Technology that made you think, "Holy crap, I'm in the future."

[Chamale]

Spoiler: Railgun

Waaaaait a second. 500,000 feet? That's about 152 km. And that's 52 km out into space. There's no way that can be true.
Can it?

Why not? In 1969, a rocket put men 300,000 km into space, safely landing on the surface of the moon. Humans have been launching missiles into space since the 1940's.

I think that most amazing futuristic technology is in the hands of the US military. Tanks that cannot be destroyed, airplanes that can stay flying forever, unmanned aircraft that fly autonomously and can land on a moving vehicle, brains grown in petri dishes that can fly airplanes, artificial blood for use in transfusions... The list goes on and on.

Some amazing technology goes back a long time. Back in the 1970's, intercontinental ballistic missiles hit a technological plateau - the US possessed missiles that could literally hit anywhere, because they had a maximum range greater than half the circumference of the Earth.

 

[Mister Eff]

My HTC Tattoo phone. Its a tiny touchscreen computer with phone bits and barely ten years ago not many people had mobile phones, but now everyone has tiny computers with them. Its crazy!!

Ahah, I was about to say, I just got the HTC Desire and it amazes me too. First decent phone I've had. Since the classic 3310.

Is your avatar Captain Hammer?

It most definately is!

 

[HentMas]

My time machine.

OT: Those cars that can go underwater. Not very much water, but water nonetheless.

the volkswagen beetle was mad to be anphibian... so its being since WWII


not so much as the future, but ok...


for me??, wireless controllers, i feel so happy to be able to get up walk around and never trip with the cable in my controller.

 

[Owlslayer]

The first time i saw a MP3 player, i was totally in awe.
I mean, where the hell did the CDs go??? Evil, i tell you ! Witchcraft!!! Burn it, burn it with FIRE (???) !!!!
But seriously, i was amazed that such a tiny thing had music in it. I was truly amazed when a relative showed me his MP3 player when i was just a kid. But in the past few years, i don't really know anything that made me say "holy crap, I'm in the future!" The touchscreen cellphones were cool, but not that awesome. When i played GTA 3, i was pretty amazed.
Can't remember anything else right now.

 

[blindthrall]

MAGNETS.

How do they work?!?

It thought everyone agreed that it was miracle based technology. Similar to how my car runs on my faith that it will get me home, and power plants are really just banks of monks hooked up Matrix-style to the inside of the 'cooling towers'.

OT: Predator Missile dones. Railguns are nice, but they're just a massive imporovement on existing technology. At no point in history has anyone ever been able to tell a device to fly over someone and dump hellfire on them. Plus, they look cool as shit.

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

Robot Wars, as in the television series. I mean, we had man made machines of destruction (albeit remote control ones) fighting to the point of destruction for our amusement. Even if they did always end up in the pit.

 

[captaincabbage]

MAGNETS.

How do they work?!?

Fucking miracles!

OT: I've gotta say GPS. Just sit back and think about it for a second and it's quite amazing, how a tiny little phone like mine can pinpoint my exact location on earth to within a few feet.

 

[ANImaniac89]

The Wii-mote sex toy mods Mind = Blown

 

[RichardThompson]

I was in Japan for 2 weeks. It blew my mind.

I was there for a month... and considering they already developed solar sails, they are way WAY in front of us.

EVERYTHING talks over there! even the ESCALATORS!

I know, it's bizare.
I was at the University in Kofu, and they've developed a fuel cell to power a car. It's 2 inches squared and 1 millimeter thick.

 

[Piflik]

Not really a technology, but I know I am in the future since I noticed that the subway trains in our city are more polite than their operators...

Train: "Pleas stand clear of the doors"
Operator (1 sec later): "Move your ass away from the door you asshole!!!!"

 

[crimson5pheonix]

The Constellation program.

 

[Player 2]

Betamax.

 

[JohnDoey]

Hats amazing inventions protect your head and look stylish.

 

[teutonicman]

I remember seeing a video with that famous Japanese scientist/physicist guy about making a lightsaber. OH! There was a show on the Discovery Channel a while back about future weapons (can't remember the title), anyway they had a microwave cannon which seemed totally far out..... man.

 

[teutonicman]

Condoms, you put them on your dick and babies won't come out. That's some hightech shit right there.

So your dick shoots out babies? It is some high-tech shit indeed.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

I remember seeing a video with that famous Japanese scientist/physicist guy about making a lightsaber. OH! There was a show on the Discovery Channel a while back about future weapons (can't remember the title), anyway they had a microwave cannon which seemed totally far out..... man.

The show was called Future Weapons.

 

[NoseDigger]

Snip

I'm not saying it's impossible, it's just that the railgun launches a round with no propellant, so if you're so far out, how can you get it back down to earth onto a target? I'm thinking it would just go into low orbit.

Although I guess it is possible that it just drops down and uses guidance to hit the target. The 152km just seems a bit excessive...

 

[child of lileth]

Phones with internet. That blew my mind when I was younger. And now it's free? I would have killed for that as a kid...

 

[Ekonk]

Fucking smartphones. HOLY FUCKING SHIT GUYS, IT'S THE FUCKING FUTURE. And the voices on train stations. Calm female voices announcing shit. It's the apex of science fiction.

Also, Lady Gaga's clothing.