9 Mind-Blowing Tech Projects That Prove The Future Is Now

From Star Wars to Star Trek to Battlestar Galactica, a key component of science fiction is interstellar travel. The problem is that space is so enormously, enormously big and the destinations we want to reach so very, very small by comparison. Sci-Fi’s solutions to this problem range from “warp speed” (which may function by distorting the space-time fabric) to “FTL drives” that appear to function by creating artificial wormholes.

Scientists have a different solution. By reducing spacecraft to the size of a microchip and equipping them with a solar sail, a powerful laser beam shot from Earth could propel them as fast as 20% of the speed of light. If that sounds slow to you, consider that by current technology it would take us 30 000 years to reach the nearest star. These solar-powered micro-ships could make the trip in just 30 years.

The project, which includes Stephen Hawking, Mark Zuckerberg, Russian billionaire Yuri Milner as well as a team of aerospace elites, aims to make thousands of these micro-starships within one generation, then disperse them throughout the galaxy.

Before we unleash our starfleet upon the unsuspecting galaxy, some technological advances will have to occur. For one, we’ll have to develop cameras, sensors and other technologies small enough to fit on the chip. We’ll also need a way to stay in communication with the micro-ships… lest a fleet of micro-Vgers (Star Trek reference, nerds) come sailing wrathfully back to Earth.

Though this project may sound a bit like science fiction, many experts agree it’s not impossible, and it’s definitely important. To quote Stephen Hawking: “There are no greater heights to aspire to than the stars. It is unwise to keep all our eggs in one fragile basket”.