From Sci-Fi to Reality: How Films Inspired the Tech Around Us

21 August 2025

Paul Francis

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A Nostalgic Glimpse of the Future

There was a certain magic in sitting down to watch a sci-fi film as a child, eyes wide, heart racing, as heroes tapped sleek screens, spoke into tiny devices, or zoomed around in cars that seemed to fly. The future felt just a reel away, and we often marveled at gadgets that seemed impossible. Yet over the decades, many of these fantastical inventions have crept off the screen and into our pockets, homes, and daily lives.

Foldable smartphone with a purple cover, standing open on a marble surface. The screen displays the time 17:51 and a colorful graphic.

Star Trek and the Rise of Mobile Phones

One of the most obvious examples is the mobile phone. Fans of Star Trek will remember the original series’ communicators, small flip devices that allowed instant contact across distances. These were a clear inspiration for the flip phones that became ubiquitous in the 1990s and early 2000s. Even today, the sleek, touch-screen smartphones we carry owe a nod to that early vision of portable, personal communication.

Beyond Phones: Sci-Fi as a Blueprint for Innovation

Films like Back to the Future Part II imagined hoverboards, self-lacing shoes, and video calling long before they became tangible possibilities. Science fiction has often served as a blueprint, a source of collective imagination that engineers and designers try to replicate. Robotic assistants, smart home devices, and augmented reality technologies can all trace at least part of their conceptual lineage back to the silver screen.

Medical Technology Inspired by Fiction

Medical technology has also benefited from the visionary ideas of science fiction. The Star Trek medical tricorder, capable of diagnosing ailments instantly, inspired real-world attempts at portable diagnostic tools. Companies and researchers have been working on handheld devices capable of scanning vitals and detecting illnesses quickly, a technology that could revolutionise healthcare access in remote areas.

Challenges of Turning Fiction Into Reality

Yet translating fiction into reality is rarely straightforward. Many innovations seen in films face practical, economic, and ethical challenges. The self-driving cars imagined in Total Recall and Minority Report are now being tested in real cities, but safety, regulation, and infrastructure remain hurdles. Similarly, while gesture-controlled interfaces and holographic displays dazzle audiences in cinemas, creating responsive, reliable, and affordable versions for daily use is far from simple.

Close-up of a person wearing glowing, futuristic HUD glasses with digital patterns. Eye-focused, hi-tech ambiance against a dark backdrop.

Nostalgia Keeps the Dream Alive

Nostalgia, however, keeps the dream alive. Older audiences smile at seeing Star Trek communicators reflected in their pocket devices, while younger viewers are inspired by the visions they see on screen today. Science fiction acts as both motivator and mirror, reflecting our hopes for the future and nudging technologists to turn imagination into reality.

Looking Forward: The Fantastical Becoming Mundane

So, while we may not be zooming around on hoverboards or casually teleporting from place to place just yet, the gadgets we carry and the technologies we rely on are increasingly influenced by what once seemed impossible. Perhaps one day, the fantastical devices of today’s films will be the mundane tools of tomorrow, and future generations will look back with the same nostalgic wonder we do now. Until then, keep an eye on the screen—it may just be the blueprint for the next revolution in technology.

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On Friday the 20th of September, McDonalds fans across the UK received an email that would later become a major point of conversation. The email appeared to be sent out by mistake to people who had signed up for the McDonald’s marketing emails for new promotions but what made this email different to previous ones was the content of it. The email was simply titled “McRib_Test.email” and featured an image that linked to a 404 page on the McDonald’s website with the image being simply titled “McRib_Image_Final_Final_16.10.24.jpg”. This has led fans to believe the beloved limited time item might be making a return to British shores.

The McRib made its UK debut in 1981, not long after it was introduced in the United States. McDonald’s hoped that the sandwich, featuring a boneless pork patty moulded to look like ribs, would be a hit in the UK as it had been in select markets in the U.S. However, it failed to resonate with British consumers, possibly due to differing tastes and unfamiliarity with barbecue flavours that weren't as widespread in the UK at the time.

McRib on a Transparent Background — By Evan-Amos - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McRib, Public Domain

By 1985, the McRib was quietly pulled from UK menus due to low demand, marking the end of its initial run. While it vanished in the UK, its cult following in the U.S. began to grow, slowly turning the sandwich into a beloved (and missed) item, known for its scarcity

After three decades of absence, the McRib made a brief but celebrated return to the UK in 2015. This limited-time promotion lasted only five weeks, during which die-hard fans and curious newcomers flocked to McDonald’s to try the fabled sandwich. Its return was part of a global McDonald’s strategy to generate excitement by reintroducing popular discontinued items for short periods.

But why is the McRib so elusive in the UK compared to America where it routinely reappears? Well it's not just a clever marketing plot, it turns out its a logistical issue. The primary reason McDonald’s UK has limited the McRib’s availability is tied to how their kitchens are set up. The McRib patty is made from pork, and McDonald’s UK restaurants generally lack the grill capacity to cook pork and beef products at the same time. Since McDonald’s typically prioritises beef burgers, offering the McRib on a permanent basis would require significant changes to their cooking processes.

Maybe McDonald’s have found a solution to this issue which could be why the item is rumoured to reappear in October or maybe this was just a way to generate buzz and get people talking and thinking about McDonalds again after the company has had a slump in profits in 2024.