As technological breakthroughs continue to advance in 2023 and beyond, the world is getting closer and closer to enjoying the fictional futuristic gadgetry seen in the most popular sci-fi movies and TV shows on record. With no shortage of Reddit opinions and wishes about which imaginary technological devices should be created for the 21st century, many iconic items from Star Wars, Star Trek, BSG, and the MCU are repeatedly cited.
From Portal Guns and Holodecks to Matter Replicators and Teleportation devices, and more, Reddit's most desired fictional tech gadgets are truly out of this world.
Star Trek's Matter Replicator
The most commonly cited fictional tech gadget Redditors want to see in real life is the Matter Replicator from the long-running sci-fi series Star Trek, a futuristic device that makes perfect duplicates of organic and inorganic material. The device should exist in reality as a way of replicating food, combating the global food shortage, reducing waste, curbing climate change, and bolstering overall environmental health.
Redditor raccoonsonbicycles argues that the food replicator, "would pretty much solve world hunger" and "could reduce so much pollution, animal cruelty, etc." Doomdoomkittydoom agrees, stating, "A matter replicator would change the world. Imagine a machine that you could feed anything in one side, have it break that down to basic particles, then create whatever matter you want out the other."
Star Trek's Holodeck
Another common desire from Redditors is to be able to use the Holodeck from Star Trek in real life, the holographic simulation room that serves as a fully-immersive virtual augmented reality. While VR has come a long way with Meta in recent years, the Holodeck would allow people to really leave their own world behind and escape into a fantastic realm and live through any experience imaginable if it existed in real life.
Redditor reverendgrebo answers the central query by saying, "A holodeck from StarTrek. I could live in a bedsit-sized apartment and feel like I was living in anywhere I wanted." Redditor thetacolegs supports the wish, saying "Holodecks. Not this VR crap. Actual Holodecks, to which rebel_scumm responded by saying, "If a holodeck is ever invented, that it would likely be humanity’s last invention. They’d be so much better than real life that people would never leave them."
A Teleportation Device
Having the ability to go anywhere in a split second has long been a fantasy of human beings, Redditors included. Be it Doctor Who's TARDIS, Marty McFly's Delorean, or Bill & Ted's phone booth, fictional teleportation has advanced over the years in ways that feel more plausible for everyday use. Such devices should exist in real life as a way to further connect the world through instantaneous travel. Olympus321 makes a good point by saying "A teleporter Would solve transportation, shipping, commuting, exploration, increase global communication, etc."
Olympus321 agrees, pointing out that "A teleporter Would solve transportation, shipping, commuting, exploration, increase global communication, etc." Skeletonzac supports the claim, adding "Teleportation. Being able to go anywhere instantly without having to waste time with traveling would be amazing."
Rick & Morty's Portal Gun
Several Redditors wish that the Portal Gun existed from the highly acclaimed animated TV show Rick and Morty as a nifty gadget that allows users to instantly travel to new dimensions, realities, and universes. Faster and more convenient than a teleportation device, a Portal Gun should exist in real life as a much quicker form of interdimensional time travel and as a way of accessing different worlds and obtaining new resources.
According to Kane2742, "I'd go with the one (Portal Gun) from Rick & Morty rather than the one from Portal. Access to infinite dimensions (with more control than the people from Sliders) means that if there's any other invention you want, you can find a dimension that has it." Mining invaluable resources from different planets would definitely help Earthlings deal with the scarcity of finite materials like oil.
BSG's Faster Than Light Drives
On Battle Star Galactica, Faster Than Light (FTL) Drives are high-tech jet-propulsion gadgets that vastly increase the rate of space travel. Aside from exploring the vastness of the cosmos, FTL travel should exist as an emergency resource for when the sun burns out and humanity faces extinction on Earth, serving as a last-ditch survival effort to keep the species alive.
One Redditor cites the "FTL Drives" as a desired fictional gadget for real-life use, with another Redditor getting specific about the need for, "Practical faster-than-light travel. Realistically it's the only way our species can survive indefinitely, or a least until the stars start dying. Plus it would make the universe so much better if we weren't permanently chained to 0.0000000001% of it."
Star Wars Lightsabers & Stun Blaster
Given the rampant increase in gun violence and police brutality in the U.S., better training and safer weaponry should exist in real life as a way of curbing unwarranted violence and fatalities. While many Redditors wish Star Wars' iconic Lightsaber weapons existed in reality, Competitive_Can_6141 makes a much more salient point about how the Star Wars stun blasters could lead to a safer world in the future.
The Redditor states, "In Star Wars those guns that can be set to stun. It would be great not hearing about the police brutality shit when the worst thing they could do is harmlessly and painlessly put someone to sleep for a few hours." While Lightsabers would be cool, stun blasters would lead to fewer senseless deaths from gun violence.
Bernard's Watch
In Bernard's Watch, the titular boy is given a magical watch by his grandfather to combat his chronic tardiness. Beyond being punctual, immortality has long been a fantasy for humans to achieve, but if such a magical timepiece existed in real life, users would be able to live longer and experience a lot more adventure and have a more fulfilling existence.
According to raboolaconundrum, "Bernard's Watch...the ability to stop time would have endless possibilities." -Unnamed- agrees, adding "I always thought that stopping time would be hands down the best superpower. If you stop time enough you still age while everyone else does not." While immortality can be a blessing and a curse, the ability to stop time would give people plenty of redos to rectify past mistakes.
The Lost Room Key
In the underrated sci-fi TV show The Lost Room, the protagonist receives a magical key that can open any door of his desire. A similar skeleton key should exist in real life, as humans would not only have the ability to time travel instantly, but it would also allow them to go to where they want safely without being harmed.
With 3.5K upvotes, this_reasonable_guy cited the key from The Lost Room as his ideal fictional gadget for everyday use, saying, "Basically the ability to teleport to anywhere in the world with free (and completely safe) accommodation....it would be awesome." Given the inherent dangers of FTL travel and teleportation, such a magical key would be a great alternative.
Tony Stark's Computer Monitors
In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark uses interactive, high-tech motion sensor computer monitors that should exist by now as a way of allowing consumers a more flexible and accessible quasi-virtual online experience. While Leap Motion technology has come a long way in replicating Tony Stark's futuristic tech (per PSU.edu), there's still a long way to go.
According to ToxicBanana69, "Those monitors that Tony Stark uses in Iron Man/Avengers that he can just bring up, move around, etc." would be awesome for everyday use. Xxjacklexx agreed by saying "The flexibility this would add to our lives would be game-changing." Indeed, being able to physically interact with advanced computer tech would eventually lead to transcendent singularity.
Doraemon's 4D Pocket
In Doraemon: The Secret Gadget Museum, Doraemon uses a 4D Pocket, a 22nd-century gadget that combines time and space to hold millions of additional tech gadgets. This would be an invaluable tool to use in real life as a way of equipping humanity with all the requisite tools to build a better world, as well as make time travel faster than the Anywhere Door.
AThousandYesterdays says, "Personally I'll choose Doraemon's 4D pockets...since they don't seem to have any limits in teleporting distance and is safer." Although the pocket "has to be where you want to teleport to before you can go there...that can be easily solved by thousands of other gadgets from the future."