7. Robot Maids

Remember Rosie of the Jetsons? The robot that prepared breakfast, cleaned up the house, made lunch and dinner and did almost everything a maid does around the house and still not ask for a raise or being tired because it was a robot (well, except for when it broke down, but let’s not go there). The idea of a computerized maid goes beyond just dusting the furniture, the idea is to have a complete dpomestic servant that carries out everything from cleaning the dirty washrooms to making a gourmet dinner. Robotics experts and researchers continue to go closer to achieve that dream as companies flock the International Food Machinery and Technology Exhibit in Japan to showcase their developments in the field. A true robotic maid needs to be autonomous as it learns and reacts to external stimuli. So, the idea from the film I, Robot might be nearer to completion than you think. I’m not sure if that’s good news or bad news though.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Vd9k3-3LM[/youtube]

6. Ticket to Mars

It is considered to be the greatest achievement of mankind, the first steps of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969 as both astronauts walked on a surface other than the earth and looked with wonder at the world from a completely different point of view. With that achievement ticked off on the checklist, it seemed only that the next venture be to the planet that has always piqued our interest and has been surrounded by mystery, Mars. The though of going to the airport and buy a ticket to Mars seems appealing even though what we know of Mars so far shows that its a desolate wasteland. But dreams of being able to populate mars are easier than actually overcoming the challenges to actually send astronauts there, least of which are shielding from radiation exposure and the health issues of long term micro gravity exposure. President Obama has actually set a goal to send a manned mission to Mars in 2030, but for now, the idea is juts that, an idea.

5. Food-in-a-pill

Ok, frankly, I hate the thought of abating my hunger by gushing down a capsule or a pill even if it tastes a lot like bacon, but somehow, a majority of humans believe this could be a good thing. Futurists have been dreaming about such an idea since the 19th century, to synthesize food in pills from chemicals, some to rid women from the drudgery of cooking and some to spare the lives of animals. An article in 1936 predicted that in the future, man would be able to achieve this feat that could render us independent from natural resources and reduce the fear of famine.

This idea has always been present in science fiction fantasies. The problem is, apart from destroying the culinary delights of actual food, that unless all laws of basic science are somehow altered, the idea of getting nutrition from a pill is quite impossible. So, be it a dream or a feat in the foreseeable future, I for one, don’t see any appeal in taking a pill five times a day. Aah delicious bacon, this part has made me hungry for your crunchy delight.

4. Personal Jetpacks

Unlike the food idea, this though seems quite the amazing fantasy. Be it James Bond escaping from the bad guys in Thunderball or just you maneuvering rush hour traffic by completely avoiding it in  your own personal jet pack, it would be nothing short of amazing.

In 1961, President Kennedy witnessed a successful demonstration of a jet pack, a 125 pound device powered by liquid nitrogen. But the US military soon discarded the idea as flyers could only carry enough fuel for almost a minute, which really doesn’t look to be an appealing feat. A company called Martin Aircraft from New Zealand recently tested a remote controlled prototype that reached an altitude of 5000 feet and stayed in flight for about 30 minutes, but the company’s website states that the gadget is not yet offered for sale.