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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When Snow Shifts from Enchantment to Nuisance: Exploring the Changing Face of Winter Magic

Gregory Devine
Dec 6, 2023
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A foot print in snow on concrete that has made a star impression from the boot print

It has just turned midnight and it's officially the start of December. I looked outside my window and couldn’t quite believe my eyes as thick snow was settling all around. It felt somewhat magical, it felt like the festive season had properly started.

Waking up that morning it was Friday meaning no lectures, the weekend had begun and I was planning on going back home. The only issue was there was snow everywhere. The roads were covered in a thick white blanket with only thin tire marks disturbing it. Back home I lived on a main road that tends to always be gritted but for some reason, the one I live on up at university hadn’t been despite being a reasonably popular road. With my car being terrible in the snow I knew it wasn’t even worth risking till some of the snow had hopefully melted so my plans were off.

Despite this, I wasn’t too bothered. It was snowing and the village of Jesmond looked as if it were straight off a postcard. I went back inside, grabbed my coat and headed for the shops. Since I’d planned to go home I had no food in so I thought it was only right to go get the typical student meal of a Tesco meal deal. I love walks in the snow, the first thing I’d do on a snow day back home was get my boots on and walk the dog. Up in Newcastle, I was missing two parts of that. The dog but more importantly, the boots.

I took one step out the front door and started sliding around straight away. At first, I found it quite funny but as I continued my walk to the shops I found myself becoming more and more frustrated. And then it happened, the snow finally lost its magic. That feeling of excitement I’d always get surrounding the snow had gone. It was winding me up. Back at home, you wouldn’t mind being stuck in the house, the kitchen was stocked and the house was warm. Chances were if you were stuck inside so were your mates so you’d be out having fun in the snow. This wasn’t the case at uni. Most people still went to lectures as the university wasn’t that far away. If anything the snow was just a hindrance to us all getting on with our days.

Later on, the gritters would come round and I’d just manage to get my car home to Sheffield but it was a challenge. The snow meant for the first time driving my car felt like hard work rather than either relaxing or fun. I felt like I finally understood what many adults had meant when they said they didn’t like the snow. It was an annoyance, a hindrance and an all-round nuisance. In truth, it felt the same way that heavy rain, dense fog or high winds felt. It was no longer magic, it was just bad weather.

I’m sure when you have young children and they get their first taste of snow that magic does return somewhat. I also do not doubt that this was just a bad case of timing and the fact it had ruined my plans somewhat spoiled my mood when before snow had been the creator of plans rather than the issue stopping them. That being said I also know the snow will only annoy me more as I get older. If I have a job where I need to get to work no matter what and working from home isn’t an option, the snow won’t be magical at that moment. It also still makes everything feel very “Christmasy” and has put me into a festive mood much earlier than usual.

What I have learnt is to always bring a pair of boots with me to university, especially in the winter. Also, I found a big advantage to living on a main road I’d never realised before and probably rate gritters as one of the most important public sector jobs there is because nobody in this country is good at driving in the snow!