In the 1960’s a science fiction series on television called Star Trek captured the attention of everyone. In this series a number of imaginary technologies were used. (imaginary for the present time anyways)
Remember Captain Kirk’s wireless communicator that flipped open and made a multiple chirp sound when used?
Now think about our present cell phone technology, … Nextel direct connect in particular. That’s right! The Nextel technology of today is wireless, makes multiple chirps when used, and has great range covering the whole country.
Once again, this was just a sci-fi imagination in the 1960’s. Now it is a reality blanketing our current times.
Remember how Captain Kirk would enter the bridge of his starship Enterprise?
He entered through a automatic door that slid open by sliding to the side.
In the 1960’s this was another sci-fi imagination. As in real life, if you remember, … stores, libraries and other businesses all had automatic doors that opened by stepping on a rubber mat that sent the automatic door ‘swinging’ open either to the right or to the left at a 90 degree movement. At the time, a automatic door that slides sideways was unheard of in reality. Now they are all over, … and being used everywhere including newer apartment buildings because of the beneficial wide opening they give over a standard door. (great for bringing furniture through)
Remember in this 1960’s original series of Star Trek, the ships doctor would solve some medical problems with patients by using a electronic device waved over the patients skin without the use of knives to cut into the patient? Again, … today’s real technology gets pretty close to those 1960’s sci-fi imaginations.
Look at our medical advances that took place since the 1960’s. We now have laser eye surgery, laser vein treatment and laser treatments that can remove wrinkles. Additionally we also have ultrasound treatment that can dissolve bone spurs on the heels of our feet.
All of this without cutting into the body.
Incredible advances in our technology are coming true.
In the 1960’s if you spoke of the casual use of civilian owned laser products, … you would have probably been stared at with a quiet puzzled look.
However now at the present time, lasers are all over and serve all kinds of purposes in our society.
The medical field is using them for surgical purposes.
The military uses lasers for our countries defenses and engineering of equipment.
Factories use lasers to cut metal and perform other production tasks.
Regular people such as you & I have lasers in our lives on a everyday basis.
Laser pointers, laser key chains, laser levels for hanging pictures, laser science and school equipment, laser automotive repair equipment in commercial garages, and of coarse the most common use of lasers by civilians, … all the CD, DVD and Blue Ray disk players out there in our homes, vehicles, offices, computers and more.
Anywhere you use a CD, DVD or Blue Ray disk, you are using a laser to read or record the information on the disk. These disks use laser eyes in the drive to process and transfer data back and forth to and from the disk.
Reporter Joe T.
Washington Micro Bank BBS
