Star Trek portrays an idealized, spacefaring society. Scarcity no longer exists, so humankind is free to explore the farthest reaches of space. People have even praised the show for portraying what technology should be—something that allows people to live comfortably, self-actualize, and fulfill their full potential. How accurate is Star Trek's portrayal of technology? What does it get right?
Every Star Trek fan has heard of dilithium crystals. Few episodes went by without the crew trying to hunt down some to power the USS Enterprise's warp drive.
Interestingly, dilithium does exist, but it's not quite as exciting. It's just two covalently bonded lithium atoms, found in the element's gaseous state. That said, it's also the second-most stable neutral diatomic molecule made up of a single element, so it's very useful for studying certain principles of chemistry and physics.
All of that aside, the University of Huntsville is taking things a step further. It's currently working on a reactor powered by a few tons of deuterium (a heavy isotope of hydrogen) and a stable form of lithium called lithium-6. When these are forced together under intense pressure, they fuse together into crystals. If the University can find a way to turn this reaction into a net producer of energy, then these crystals could be a viable fuel source for long-distance space travel.
The PADD was a device that had no keypad, just a screen you'd use with a fingertip. It proved to be almost prescient—long before smartphones and tablets, there was the PADD. Eventually, life imitated art. The design for Star Trek's personal devices was intuitive, high-tech, and functioned in exactly the way you'd expect that kind of device to function. When touchscreens and mobile devices came along, it's no surprise that they bore a striking resemblance to PADDs.
PADDs aren't Star Trek's only prescient depiction of personal technology. In the original Star Trek series, Captain Christopher Pike is grievously injured by delta ray radiation. Paralyzed and unable to speak, he's given a chair that allows him to move and communicate via flashing lights—one for “yes,” two for “no.” Years later, people with severe disabilities have wheelchairs and other aids that they can control by breathing through a tube, and non-verbal people have a host of communication devices that work using everything from keyboards to eye movement. Few people predicted that Star Trek's idea of Captain Pike's chair would become a reality, but very similar technology allows the disabled community to live full, happy lives.
Before getting into the science behind it, it's important to know what a “positron” is. Essentially, it's the opposite of an electron—a subatomic particle that carries a positive charge, instead of a negative one. In the late 20's, physicist Paul Dirac theorized the existence of “antiparticles” that resemble the subatomic particles we knew, but had opposite charges. In 1932, physicist Carl D. Anderson confirmed that positively charged electrons did exist!
While Star Trek never elaborated on how a “positronic brain” works, living tissue does interact with positrons in an interesting way. When a radioactive tracer is introduced into the body (including the brain), tissues begin to emit positrons. This is used to detect disease via positron emission tomography, also known as a PET scan.
If positrons are the opposite of electrons, it stands to reason that antimatter is the opposite of matter. While antimatter sounds very exotic, it's actually created during high-energy collisions. Make matter and antimatter collide, and it produces a tremendous amount of energy—like the kind you'd need to power a spaceship the size of the Enterprise.
Gravitons and tachyons serve two very different purposes in Star Trek lore, and aren't really explained in-depth. Basically, tachyons move faster than light, and gravitons are like particles of gravity. Star Trek uses them in tachyon beams, graviton pulses, and generally any application where something needs to either go very fast or become very heavy.
In real life, they're two theoretical particles, which means that they may or may not actually exist. A tachyon is a hypothetical particle that travels faster than light, though in some cases the word may also refer to an imaginary mass field. A graviton is a particle that theoretically mediates the force of gravity. In simpler terms, Star Trek took these theoretical particles and behaved as though their existence was proven. We don't really know how correct Star Trek might be here, since we don't know if tachyons and gravitons are real. They are part of theoretical physics, which the series based some of its ideas on.
Star Trek's transporter technology allows for the near-instantaneous transportation of individuals and objects from one location to another by disassembling their atoms at the molecular level and reassembling them at the destination. The process involves converting matter into energy, transmitting it, and then reconstructing it at the target location.
Teleportation remains purely theoretical and beyond our current technological capabilities but scientists have made strides in quantum teleportation and quantum entanglement research. Quantum teleportation involves transferring the quantum state of one particle to another, albeit over short distances in controlled laboratory settings. Practical applications of teleportation technology are still speculative and face formidable technical challenges.
Star Trek's holodecks are immersive environments that simulate physical reality using holographic projections, force fields, and sophisticated computer algorithms. Users can interact with realistic virtual environments and entities, engage in simulated experiences, and create custom scenarios.
While contemporary virtual reality (VR) technologies offer immersive experiences, achieving the level of realism and interactivity depicted in Star Trek's holodecks remains a distant goal. Researchers continue to explore advancements in VR hardware, software, and sensory feedback systems to enhance user immersion and presence within virtual environments.
This series features various artificial intelligence entities and sentient lifeforms, including androids, holographic characters, and advanced computer systems capable of complex reasoning and emotional responses. These depictions raise philosophical questions about consciousness, identity, and the ethical implications of creating intelligent beings.
Progress is being made in artificial intelligence (AI) research and achieving true artificial consciousness and sentience remains a distant frontier. Researchers explore topics such as machine learning, cognitive architectures, and ethical AI to develop AI systems with human-like capabilities while addressing concerns about autonomy, bias, and accountability.
The warp drive technology on Star Trek enables faster-than-light travel by creating a warp bubble that contracts space in front of a spacecraft and expands space behind it, allowing the vessel to exceed the speed of light without violating the laws of physics. This concept relies on manipulating space-time rather than propelling the spacecraft itself.
While current theories of general relativity suggest that faster-than-light travel may be theoretically possible under certain conditions, practical challenges such as energy requirements, exotic matter, and space-time distortions present formidable hurdles. Researchers explore theoretical frameworks such as Alcubierre's warp drive and theoretical propulsion concepts to better understand the feasibility and limitations of faster-than-light travel.
Star Trek's universal translator technology enables instantaneous translation of languages spoken by different alien species, facilitating communication and diplomacy across linguistic barriers. The device analyzes speech patterns, syntax, and semantics to generate accurate translations in real time.
Real-world translation technologies have made significant advancements, achieving seamless, real-time translation of spoken language with high accuracy but nuance remains an ongoing challenge. Researchers explore machine translation algorithms, natural language processing techniques, and neural network models to improve translation quality and address language barriers in diverse contexts.
The replicator technology allows for the creation of any object or material by rearranging subatomic particles at the molecular level, effectively converting energy into matter. Users can replicate food, equipment, and even complex machinery on demand.
While contemporary 3D printing technologies offer glimpses into the potential of additive manufacturing, achieving the level of versatility and efficiency depicted in Star Trek's replicators remains a distant prospect. Researchers explore advancements in additive manufacturing techniques, nanotechnology, and materials science to develop scalable and sustainable manufacturing processes that harness matter-energy conversion principles.
Not all of Star Trek is one hundred percent scientifically accurate, but a startling amount of its science is tied to the real world. Rather than make things up out of whole cloth, the series creators work closely with scientific experts for realistic, in-depth worldbuilding. Even the parts that are the most far-fetched, like gravitons, have a basis in theoretical physics. Others, like PADDs and Captain Pike's chair, predicted existing technology long before its time. Even though it isn't here yet, there could be a day when we have ships powered by lithium crystals, antimatter reactors, and more.
