SciFi Technology - What if it were real?

[spudley112]

We had a discussion a few days ago about certain technology seen in science fiction movies. While many of my friends were starry eyed while imagining how awesome it would be, I started thinking about how there could be a lot of repercussions that might not be so great.

Our discussion was specifically on the idea of instant teleportation. While this staple of science fiction might seem like it would be amazing, I started thinking of all the economic and criminal implications.

Economically - The transportation industry is HUGE. Whether moving people from place to place, or moving merchandise, there are tons of jobs and A LOT of money that changes hands. Basically, any item made these days (unless made and sold only locally) requires some type of logistics. There are a lot of jobs that are dependent upon this requirement. Can you imagine what would happen (at least for a few years until we adapted) to the world economy if this technology became possible? The good side, other than the obvious convenience, would be the ease by which we could provide food and water to needy people in underdeveloped countries.

Criminal - Needless to say, criminal organizations would benefit greatly from being able to move their ill-gotten wares and gains instantly. The time they are most likely to get caught is when they are moving their product or money. Provide instant transportation, and the sky is the limit for them. Also, imagine being able to dispose of evidence in ways previously unimagined? Scary thought.

What are some other science fiction technologies that would change things in ways we don't often think? We have had the discussion of time travel, but how about Light speed? Disintegration weapons? Light sabers? Anti gravity? I would be interested to hear others speculate.

[Etherealicer]

I don't think instant transportation would be such a bad thing for the economy. First off, someone would still have to produce the transporter and someone would still have to transport the goods. They still have to be sorted, packed, loaded/unloaded, bought/sold/traded, directed to the right destination. The transporting (time) itself is a relatively small part.
In SciFi wrtiting the larger problem is war/terrorism... I mean you can simply teleport into the capital city, detonate a bomb and be gone again. The potential for havoc without a good story is immense, this is why, in SciFi, usually there are limiting rules to it. E.g. you cannot enter/exit Hyperspace close to a large mass / to a planet. So, it can only be used for interstellar travel. Or like in Harry Potter, you could have "Teleportation Shields". Either way, it also would require more traditional transportation again, saving the economy

I think the problem with Sci Fi tech mostly is the inability of the writer to apply it to the whole universe.
E.g. Star Wars has an excellent permanent hover tech (Rey's bike, sandspeeders, speeder-bikes etc.) or energy is so cheap and so easily available, that they leave the hover "engine" on all the time. So, the question is, why do spaceships have landing gear (fun fact, they even have hover-tech installed as repulsorlifts, that is how TIE-Fighters stay airborne in atmosphere.)? And why is anyone riding an animal if even Ray can afford a hover-bike? I mean certainly food is more expensive.

[Don Pablo]

Yeah.
Who makes the magic replicator machines, and the energy sources that they require to operate?
Plus, you need people to design the new replicator and warp drive models...

[Etherealicer]

Yeah.
Who makes the magic replicator machines, and the energy sources that they require to operate?
Plus, you need people to design the new replicator and warp drive models...

The replicator seems over the top at first... but 3D printers are here. In the future we will have goo-pipelines into the cities and if you are rich, your food will be 3D printed from that goo with flavor, texture and color and you won't be able to tell the difference to what we eat today (except that it will be calorie adjusted and healthy and you can eat as much as you want without becoming fat... at least that is my dream)... if you are poor, you are stuck with goo. 3D printers will advance and quite possibly be able to print whole spaceships including the electronics (I found those welding scenes on space-ships always odd, at least use superglue). R2D2 does not really fix... he cuts the damaged stuff away and re-prints the missing part.

[chip]

Automated warehouses and driverless trucks will be doing people out of logistical jobs sooner rather than later.

I just want doors that go “sshhh” and disappear into the walls when I approach.

[Pacu]

Universal translators with slang add ons in the programming. Google translate is good but not good enough.

Regional dialects just in Texas need translation.

[gregozedobe]

IMO the biggest disruptor to current economies would be teleportation of people (assuming it was cheap & reliable).  Real estate values in cities would drop like a stone.  And people would spread out all over the world like a biblical plague of locusts 

[Don Pablo]

IMO the biggest disruptor to current economies would be teleportation of people (assuming it was cheap & reliable).  Real estate values in cities would drop like a stone.  And people would spread out all over the world like a biblical plague of locusts 

Teleportation presumes a massive amount of energy that can only come from the likes of nuclear power or something more... potent.
With energy sources like that, I think avoiding the locust situation is trivial*.

*Compared to climate change currently.

[comis]

My only fear is before the end of my life, I think it is likely we could possibility achieve AI, and there's no assurance whether it will always make the it's decision based on human interest or it's personal interest.

[ThundahBeagle]

Born in the late '60's, my generation was always being shown flying cars moving all around the city and that the year 2001 was a long way off and full of promise.

Let me tell you, having been driving (a tractor) since I was 13 and a car since the 80's, there is NO way i want flying cars. These knuckleheads in Boston cant even deal with TWO dimensional driving, I sure dont need some idiot crashing through my roof.

Autonomous cars? Naw. I'm in technology and I see how efficient automation can be for the assembly line. But I've also seen that when it goes bad, it goes really bad. Self driving cars may or may not make commuting safer, but the whole idea of free movement sort of goes out the window.

[Top-Gear-24]

My only fear is before the end of my life, I think it is likely we could possibility achieve AI, and there's no assurance whether it will always make the it's decision based on human interest or it's personal interest.

Before the end of your life...?

Smurf, the auto-correct on my phone seems to be doing that kind of sh*t already... 

[comis]

Before the end of your life...?

Smurf, the auto-correct on my phone seems to be doing that kind of sh*t already... 

Yes, before the end of my life time , given Google futurist Ray Kurzweil is wrong about immortality. 

[spudley112]

Teleportation presumes a massive amount of energy that can only come from the likes of nuclear power or something more... potent.
With energy sources like that, I think avoiding the locust situation is trivial*.

*Compared to climate change currently.

Or the holes in the ozone layer and acid rain.

[Etherealicer]

My only fear is before the end of my life, I think it is likely we could possibility achieve AI, and there's no assurance whether it will always make the it's decision based on human interest or it's personal interest.

I do not share your fear, for several reasons... I don't think a robot/machine is more dangerous than a human running rampant (guns and bombs make destruction fairly easy). Combine that with the fact that robots are not bullet-proof and very depending on energy. There is absolutely no reason why lying/deception should be part of the AI programming in fact, we program AI's to very specific tasks (I mean if you buy a wife/companion robot, you don't want it to lie to you and fake a headache. A soldier robot should not question its orders etc.). There is also no reason for robots to collaborate. I mean different manufacturers, different function different programming... that is kinda like all animals would suddenly start to work together.
Nah, as always the largest threat to humans are humans and when it comes to AI/robots more specifically... how lazy we get. I think the threat that we sit in front of a TV (or the future equivalent) and stop moving, Wall-E style is far greater than machines revolting against humans.

[Don Pablo]

Or the holes in the ozone layer and acid rain.

Thankfully those are some of the few problems that legislation (international and national) is making an impact on. They're not as bad problems as they used to be....

[SteveC]

Or the holes in the ozone layer and acid rain.

Don't forget the zombie apocalypse