Lasers In Science Fiction Vs. Real Life - Which Is Better??

Is 2014 not what you expected it would be? After The Jetsons and Back to the Future stunned you as a child with starry-eyed visions of incredible gadgets of the future, you aren’t the only one disappointed. Although we are making a few leaps and bounds in medicine and technology, we’ve made a list that would make even your former reading-comic-books-under-the-covers-self proud:

Sci-Fi: One of the earliest laser-based weapons in science fiction was the laser gun, called everything from a phaser to raygun. No matter what you choose to call it, it's still pretty dang cool: a weapon designed to emit high-powered lasers directly at your enemies. It's really a weapon you could dream about, no matter if you're a Trekkie or a Cyborg.

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Counterpart: This particular military weapon doesn't just shoot lasers; it's way cooler. The XM-25 grenade launcher is equipped with a laser rangefinder and on-board computer that assists with finding targets as well as programming rounds to detonate as they pass the target. Reportedly 300 percent more accurate than normal ammo in normal guns, this is one bad-ass "phaser."

Flickr: markomni

Sci-Fi: The 1960s had many accomplishments, among them the birth of the X-Men: a team of mutant superheroes courtesy of Marvel comics. Among them is our good friend Cyclops, whose mutant superpower happens to be emitting a high-powered laser from his eyes, otherwise known as an optical blast. As if that wasn't cool enough, he gets special glasses to ensure no innocent bystanders are getting hit with the blast.

lasersight.co.za

Counterpart: While there doesn't seem to be any technology that can grant you your very own laser blasts, there is a laser that can give you back your eyesight. If you thought LASIK surgery was common and boring, you probably haven't heard about the topography-guided excimer laser system. The fastest and most accurate LASIK option currently available, the excimer laser system is making perfect eyesight an option for almost everybody. How's that for an optic blast?

socialinnovationmn.com

Sci-Fi: In just about any science-fiction world, the medicine is out of this world (no pun intended). In Star Trek, a simple handheld device could not only tell you what was wrong with your body but also help to heal you—no needles necessary. Other worlds only needed you to drink a potion to restore your health, or maybe it was just eating a specific fruit. Whatever it was, it always sounded better than a trip to the doctor's office and a round of pills and shots.

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Counterpart: While we've come a long way from DNA sequencing sounding like the stuff of fiction, there's still a ways to go. The laser injections that have recently sprung out of the lab sound like they belong in comic books—but they're actually heading to your doctor's office. The laser injection works by shooting a blast of air—smaller than the head of a needle—filled with the liquid medicine right through your skin, without you so much as feeling it. Although it does have the potential to become a weapon (any liquid, right?), it still has a lot of testing left to go.

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Sci-Fi: What kid didn't secretly wish for a robot that could fight alongside you, R2D2 and C-3PO-style? Even if they seemed to be better at communicating odd hologram messages and getting into trouble than actually assisting, there was nothing cooler than a talking robot sidekick. Right?

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Counterpart: Step aside Roombas, Mars Rovers, and any other wanna-be bots: the MAAR system is here. The Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System is a robot that was developed specifically for the military, and is capable of everything from reconnaissance and surveillance to target acquisition. It doesn't have to be lethal—but it does come fully loaded with a machine gun and grenade launcher. You know, just in case.

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Sci-Fi: The Force: what a mysterious, powerful thing you always pretended to have in front of automatic doors. You weren't ever really sure what, exactly, it was, or exactly how powerful, but you knew that it was cool, invisible, and that you wanted it.

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Counterpart: This handy laser-inspired beam is what we imagine the Force would look like—you know, if it were visible and named the Bedazzler. This experimental weapon has the ability to make people feel seasick just from a light sequence alone—and you can build your very own for around $250. While it isn't exactly the Force, it does double as a cool disco-ball when needed.