10 Science Fiction Technologies That Are Now Real

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1. Commercial Space Flight in “2001: A Space Odyssey”

2001 totally called commercial space flight, but may have dropped the ball on whether Pan Am would still be around.

source: Huntster at Wikimedia Commons
Mary Evans/MGM MGM/POLARIS/STANLEY KUBRICK PRODUCTIONS/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection (MSDTWTH EC016)

2. Deloreans That Don’t Need Roads in “Back To The Future”

For bonus points, the Delorean in BTTF runs not on plutonium, but biofuels… and that’s real too. And, if you get in the real-life Delorean, you can actually travel through time! (Technically.*)

(*but only forwards and at the rate of one minute per minute)

source: BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, 1989. (c) Universal Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection. (MSDBATO EC050)

3. Robot Maids in “The Jetsons”

THE JETSONS, Jane Jetson, Rosey the Robot Maid, 1962-1987, courtesy of the Everett Collection (TSDJETS EC008) / Via store.irobot.com

OK, so the Roomba isn’t full of exasperated, sassy wisdom… but that’s a nitpick. Robots that clean your house exist, people, because you live in the future.

4. Body Scanners in “Total Recall”

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1990, ©TriStar Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection (MCDTORE EC018) and Smallman12q on Wikimedia commons / Via commons.wikimedia.org

Surprisingly, the real-life iteration is weirder, creepier and more invasive.

5. Space-Age Communicators in “Star Trek”

Star Trek image courtesy of Paramount, MSN Surface image by BuzzFeed

While modern-day communicators can’t call deep space without a satellite, Spock & Co. couldn’t surf the web or buy stuff online… never mind tweeting pics of the weird monsters they encountered or reading the latest news on MSN.

6. Cloning in “Multiplicity”

©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection and Steve Jurvetson (MCDMULT EC001) / Via Flickr: jurvetson

Science Fiction writers have been predicting cloning forever, and it’s finally here in a big way. To date, scientists have cloned 23 different kinds of animals, from sheep to water buffalo to rats. Because we can all sleep better knowing that scientists are working overtime to create more rats.

7. Dog translation devices in "Up"

Walt Disney Co./courtesy Everett Collection (MCDUPUP EC038) / Via bowlingual-dog-translator.com

While the Bowlingual Dog translator won't tell you, "I do not like the cone of shame," it will tell you if you dog is feeling happy, sad, frustrated, or on-guard. You know you want to understand what Fido's saying. Just throw him a bone!

8. Self-driving cars in "Batman"

Mac Morrison and Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection (MCDBABE EC101) / Via Flickr: cmmorrison

The Batmobile isn't the only thing that can drive itself. Automatic cars are real, and they may be safer than normal cars! As of 2013, Nevada, Florida, and California are the only states where you can use a driverless car.

9. The invisibility cloak in "Harry Potter"

Via Flickr: wwarby

OK, so you can't really be a wizard, but here's the next best thing. Researchers are working hard at the University of Texas in Austin to create invisibility cloaks. As wizards would say, "Riddikulus!"

source: HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, Daniel Radcliffe, 2001/Courtesy of the Everett Collection (MSDHAPO EC009) and William Warby

10. Growing organs from ANY science fiction movie

Via shutterstock.com

Yes. Scientists can grow organs now. But no evil harvesting in the works. Thank goodness.