Exciting Science Fiction or Reality!
Well, there is a very thin line between science fiction and reality. It is almost like someone experiencing a rainbow for the first time in his/her life. His/her reaction will be that of surprise and absolute awe. Maybe this person would even consider intervention of Gods as a strong possibility, in creating a perfect, seven coloured bow across the horizon, in that specific patch of the sky. For this person, there is every reason to associate it with wizardry and dismiss it as a visual illusion created by his/her mind. But is it so?
We all know rainbows are not a creation of fantasy, or wizardry. They are real and their formation, even the symmetry of colourful bows can be explained by science. And when it comes to science fiction, the scientific ideas that the authors introduce to us are purely based on their imagination and speculative thinking. Just like rainbows being witnessed by someone for the first time. In that wonderstruck moment, this person would believe it to be fictitious but then as he/she understands the logical phenomenon facilitating the formation of rainbows, this person is bound to believe in the wonderful realities that nature is capable of creating.
Similarly, science fiction novels fill the human mind with seeds of passion, maturing as discoveries of hidden realms in the multiverse; and inventions that make us the masters of each verse. It is believed by many that the last realm of the universe is pure mathematics, in that realm everything is governed by mathematical logic. And if we would exist in that realm, we too would have a mathematical value. I think now I am sounding like an avid believer of fantasy. But then, wouldn't most of us have thought the same when a few like minded and courageous people, trusted their scientific knowledge, believed in their imagination and pursued their desire to land humans on the Moon.
I am sure when these words echoed across the universe:
“That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The Gods must have rejoiced. But as these magical words were intercepted by the auditory nerves of the skeptics and the feeble minded few- Who do not believe in imagination, fantasy, dreams, hope; and with an unwavering stubbornness only live in the reality, where they respect and live their lives based on the predefined limitations which primarily revolve around their lack of knowledge that is born whenever they prevent themselves from hoping, from dreaming, from imagining and from daring to fantasise about creating a reality that nobody has witnessed or lived prior to them. They must have felt an itch of agony in their minds.
It is these non-believers who have always made humanity a slave of their minds. Capable of conceiving only one thought, that of defining limitations for everything. They challenged Newton, Galileo and many others who dared to create their own version of science fiction, and then worked on them relentlessly to realise them as scientific realities which could be dealt with in reality.
This is why I believe every science fiction ushers humanity into a new age of scientific pursuits where we as a species are trying to get closer to Heaven, from which we were cast out. Now is this something that we should be condemned for or is this something we should be lauded for? I think there is nothing wrong if we dream of living among the stars someday, because we carry signatures of Titans within us. In the form of stardust that we are composed of. If we fell from the stars, and gravity in multiple forms is still holding us down, it is our right to rise and reach for the stars once again, because that is where we as a species belong. And every science fiction writer is a Messiah who leads us closer to these stars and fills our minds with passion and logical imagination that would help us fulfil these brave dreams in reality.
Let us consider a few innovative and revolutionary ideas that sprang from the confinements of science fiction and became realities we could interact with. Please do not be surprised when you go through this list. Especially those who have this habit of critiquing every new scientific idea which is still in its imaginative stage, breeding in some scientist's mind, who believes in the power of imagination, and that dreams do come true.
A- Smartphone or mobile phone
We all carry mobile phones today. But did you know the first mobile phone was invented in 1973, the Motorola DynaTAC. And The Motorola DynaTAC was invented by Mr. Martin Cooper, who according to one of the most famous rumor said that he sought his inspiration from an episode of Star Trek where Captain Kirk used his hand-held communications device. But in an interview of 2015 he personally admitted that in actuality the source of his inspiration was from a comic strip called Dick Tracy, in which the character used a "wrist two-way radio."
Thank God, Mr. Cooper believed in the imaginary concept. And driven by his scientific knowledge and urge to realise it in reality. He achieved the unthinkable. Whether it was Star Trek or Dick Tracy that inspired him, the main fact that persists is his belief in imagination. I know you are already looking at your smartphone and thinking either of Mr. Cooper or The Star Wars episode where Captain Kirk is flashing a hand held device.
Things are already getting predictable here. And I promise it will keep getting better!
B- The universal translator
Now this is something that would make all the non believers to at least try imagining something scientifically challenging, and then pursue it in reality.
Think of a race of intelligent living beings who with their advanced use of technology, and their belief in science, have mastered inter-galactic travel. And whenever they do so, they land on planets occupied by alien populations. Who of course speak alien languages. So called, foreign languages. So how do you communicate with them? And the simple answer to this problem is the universal translator. Now if you could recall, the Star Trek characters, used a device capable of translating these foreign languages into a dialect that was comprehensible to them.
Are you getting where this is leading to or you still want to place limitations on this imaginative device that most of us would have thought could never be built in reality. You are wrong! Because we all know and interact with Google Translator, Skype also uses a feature capable of translating foreign languages into a language of your preference. Apple too has perfected this technological marvel. Where did they seek their inspiration from? I shall let the community of pessimists work on the guessing part. As for the community of optimists, the dreamers and the believers of science fiction, there is no guesswork required, it is very obvious.
Having said that, shall we move on to the next surprise in this list or you still would like to take your last guess? I suggest that we move on to the next surprise.
C- 3D Holograms
“What! Oh no please leave us alone.” I hear these echoes ringing from every side in my room. Perhaps these are silent murmurs arising from the community of non-believers. Those who place limitations on every scientific enquiry and try to demoralise the scientist who believes in something.
Again referring to the Star Wars. And once again I request you to please teleport your thoughts into the scene where we all were charmed by the hologram of Princess Leia featuring one of the most iconic lines, "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.”
Hope once again, surfaced, it somehow manages to surface always, as long as we want to believe in something and feel motivated to live outside our limitations.
And today in the age of Information and Technology, where bosses of multinational corporations have to address several priorities. Making it almost impossible for them to be present at different locations at the same time. 3D Holograms offer a befitting solution. Many CEOs and owners of large corporations attend meetings via their 3D Holograms. Capable of conversing, and the best part being, listening as well. Where did the idea of 3D Hologram come from? Any guesses?
Nevermind, that does not matter. All that matters is someone imagined it in Star Trek, and it is a reality today.
We are just getting started here!
D- Artificial Intelligence
Today it is revolutionising every sector and it has enabled humans to solve a few mathematical problems that without AI could never have been solved. But why am I referring to it?
Patience please, it is a great virtue that actually is very rare to possess.
Do you remember watching these movies: Matrix, Minority Report and Blade Runner. All these movies extensively highlight the potential of AI. In Blade Runner, self aware machines that are actually synthetic humans powered by AI, achieve feats that are beyond human capability. And let us not even talk about the Matrix. We all know about the thought provoking concept that this movie introduced, when even computers were in their infancy- Neo was living in artificially simulated world that imitated reality with such perfection, that Neo is left bewildered when he learns that the real world is in complete chaos and what he had been experiencing was an AI based visual interaction capable of imitating anything at physical, intellectual and aesthetic level.
Now that is where every element of reality feels unreal and imaginary. Almost like a fantasy, surrounded by fiction, within an imagination that determines the appeal of this pseudo reality.
And today we do have robots that behave, feel and act like humans. Many are working on synthetic humans who one day would be our partners, friends, counselors, the possibilities are endless. Again, it was possible only because someone imagined it, then believed in his/her imagination and worked day and night to realise it in reality. This is the power of imagination and dreaming.
But technologies like Artificial Intelligence ought to be pursued with a lot of caution. Because when we create something that is far more intelligent than humans, we better ensure it does not wipe out humanity once it becomes self aware and considers us to be worthless beings who should be extirpated. And imagine AI being applied to everything. Then how will the governments generate new job opportunities? That is why I believe AI has the power of transporting humanity into an era of unprecedented advancement, where humans will be capable of curing every disease, growing back limbs and parts of bodies. But with wrong application of AI, intentional or unintentional, we would become the cause of our own termination as a species. AI is capable of placing us as the masters of the universe and that of our destinies as well. However, it raises a very important question as well. Are we ready to deal with so much and limitless power? That is my only cause of worry when it comes to AI. We definitely do not want to get into a Blade Runner-like situation, do we?
And in my science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075, I have highlighted these fears via a highly exciting story, where a boy is supposed to save his clan and the Starlight clan. Alongside this, he also has to fulfil his commitments as a romantic and devoted lover of a beautiful woman; who is not a machine, but a pure bred human being, unable to express her feelings, or love towards Saabir. Because of her exclusive interaction and dependency on technology and machines.
The Science Fiction, They Loved in 2075, explores how humans will experience love in 2075. This science fiction novel navigates through the possibility of men and women falling in love with machines, without knowing they are robots imitating human emotions. Will you still dare to fall in love in 2075 or will you strive to tell the difference between a human lover and a robotic lover? Now when it comes to this trajectory of thought, it is alike for the believers and non-believers. Because it concerns us as human beings, as a species whose future rests on addressing this question today.
Nevertheless, I have not exhausted my list yet. Yes, that is correct!
E- Teleportation
How could I miss this one. I would be doing injustice to my love for Science Fiction Novels that teleport me into a techno dream, where rendezvous with Neo, Thanos, Loki, Wanda Maximoff, Trinity, Sylvia and many others is possible. So what are you waiting for. Let us journey into this world together. Here you go.............
But in science fiction, teleportation is almost a ubiquitous concept. While I am wrestling with my mind to bring forth the reality of teleportation in 2023. And before you all hold me guilty of miscommunication, or incorrect sharing of the facts, let me surprise you yet again. I told you, this is going to get very interesting.
It is true, we cannot teleport a human being from point A to point B. Yet I mentioned Teleportation. Maybe it is my obsession with ideas like teleportation that motivated me to include it in the list. But, I know your time is precious and I must uphold its sanctity. As such I have no intention of getting trapped in a time sequence similar to Avengers End Game.
Surprise, surprise, surprise!
I know I am correct, and all those who always rely on dwelling in the comfort of their limitations, it is important to know that teleportation is not an idea that exists as a reality only in science fiction. And before you start assuming that I have consumed Melange. ( the famed spice from the science fiction Dune, that enables the human mind to reach a peak where the mind is able to acquire multidimensional thinking abilities ) Let me admit I am not writing this blog post under its influence.
And I once again reiterate “Teleportation is possible now.”
Did I surprise you! I think I have already surprised many readers!
Scientists who most likely watched and enjoyed the Star-Trek series were so intellectually consumed by the idea that they believed in it, and started working on this concept. Finally they managed to achieve the impossible.
As of today they have not been able to figure out how to teleport humans yet, but they have achieved a breakthrough when it comes to teleporting balls of energy known as photons. It works on the phenomenon known as quantum entanglement. We all know that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. And the scientists working on teleportation have already taken their first step; and I am sure when the time is right and a passionate dreamer has imagined enough, they will have the capability to teleport humans as well.
And this scientific achievement will be worthy of million nobel prize felicitations. Because it will propel science fiction into the realm where everything is as real as reality can get. And in no way teleportation is a challenge aimed at irking the Gods. Imagine someone is unwell in your family, and needs immediate medical attention. With teleportation we could transfer this person to hospital and avoid traffic and most important of all be there on time.
But when we are teleporting individuals, say to a particular location, we are travelling via the same moment of time; and perhaps using the same coordinates like others. There is a strong possibility of collision and losing ones identity at atomic level. That is why most of the old scriptures refer to teleportation, but it is very rare that a king teleports his entire army. It is just a thought, I might be wrong as well. But that is the wonder of imagination. Quoting Mr. Oscar Wilde, "Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."
Oh my God, I would do anything to witness this dream like reality. Wouldn't you as well!
Main list
The list of human imagination translating into reality is never ending. Yet for the sake of this blog I am listing few of them below:
Driverless cars
Touch free screens
Flying cars
Intelligent drones
Thinking and intelligent robots
Lie detectors
Health profiling of humans via single test
GPS tracking
Self balancing bikes
Conversational droid
Super powerful satellites
Do you still doubt the power of imagination and that of dreaming beyond the limitations that leave us shackled to our petty thoughts and the gravity of reality, which is unable to free itself and incapacitated to venture into a reality where imagination bears flight with every wink of an eye; and the human mind responds with a thought that transports this fascinating possibility, hitched to imagination, into the reality where it is juggled by the human mind between two poles: the pole of reality and the pole of logical congeniality. And when this process ends, every imagination bears the mark of the kiss of reality. Trust me when I say this. If that were not the case, none of us would be here today; and neither I would have been able to write this blog, nor you could have been able to read this blog. It is as simple and as complex as this truth about reality. That you and I are witnessing in this moment, as you are reading this blog.
Puzzled! Please do not be, just read further and feel the magic of absolute reality.
One of the many reasons why I decided to dedicate this blog post to all those brave men and women who dare to imagine, who are valiant enough to dream, and then follow their dreams, irrespective of the whispers of criticism that every dreamer has to learn to deal with and keep marching forth. And keep imagining or writing his/her version of the science fiction where we challenge even the reality.
Following this belief , I too wrote my science fiction, They Loved in 2075, hoping that someday, some believer just like me, somewhere will be inspired enough to create water from thin air and enable human beings to travel farther than the limits of this universe, into the zone, where they say the Gods reside. ( By the way it is possible to create water from thin air. Science fiction, They Loved in 2075, explains the concept. You see, I too imagine and dream, just like you, the believers!)
To be a part of the young boy’s odyssey and experience his extensive emotional spectrum, please do check the science fiction, They Loved in 2075. And offer hope to every dreamer, who believes we carry the gene of the Titans, and it makes sense to imagine living alongside them someday!
And let the words of wisdom echo through the cosmos; the words of the genius who actually taught us what reality “looks like” and what it actually is. Quoting Einstein, “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
Do you still think science fiction is just a creation of someones fantasy obsessed imagination, or do you believe a well written science fiction portrays the elaboration and potential of human dreams? Whatever you might decide, that will certainly be your reality. As for me and the believers of science, we live in reality where imaginations translate into reality. Just like NEO in The Matrix. This is why the most appropriate parting note for this blog post will be,
“Welcome to the Matrix!"
Where reality too is an imagination. And that is the undeniable actuality!
May the force be with us all. Quoting a line from the science fiction,They Loved in 2075, which is with reference to a life changing thought I learned from someone very close to me, “There is always a better way!”
PS. This blog post is intended to generate responsible interest in AI and science; and in no way do I intend to, or attempt to hurt anyones sentiments, personal belief or faith. I respect and venerate individual space of every human being, and this blog post only aims to popularise two things: Love for science and of course my science fiction novel, They Loved in 2075. As for interpretations of this blog post, other than, these two; afore mentioned intentions, I would consider that to be the imagination of ones self construed reality.
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