There are a lot of things that we take for granted when it comes to technology today. In remembrance of Leonard Nimoy, actor from the original series of Star Trek, we are going to look at some of the inventions that were fictional on the television show but are a reality today.

Starting out with the most obvious we have the communicator. In the show they had a small box that they could use to talk to each other while they were on field study missions. This is obviously a cellphone. We use them every day and we are dependent on them for practically every form of communication. They have evolved past what the show had predicted for them to develop into even!

Another seemingly simple invention that was inspired by the show is automatic doors. Every single door in Star Trek is an automatic door. While that might seem like overkill, it is the reason we have the invention today. It is such a simple thing of upmost convenience that we would never think of it as a futuristic invention.

In the business world it is common to see big view screens where people have conference calls and can see their callers face to face. Being on a space ship, this was the Enterprise’s main mode of contact to people outside of the ship. Thanks to Star Trek, this is one other common device we see used today.

On the more obscure side we have the tricorder. For those who do not know a tricorder is a cool little medical device that can tell you a patient’s vital signs by simply scanning them. Now there is a device called the Scandu. The Scandu can record a patient’s heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, oxygen level and a complete ECG all by just placing it on their forehead. This breakthrough could help make a simple checkup go much faster.

Back on the normal track, the IPad is an invention that originated on Star Trek. They used this for simple tasks like taking notes, but they also used them like we would us an IPad. It is very simple, but once again it is an integral part of our technological culture.

This is just a small taste of all of the inventions Star Trek inspired. The list could go on for pages of information. Next time you see a science fiction movie, don’t think of it as fiction, but as a prediction for the future.