deter loitering and other \u201canti-social\u201d behaviors.<\/p>\n Designer children anyone?\u00a0 Aldous Huxley\u2019s \u201cBrave New World\u201d examined controlled reproduction and genetic manipulation\u2019s consequences on society.\u00a0 Although we\u2019re not yet creating humans from designer blueprints, we\u2019re not far from it.\u00a0 In vitro<\/em> fertilization, somatic and germline gene therapies, cloning, and the use of donor eggs to create children with three genetic parents<\/a> are just the beginning.\u00a0 But if designer humans aren\u2019t enough, there are always human-animal hybrids.<\/p>\n What do you get when you cross \u201cmad scientists\u201d with the 2008 Human Fertilisation Embryology Act?\u00a0 A really bad horror movie or, as of 2011, more than 150 human-animal hybrid embryos created secretly in labs at Warwick University in the U.K.\u00a0 Scientists say the techniques used to develop these embryos can also be used to treat a wide range of currently incurable illnesses <\/a> as well as provide a \u201cunique\u201d way to help feed the world.\u00a0 Feed the world?\u00a0 According to an article in Science Daily<\/a>, scientists are developing a new approach for producing large quantities of \u201chuman-derived gelatin\u201d which could be substituted for animal-based gelatin in desserts like marshmallows, candy, and numerous other products.\u00a0 Did someone say \u201cSoylent Green<\/a>?\u201d<\/p>\n