Things That It Hasn't Yet...
5. Food Replicators
We all know about 3D printing it pretty much hasn't been out of the press since it first hit the market. But there has been companies to develop the technology further for example, right now the technology can print plastic items. But others are working on a device to produce a 3D printer that works with metal. Naturally these don't work in the same manner as a Star Trek replicator, because it seems that the Star Trek version have technology similar to that seen in the transporter built in, which of course we don't have. One way that the technology is being taken forward is that NASA are seeking to develop a food replicator for use on the International Space Station. Back in May they paid $125,000 to a company for six months to see if it could print a pizza from food materials which are shelf safe for thirty years. That was after the same company managed to print chocolate in a trial. Of course even the NASA product isn't the same as the Star Trek device. It seems that the current project is purely for a pizza. It would print out the dough onto a heated plate and cook the base while the toppings (presumably a tomato based sauce and cheese) are added. Mind you, I'm not sure if the concept will work at all in zero gravity. But I'm not a NASA scientist, so what do I know. So the food replicator is a long way away yet. Until you can tell the printer what you want and it prints it out, it won't be close to the one seen on the show. But perhaps one solution is a series of different cartridges that you can load into the machine to make it print recipes. With other technology developments it wouldn't be too hard for the printer to be updated with new recipes or to recognise what is in each cartridge. I could see a market for more expensive machines that could take more cartridges. Of course, I'm not quite sure how a printed cheeseburger might turn out...