Top 10 things that sci-fi predicted correctly
When fiction came before fact
8. Killer robots
Ever since the Terminator and Short Circuit first hit our top-loading VCRs, we’ve been fascinated by the idea of killer robots that can’t stop, won’t stop, until they’ve fulfilled their primary objective of killing anyone that isn’t us.
These robots are cold-blooded killers whose performance isn’t hindered by the shortcomings of biology or the moral shackles of conscience. They shoot accurately because they don’t shake, being unaffected by cold and fear. They can also pinpoint targets accurately because they aren’t limited by the human eye and its variable build quality. They can also remain fully alert for hours, even days, while they wait for their target to stroll by before ambushing them.
These robots are fast becoming a reality in the form of aerial drones and tracked gun systems that can operate remotely and intelligently without human supervision, such as the MQ-9 Reaper aerial combat drone.
”You have 20 seconds to comply” is just as threatening when our editor says it
Such technology is understandably cloaked in secrecy, so we’re unable to bring you any explicit robot on flesh action, but it exists.
Apparently, these real-life killer robots know you’re on their side if you carry a transponder that broadcasts a specific code, but what’s to stop these murderous machines going ED-209 if your transponder’s damaged by flak or general failure? Forget the harrowing cries of urban foxes and the cacophony of crossrail construction, this is what keeps us awake at night.
WANT TO KNOW MORE? MQ-9 Reaper
7. Space stations Whether it’s the Death Star, the Yutani-Weyland space station from Aliens or Superted’s second home, the space station has fascinated sci-fi fans for decades. The thought of living in space, but with ample gravity and in the earth’s orbit, is an enticing and exciting thought, but thanks to the imaginations of science-fiction pioneers such as Arthur C. Clarke and the cooperation of many fiercely independent states, the space station is now a reality.
Inside the ISS
The space station with which most modern people will be familiar is the International Space Station (ISS), but older readers will remember Mir, the first proper space station that excited us and fired our own imaginations as children. It doesn’t have gravity or the ability to destroy entire planets from a distance, thus causing a disturbance in the force, but the ISS is humanity’s first step towards living in the cosmos. On it, Astonauts and Cosmonauts live for months on end without setting foot on terra firma, and conduct experiments that further enhance our ability to live, work and play in space.
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Sci-fi predicted the International Space Station
