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If science fiction has taught us anything it is that technology can't keep up with our imaginations. Here are a few items from stories of invention that would certainly make our lives more easy, more exciting and probably more dangerous...
The Lightsabre
The Jedi's weapon of choice is a serious bit of kit. Literally a sword made from a laser beam these bad boys can do some serious damage. Just ask the Scout Trooper stationed on Endor who had the front of his speeder bike lopped off by one, oh no you can't, he's dead... It seems also that personality type can be determined from the colour of your lightsabre, sort of a mood ring for those fighting intergalactic wars, I guess.
The Transporter
"Beam me up Scotty!" The transporter is a fairly integral part of the Star Trek universe getting Kirk, his team and their many successors from the USS Enterprise to undiscovered planet and back again. What is most amazing about this tech is its everyday potential. Imagine the commute to work for example, no longer necessary, and the potential for never needing a taxi ever again, permitting transporting while mildly inebriated was within the user guidelines. And if you follow that through then travel would become merely a leisure pursuit, driving would become obsolete and the environment would 'breathe' a huge fresh breath of relief...
Flux Capacitor
The very piece of technology that made the Deloran the most stylish time machine ever created. From the manically gifted mind of Dr. Emmet Brown the flux capacitor makes travel through the ages possible, and that would be 'far out'. However, if the Back To The Future trilogy teaches us anything it is that adventures that potentially break the space time continuum are a little fool hardy. That said as long as we avoid ourselves past and future, our parents past and future and don't bring an almanac of sporting results back from the year 2015 we'll be fine... Also, another issue is that the flux capacitor needs 1.21 gigawatts of electricity, maybe it's not all that great after all? Nah, I still want one.
T-800 Terminator
Owning your own T-800 would certainly be useful, personal security and concierge service all rolled into one. Obviously you'd want the version with the Terminator 2 'do what I say' programming, not the original incarnation renown as a 'relentless machine that absolutely will not stop until you are dead'. A considerably less palatable choice.
The Sonic Screwdriver
Utilised by the Doctor in the TV series Dr. Who the Sonic Screwdriver is nothing if not versatile. Used for among other things opening locked doors, performing medical assessments and interacting with alien technology. The real world uses probably wouldn't need it to be an interface to using the martian equivalent of a MacBook, but so what, you can slide through any door in the world!
Alan Bradshaw is a bit of a geek, regularly interrupting his search for wedding gifts to watch lengthy sessions of Babylon 5.
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