Occasionally a friend’s Facebook post is good for something other than being annoying. Earlier this week, a Facebook friend posted a link to an article, “27 Science Fictions that Became Facts in 2012” from the myscienceacademy.org Website.
I realize that the post, which was originally posted on 1/3/2013, is more than a year old, but if you haven’t seen it like I haven’t then it’s new and news to me. It’s an intriguing article, especially people like us who are working in an industry so driven by and so influenced by technology.
A couple of the science fictions that became facts in the article jumped out at me because I see a relevance to the imaging technology industry. Those include:
3-D Printer Creates Full-Size Houses in One Session – The D-Shape printer, created by Enrico Dini, is capable of printing a two-story building, complete with rooms, stairs, pipes, and partitions. Using nothing but sand and an inorganic binding compound, the resulting material has the same durability as reinforced concrete with the look of marble. The building process takes approximately a fourth of the time as traditional buildings, as long as it sticks to rounded structures, and can be built without specialist knowledge or skill sets. Source: gizmag.com
Custom Jaw Transplant Created with 3-D Printer – A custom working jawbone was created for an 83-year-old patient using titanium powder and bioceramic coating. The first of its kind, the successful surgery opens the door for individualized bone replacement and, perhaps one day, the ability to print out new muscles and organs. Source: telegraph.co.uk
Ultra-Flexible “Willow” Glass Will Allow for Curved Electronic Devices – Created by New York–based developer Corning, the flexible glass prototype was shown off at an industry trade show in Boston. At only 0.05mm thick, it’s as thin as a sheet of paper. Perhaps Sony’s wearable PC concept will actually be possible before 2020. Source: bbc.co.uk
Google Goggles Bring the Internet Everywhere – Almost everyone has seen the video of Google’s vision of the future. With their Goggles, everyday life is overlaid with a HUD (Head’s Up Display). Controlled by a combination of voice control and where the user is looking, the Goggles show pertinent information, surf the web, or call a loved one. Source: heraldsun.com.au
If you sit back and think about it, there’s a good bet some of these developments are going to have an impact on our industry in some shape or form in the not too distant future. And that’s a fact.
Thanks for reading.
