Ten Inventions Inspired by Science Fiction
The innovators behind objects like the cellphone or the helicopter took inspiration from works like "Star Trek" and War of the Worlds
- By Mark Strauss
- Smithsonian.com, March 16, 2012
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Two technicians wear pressurized anti-contamination suits as they refurbish manipulator arms. They are inside a "hot cell," a room where radioactive materials are handled remotely. (© Roger Ressmeyer / CORBIS)
The Waldo
In 1942, famed sci-fi author Robert Heinlein published a short story about a physically infirm inventor, Waldo F. Jones, who created a remotely operated mechanical hand. Real-life manipulator arms that were developed for the nuclear industry in the mid-1940s were named “waldos,” in recognition of Heinlein’s innovative idea.
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Comments (39)
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Rather surprised you didn't include the communication satellite, invented "fictionally" by author Arthur C. Clarke. Without that, several of the inventions mentioned here would never have reached their full potential or even been possible.
Posted by Dave on March 24,2013 | 12:47 PM
Robert Heinlein also first described the Water Bed in Stranger in a Strange Land
Posted by Lee Schillinger on March 20,2013 | 12:21 PM
DaVinci penned a sort of helicopter... and I do believe he lived one or two years before Verne.
Posted by DMC on March 19,2013 | 10:52 PM
Seriously, no Arthur C Clarke? I would have thought that satellites would have rated a mention before "robot arms"
Posted by Mr Sir on March 10,2013 | 08:40 PM
The first submarine used in warfare was the Turtle, used in the Revolutionary War: http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/sub_turtle.htm It predates the Fulton, Verne, and Peral designs by nearly a century.
Posted by JohnD on February 20,2013 | 02:46 PM
Why is the star trek photo the only one that doesn't match the caption? That is obviously not the ST:TNG nor is Kirk listening to music in that scene. He's playing back a video clip. Maybe I'm the only nerd who cares but this article is by the Smithsonian people about science right?
Posted by Greg on February 13,2013 | 03:13 PM
Everything starts with imagining the impossible to create something wonderful. The literature is not fought with science :)
Posted by Corin Zermeño on February 13,2013 | 11:16 AM
Please check this link: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_de_la_Cierva Juan de la Cierva had already developed and tested his own helicopter in 1923, later on his patent was used by the US to produce the Pitcairn PCA-2. Kind Regards.
Posted by David Fernández-Renau on January 31,2013 | 08:20 AM
Excuse me for my comment, but I just want to point out a forgotten fact. Isaac Peral had already launched a much bigger and successful submarine ten years before, in 1888. Please check this link: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Peral Thank you for your attention and kind regards.
Posted by David Fernández-Renau on January 31,2013 | 08:11 AM
Why wasn't the satellite mentioned in this article. Satellites were first described by Arthur C. Clarke many years before we actually had them.
Posted by caivey on January 26,2013 | 06:31 PM
11th Invention inspired by Sci fi SCIENTOLOGY
Posted by B Howell on January 19,2013 | 08:05 PM
Robert Fulton, working for Napoleon Buonaparte in 1800 developed a submarine that in sea trials in Brest stayed ubmerged at 2 meters for 2 hours. Subseqently the french didn't see the benefit and refused further interest in the project. He , Fulton did go on to build the first comercially viable staem ship to cross the Atlantic in 1807.
Posted by Scott Martin on December 24,2012 | 10:13 PM
I think you meant "John W. Campbell" in segment 5.
Posted by Wm. Plumpe on December 2,2012 | 07:59 PM
DaVinci said: "I find it ridiculous this site gives Jules Verne the credit for things like the submarine and helicopter when Leonardo da Vinci envisioned them HUNDREDS of years earlier. If anything, Jules Verne was inspired by da Vinci's drawings." I find it ridiculous that you are mistakenly blaming this site, when all the site did was quote the person's admitted inspiration for the invention. This site had NOTHING to do with the selection of that person's inspiration. If you have a problem with each person's admitted influence/inspiration, I suggest you take the issue up with their heirs. Don't shoot the messenger.
Posted by Big Mack on November 29,2012 | 10:13 PM
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