My mind drifted into science and science fiction today, as it does, and I thought, “What science fiction technology is likely to be completely impossible?”
Here’s my list:
- Faster than light travel.
- Traversable wormholes.
- Time travel to the past.
- Travel to another universe (assuming any exist).
- Miniaturisation – not making things small like microcomputers, but making existing things smaller without loss of mass or structure.
- Any manipulation of the curvature of space time outside the framework of General Relativity – so no anti-gravity and no warp drive.
- Macro teleportation – quantum teleportation is a reality but I don’t see it scaling up. Even a full atom of significant atomic number would be so improbable as to be practically impossible.
- Non Newtonian propulsion, eg. the disproven M-Drive.
- Force fields that can protect from matter projectiles and energy weapons.
I could add to this with things like light sabres, but they’re more science fantasy than science fiction. I can discuss my reasons why I think the above will prove impossible, and I’m willing (hoping in many cases) to be proven wrong. I’ll also give my opinions on any other technology you can think of.
The floor is open. Here, or any of the social media platforms I link this from.
NB: Thought of the Day is not a regular feature, but may reappear from time to time.
