Blog #31 Where Is My Flying Car?

Science fiction is known for its gadgets, and it is so well known that there is a bit of griping if that gadget isn’t available today. We should remember that Science Fiction has two parts—the science part and the fiction part. The science part deals with possible ideas based on what we know now or at least an idea we could deduce. The fiction part is the story we make up with that idea in mind. While I think it’s unfair to criticize what is projected in the future and didn’t come to pass, I would like to put forth what did.

The Communicator

Illustration 2 Kirk talking on his communicator on the *Star Trek Original Series*

Illustration 3 The simple, generic AT&T flip phone type

One of the most well-known examples is Star Trek’s communicator. When the flip phones came out, it was like what we had seen on T.V.

While we all felt that these phones were inspired by the TV show, the inspiration actually came from before Star Trek all the way back to Dick Tracy’s wrist radio in the famous comic book. It is interesting how many latched on to the idea of Star Trek and not Dick Tracy as that inspiration, probably to do with the fact that Star Trek was more recent. The communicator is so much a part of our zeitgeist.

Illustration 4 The Original Dick Tracy wrist radio 948

The Flying Car

This gadget is often complained about—where is my flying car? The Jetsons brought it to the forefront, but Flying Cars have been around for quite a while.

“Decades before Orville and Wilbur Wright propellered into the air, the dream of flying cars (or carriages) got an unexpected lift. 1856 French sea captain Jean-Marie Le Bris sailed through the skies in a horse-drawn glider fashioned after an albatross. The aptly named L’Albatros artificiel, or the Artificial Albatross, carried Le Bris 300 feet off the ground—an impressive height for the mid-19th century when the first steam-powered automobiles were beginning to dot roadways. A flying-car archetype was born with this seminal, albeit short-lived flight.”¹

Illustration 8 Inspiration for my Travels with Walter

My first story, Travels with Walter, originally started with The Jetsons car in mind, but then I found an ad from a power company in the 50’s and got my inspiration for the storyline. I wanted to jump right in the car and GO!

Illustration 7 The first flying electric car, ‘Model A,’ approved by the FAA June 2023

Many models have come out since, but we aren’t filling the skies with them. “This week, Alef Aeronautics (http:\\alef.aero\) revealed its flying car “Model A” was granted legal permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to test run the vehicle on the road and in the sky − a move needed before it can be released to the public.”²

However, there are important issues regarding the operation of multiple flying cars. Most importantly, officials look at two factors.

Considerations for Flying Cars

“The most critical segment of flying car operation will be ground/air transitions (takeoff/landing), which will demand NAS/FAA regulation and suitable governance for an integrated (rather than segregated) airspace. Another critical aspect would be addressing operational challenges and ensuring safety during adverse weather conditions (e.g., heavy rainfall, high wind, snowstorm, etc.).” ³

We have more powerful computers that can handle this problem, but knowing human beings, how much trouble would we get in? It is similar to air traffic control of planes, which is a tough gig. Computers and humans can think in three dimensions to oversee the operation. We have an idea, but the drivers of these flying cars will not be as well trained as airplane pilots or as disciplined.

It is an age-old problem: the independence of the driver. Many administrations want us to get out of our cars and into public transportation. This is often portrayed with sleek new high-speed trains, but it is not only for the pollution aspect (frequently touted as the great reason to switch over). The bottom line is to take away the independent action of the drivers. This is on a two-dimensional plane. What happens when we get three dimensions?

There is truth to the idea that mass transit would eliminate human error problems, but having your own vehicle gives you much freedom, and from an American perspective, that is a good thing. Trains do have accidents, too, and most of us feel it’s always better to have individual control.

The Smart Home

Illustration 9 Eureka’s Smart House S.A.R.A.H.2006-2012

Illustration 10 Smart House Disney movie 1999

Robert A. Heinlein’s novel The Puppet Masters 1951 had automated kitchens, which had no problems. The series Eureka 2006–2012 from the SyFy channel had a whole smart house that decided to take control at one point, and the movie Smart House 1999 is from Disney, where AI also takes control. There are issues, but these AIs are more human than they are now. In the television series Almost Human 2013–2014, we finally arrive at a smart house that is taken over and kills the owners, the worst outcome for humans and AIs.

Illustration 11 *Almost Human* tv series 2013 to 14 Dorian the DRN android and S.A.M. the smart house AI that was compromised

Illustration 12 *Almost Human* S1 E11 The two homeowners who were killed by the smart house. The wife was trapped under the clear cover of the pool. The husband shot in the back by a camera that sees him as a threat.

Often, scifi has cautionary to downright horror tales about future contraptions. Today, we’ve seen that reality with self-driving cars being fooled or possibly hacked and electric cars catching fire. Indeed, in the new series 3 Body Problem 2024-? (Netflix), a self-driving car is hacked and tries to kill one of the main characters.

Until now, we have been offered control of individual electrical devices, like turning on and off a lamp at a particular time of day. The newest gadget coordinates these devices, and you can control your house through that one gadget.

“It started as a smart speaker capable of streaming whatever music you asked it to play, but it quickly became clear that Amazon Echo was capable of much more. Sync it up with your Belkin WeMo Switches, your Philips Hue Smart L.E.D.s, or your Wink Hub-connected gadgets, and “Alexa,” the cloud-connected AI that powers Amazon Echo, will help you turn things on and off with simple voice commands. There’s also an Amazon Echo channel on I.F.T.T.T., the popular online automation service that’ll allow you to connect Alexa with Twitter, Facebook, or a host of compatible smart gadgets.”⁴

As we move towards a complete Artificial intelligence (AI) system, its potential sentience becomes a pressing ethical concern. We don’t even know if an A.I. can become sentient. Still, we do know it can be fooled or outright hacked. This presents a considerable problem, raising questions about the limits and responsibilities of using AI.

Transporters

Illustration 13 Beaming aboard the Enterprise *Star Trek the Original Series* 1966-69

The Transporter of Star Trek fame is really fun. Initially, the show was to have a shuttlecraft for transport of the ship, but it hadn’t arrived yet. To solve the problem they made up the transporter we all know to serve until the shuttlecraft arrived. That was simple, an easy fix. Still, it turned out to be iconic.

Illustration 14 Troubles with the Beaming gets you ‘Tuvix’ *Star Trek Voyager S2 E24*

However, sometimes transporters malfunctioned. Captain Kirk of Star Trek, the Original Series, gets split into two beings (the ‘bad’ side and the ‘good’ side). Scotty, the chief engineer of Star Trek the Original Series, purposely goes into the transporter beam and is stuck there for 75 years. Officers in Star Trek: The Next Generation beam onto the Enterprise as children. Nelix and Tuvok join bodies and become ‘Tuvix’ in Star Trek Voyager. All this occurred after the transporter had been around for a long time, tested, and approved. Imagine how bad the original use was.

“Recent technology has made it possible to transport—or “beam” if you will—small pools of particles or photons from one location to another. This quantum mechanics phenomenon is known as “quantum transport.””⁵

So, the current process can only send little bits. Taking it up to human size would be more complicated, and possibly, humans wouldn’t survive. This is something for the far future. Still, it is interesting that a form of transporting or beaming exists.

The whole process was way over my head, so I tried to find a way to explain it in simplified terms. Perhaps it would help to tell you that quantum transport is thought to be helpful in quantum computing. Quantum computing is part of ‘Singularity,’ which is when technological changes are beyond what we can imagine now.

“Quantum teleportation is the power to disappear from one location and appear at another without traveling in between. Though we may never match the movies, the technology will likely revolutionize communications, computing, and our understanding of the world around us.”⁶

Reality can be stranger than our imaginations. Still, in this case, the ideas were wilder, and the fruition of developing them is more familiar and, therefore, not so strange. It is good, though, to think about these ideas and technologies so we are more prepared.

Footnotes

1. https://www.popsci.com/aviation/history-of-flying-cars/

2. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2023/06/30/first-flying-car-approved-by-faa-available-for-preorder/70372117007/

3. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2020.00106/full

4. https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/talk-to-your-house-with-these-voice-activated-smart-home-systems/

5. https://www.thoughtco.com/star-trek-instantaneous-matter-transport-3072118

6. https://www.quantamagazine.org/what-is-quantum-teleportation-20240314/

Illustrations

1. Top Picture https://thegadgetflow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/10-Futuristic-tech-that-will-simply-blow-your-mind.jpg

2. star trek communicator https://the-gadgeteer.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Wand_Communicator_7.jpg

3. flip phone https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1568992049-zte-z223-1568992042.jpg

4. Dick Tracy wrist radio https://i.pinimg.com/originals/09/29/9e/09299eda9a80e56416eb522aeb6366f6.jpg