New Delhi. In today's era, technology is progressing so fast that things which were once difficult to imagine have now become a part of our everyday life. From smartphones (smart phones) to video calling and self-driving cars, there are many such technologies which hardly surprise anyone today. But you will be surprised to know that many of these inventions were not imagined by scientists but by filmmakers and writers decades ago. The technologies created to show the future world in films later became inspiration for scientists and gradually turned into reality. Cinema not only entertained but also gave a glimpse of the world to come.
Smartphone and smartwatch concept
Today smartphones and smartwatches have become an important part of our lives. But these were imagined in films long ago. In science fiction series like Star Trek, a device called Communicator was shown through which people could talk to each other without any wires. Its design was very similar to today's flip phones. The character of Dick Tracy was shown making a video call from the watch worn on his wrist. At that time it was just a film fantasy but later mobile phones and smartwatches turned this idea into reality.
driverless car
The idea of self-driving cars had also been shown in films long ago. In the film Total Recall, released in 1990, a taxi named Johnny Cab was shown which had no human driver. This train was driven by a robotic driver and the passengers only told their destination. At that time, this technology seemed like a dream to people. But today companies like Tesla and Google are working on automated driving technology. With the help of modern sensors and artificial intelligence, continuous progress is being made towards driving vehicles on their own.
Video calling broke the wall of distance
Today, it is possible to talk face to face with a person sitting in any corner of the world through platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Zoom and FaceTime. But the idea of video calling had also appeared in films long ago. Movies like Metropolis and Blade Runner featured devices with the help of which people could talk to a person sitting far away by looking at them on the screen. Today the Internet and digital technology have made this imagination our everyday necessity.
VR and AR glasses showed a new world
In the 1989 film Back to the Future Part-2, a future world was shown where people wore special glasses to watch the screen and use features like calls. Today, devices like Apple Vision Pro, Google Glass and Meta Quest are providing the experience of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. Through these technologies, people can see and feel the digital world along with the real world.
Tablet and iPad were also imagined
In the 1968 film 2001 A Space Odyssey, astronauts were shown reading news on a thin electronic screen. In the film this device was called Newspad. At that time the idea of a device like a tablet was also very unique. But later technology developed and tablet computers came into the market. Apple's iPad also became a great example of similar modern technology.
These examples show that imagination is not limited to entertainment only. Many times filmmakers put on screen those possibilities of the future which take decades to become reality. This foresight of cinema gives new ideas to the world of science and technology. The technology that seems common to us today was once a unique imagination born in the mind of a writer or director.