10 sci-fi universes where tech could actually happen

From "Star Trek" to "The Expanse," even some of the wildest sci-fi universes have enough science behind them that their technology could one day become a reality.

Even if the story is wacky and the characters are aliens unlike anything humans have encountered in real life, a sci-fi universe has to employ the right technology to create a compelling experience. Stories based on consistent and plausible technology, like Star Trek and The Expanse, have done that, and that's the key to a believable sci-fi world.

As to how likely the technology of these shows, movies, and games is to be a reality, answers can vary, but are usually surprisingly positive. These are just some of the sci-fi universes that are looking more believable than ever, as real-world technology continues to improve.

Cyberpunk 2077's Cybernetic Enhancements Are Plausible

Cyberpunk 2077 was many people's first encounter with the long-running dystopian world of Cyberpunk TTRPG, and it immediately threw a lot of fantastic new technology at players. Perhaps the most prominent example is cybernetic augmentation, which has allowed humans to do far more than they were previously capable of.

Human-robots are very real in the real world, and most current applications are for helping people with disabilities. Some examples highlighted in futurism include bionic limbs, which could even allow users to have A sense of touch and a head-mounted antenna allow color-blind artist Neil Harbisson to hear colours.

WALL-E's Robot Solution To Pollution Could Come True

In the world of WALL-E, the worst is over as humans are forced to leave an Earth made uninhabitable by pollution and settle on the Starliners. Aboard a spaceship, humanity has become overly dependent on technology, and its reliance on screens and junk food is only going to get worse.

According to Time magazine, screen usage has soared and remained high during the lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic, so it's easy to imagine technology adapting to compensate for less active lifestyles. On top of that, companies like Recycleye promise to use artificial intelligence and robotics to help with future waste disposal, just as WALL-E's model was created for that purpose.

The Expanse Grounds Its Fascinating Story In Some Real Science

One of the biggest problems with science fiction is that faster-than-light travel remains an impossible dream in the real world, meaning traveling through space takes an inordinate amount of time. Expanse solves this problem by restricting human travel to Earth's solar system, although the science of the Epstein drive persists Now doubtful.

On the other hand, given the development of cloud technology, hand-held terminals in the show, which replace the almost ubiquitous smartphones in the real world, seem completely plausible. Finally, Syfy reports that The Expanse's railgun may soon become a reality as the U.S. Navy tests a similar electromagnetic weapon.

Mass Effect's Military Technology May Predict The Future

While Mass Effect wasn't always grounded in real science, and FTL was just one of the more questionable elements added to the world to make for a better story, it's fair to say that these games are more Considers real-world physics better than most. It's one of the things that makes Mass Effect such an iconic game series.

Weapons in particular, put a lot of thought into how they work. Fans including Kyle Hill from Nerdiston YouTube have broken down how some of the game's "Element Zero" electromagnetic weapon works and how it's based on actual science. As with The Expanse's railgun, the Navy's testing of a similar weapon confirmed its real-world potential.

The Tech In The Alien Franchise May Become Plausible

While the titular alien may not exactly fall under the technology label, there is some interesting technology on display in the alien. Planetary terraforming technology that took decades The series reflects NASA's estimate that, if such a process is possible, it would take a long time, possibly tens of millions of years. Likewise, aliens admit that interstellar travel will mean long transits.

It solves this problem using stasis pods, which basically suspend the user's body in time until they wake up, a concept not new in science fiction. Cryonics, which can achieve similar effects, may still be a nascent technology, according to Science Focus, but it's attracting a lot of interest from researchers, meaning progress may be possible over time.

Blade Runner's Doomed Synths Have Become More Plausible

With rogue robots and flying cars, the quintessential cyberpunk classic Blade Runner might have seemed ridiculous when it was released, but some of the technology seems more realistic now. Flying cars may be far from being a reality, but the technology behind artificial intelligence and lifelike robots is advancing at a breakneck pace.

Also, considering that planned obsolescence is now at the heart of the tech industry, the four-year lifespan of the synths in Blade Runner doesn't seem crazy. Not only that, but the real world already has a very general equivalent to the Voight-Kampff test in the movie for the ability to discern Bots from humans in the form of captchas and similar tests.

The Matrix Has Become Closer To Reality With VR

It is unlikely that humans will one day be used as a source of energy, as they are in The Matrix, scientist Robert Hurt explains in Esquire that it is simply impossible to obtain the energy needed to keep the body alive, But that doesn't mean all of the film's techniques are impossible.

With VR capable of delivering more immersive experiences than ever before, some believe that humanity is inevitably moving toward a simulation that is indistinguishable from reality. Plus, with the Metaverse being presented as a virtual space where humans can even work and own property, the ever-present simulation in The Matrix seems closer than ever.

Halo's Military Technology Is Surprisingly Grounded

While Halo's signature AI may be imitated by Microsoft's Cortana in the real world, the resemblance between the two doesn't go deeper than the names. Furthermore, while the space defense network is documented to have been proposed as far back as the Reagan administration, the plan never took off in the real world the way the Halo Array did for its forerunners.

However, not all of Halo's technology is incredible. in the form Compared to the Warthog and Scorpion tanks, the vehicles used by the UNSC seem like a natural extension of the armored off-road vehicles and military tanks seen in the real world. Even more surprising, the BBC reports that real-world militaries are very interested in creating super soldiers, not unlike the Spartans in Halo.

The Martian's Story Has Some Real Science Behind It

Simply by setting the story on Mars rather than in the depths of outer space, The Martian is more believable than many other science fiction novels because, according to NASA, this is something humans are interested in doing in the coming decades things. In the movie, castcano live in a special habitat that protects them from the planet's harsh conditions.

In the real world, many people have considered creating such a living facility, and NASA held a design competition for it in 2019. Likewise, Digital Trends reports that there are plenty of plausible ideas about how to produce water on Mars, implying that Mark Watney's long-term viability is rooted in some real-world science.

Some Of Star Trek's Outlandish Technology Is Already Real

While outlets such as The Debrief have discovered real-life "warp bubbles" in recent years, the technology behind them is exciting Piloting in Star Trek is still in its very early days. That doesn't detract from the sheer amount of technology from Star Trek that exists in the real world right now.

From tablets and real-time translation devices to things as simple as automatic doors, so much of the technology shown in various iterations of Star Trek didn't exist when the show was made. Replicators and long-distance space travel still seem out of reach, but few would argue against the show at this point.