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Here are a few major scientific achievements that led to the utopian future of Star Trek.
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00:00Hey folks, before we start, just want to say a really quick thank you to Squarespace who are
00:04sponsoring this video. The technology of Star Trek is where a lot of the wonder of the franchise
00:09comes from. Some tech is inspiring because it seems so realistic that it could actually exist
00:15in the future. Other devices like replicators are just interesting because of how ridiculously
00:20utopian they are. Now it is worth noting that the Vulcans actually invented many of the things on
00:26this list way before humanity did and just refused to hand it over because they didn't want humanity
00:32to become dependent on them. And with that in mind, I'm Ellie with Trek Culture, here with the 10
00:39biggest advancements in Star Trek history.
00:51Hi, I'm Sean Blass from GTN, Galaxy Truth Network.
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02:21Number 10, Artificial Gravity.
02:34Most fans might not know this, but Starfleet's artificial gravity was actually reverse-engineered
02:40from recovered alien technology.
02:42In the animated series episode The Slaver Weapon, we learned that an ancient species known as
02:47the Slavers once ruled most of the galaxy a billion years before the 23rd century.
02:52The only remnants of their society that remained in the 23rd century was mysterious stasis boxes
02:57found randomly across the galaxy.
02:59These boxes contained technology that once belonged to the slavers, including what Spock referred
03:04to as a flying belt.
03:06He explained that this device helped Earth find the key to creating an artificial gravity field.
03:11Once the humans learned the flying belt worked, they were able to incorporate the tech into their
03:16vessels.
03:17Now, it's never explained how artificial gravity functions, but we do know that it's
03:21generated through gravity plating that's spread throughout the vessel's interior.
03:27Earth-like gravity is so important for humans.
03:31Spending too much time in zero-gravity environments can be really damaging to our bodies, and so
03:36it was completely necessary for long-term space travel.
03:41Number 9, The Discovery of Subspace.
03:44Subspace is made of infinite pocket dimensions layered on top of our universe.
03:48The different laws of physics in these domains allow signals to travel faster.
03:53Without using a warp drive, a signal sent through normal space can only travel at a maximum of
03:57the speed of light, which is why Starfleet sends their communications through subspace.
04:02This method allows starships to instantly communicate with Earth while hundreds of light-years away,
04:08though past a certain distance the signal would need to be amplified by a subspace relay station.
04:13Subspace was also used to generate warp bubbles around starships to protect them from the
04:18effects of bending space.
04:20Warp travel would not be possible without subspace.
04:24It's unclear when exactly subspace was discovered, but it must have been before Zephron Cochran's
04:29first warp flight in 2063, unless he somehow was able to tap into subspace without fully
04:35understanding what it was.
04:36Now, subspace is entirely fictional, but it does share some similarities with the extra-spatial
04:42dimensions proposed in string theory.
04:45Now, if string theory were proven, it would be one of the greatest scientific achievements
04:50in human history, and a huge step towards a theory of everything.
04:55Number 8, Tractor Beams.
04:57For all of human history, we have been trying to find a way to move things without actually
05:03touching them.
05:04Tractor Beams are just that, energy projections that Starfleet ships use to hold objects in
05:09place or move them.
05:11These devices may seem mundane, but they've actually been very important for humanity.
05:16Prior to their invention, the NX-01 Enterprise used magnetic grapplers instead, but they were
05:21much less precise and more easily disconnected.
05:24Tractor Beams made it much safer to tow disabled vessels to safety.
05:28Tractor Beams also assisted with navigating shuttles in hangar bays, and could be used to deflect
05:33hazardous asteroids and hold fleeing enemy ships completely still.
05:37One thing that isn't mentioned very often, though, is how useful tractor beams could be
05:41for construction on Earth.
05:44Just think about the large, heavy components of a starship or a building that could be moved
05:49with ease into place without the use of cranes or large vehicles.
05:537. Self-Aware Artificial Intelligences
05:58Machines created by humans had become self-aware as early as the 23rd century, including V'ja and
06:05Nomad, but these were both accidents.
06:09The first sentient AIs created intentionally by humanity were the Soong-type androids Data,
06:15Lore, B4, and Juliana-Taynor.
06:17Their positronic brains simulated real brainwave patterns and were able to grow and learn over
06:23time, though Dr. Noonien-Sung struggled to get the emotions perfect until later in his
06:28life.
06:28There is no question that a functional positronic brain is alive.
06:32Later, it was discovered that holographic programs could also become sentient if they
06:36were advanced enough.
06:38This was what happened to the Doctor from Voyager and the Moriarty hologram from Next Gen.
06:43Exo-comps were also recognized as sentient, and one peanut hamper was even accepted into
06:49Starfleet.
06:49Building sentient artificial lifeforms was banned for a short time following the synth attack
06:54on Mars we saw in Star Trek Picard, but the ban was lifted when it was revealed that the
06:58attack was actually carried out by the Romulan organization, the Jat Vash.
07:02At the end of the first season of Picard, we also learned of a whole new society of synths
07:07created by Bruce Maddox and Dr. Noonien-Sung's son, Alton Inigo-Sung.
07:12These Soong-type androids, sentient holograms, exo-comps, and synths are not mere machines.
07:19They are entirely new lifeforms created by humanity.
07:24Number 6, holograms.
07:26Now, we've already talked about holograms that became self-aware, but now let's go over
07:30some of the other ways that this tech revolutionized life in the Federation.
07:36The NX-01 Enterprise encountered an alien holodeck in the episode Unexpected, but it took a while
07:41before humanity's tech was able to catch up to that level.
07:45Less advanced holograms were used in the first season of Star Trek Discovery, set in the mid-23rd
07:50century, but were soon phased out, likely because they used too much power and were too glitchy.
07:55These holograms weren't solid like the ones that came afterwards, but they could be used
07:59for communication, simple simulations, and target practice.
08:03In the 24th century, shortly before the Enterprise-D went into service, holodecks were invented.
08:09This was by far the single greatest advancement in entertainment history.
08:15Using optical illusions to make the interior space appear bigger, users could escape into
08:20entire fantasy worlds, complete with characters, storylines, games, and anything else you could
08:26imagine.
08:26This tech made it possible to simulate solutions to engineering problems, and to do virtually
08:31any activity completely safely.
08:34In theory, you could literally skydive from the safety of your own home.
08:39Holodecks is probably the reason why we don't really see anybody watching TV or playing video
08:46games in the 24th century, because why would you watch it when you can live it?
08:51Number 5.
08:52Universal Translators
08:53Universal Translators allow people to communicate with each other while speaking entirely different
08:59languages, and they work by scanning the speaker's brainwaves and somehow feeding a translated
09:07version of their thoughts into the minds of those around them.
09:10It's unclear whether these devices could be used to read any thoughts or simply those associated
09:15with language, but it's possible that the same tech could function as a form of artificial
09:20telepathy or a direct brain interface like Geordi's visor.
09:24It's probably not a coincidence that Universal Translators were invented shortly before the
09:28launch of the NX-01 Enterprise.
09:31Being so far from Earth would have been incredibly dangerous if the crew had no way to communicate
09:35with the new species they encountered.
09:37Now, they were able to speak to the Vulcans, but any species that didn't have their own Universal
09:41Translators would have been extremely difficult.
09:44Now, by the 24th century, the Universal Translator was built into the comm badges of Starfleet
09:50officers and also in all of the ship's computers, and most civilians had their own.
09:56The creation of the Universal Translator is one of the greatest achievements in communication
10:01since the creation of the telephone.
10:03Number 4.
10:04Medical Technology
10:05A lot of Star Trek's medical technology seems miraculous by today's standards.
10:10Medical tricoders can easily read vital signs and detect certain conditions and viruses.
10:16Laser skull pools allow for cleaner surgeries, and hypersprays eliminate the need for needles.
10:21But the most revolutionary medical device we've seen in Trek is probably the Dermal Regenerator.
10:27These small handheld devices would automatically regrow any damaged skin tissue that they were
10:32shined on.
10:33They could even remove scars.
10:35They were typically only used for minor injuries and couldn't grow entire organs or limbs,
10:39but they instantly healed simple cuts and burns.
10:42Now, they've been used countless times in Trek, but Dermal Regenerator technology has never been
10:49fully explained in canon.
10:51In the Voyager episode Warhead, Neelix used one to simulate fake plasma burns on Seven's face,
10:56and Chakotay used one in Workforce to reverse similar cosmetic changes.
11:01Neelix was just a beginner, and he was able to create fake plasma burns on Seven's face.
11:06That implies that anyone with access to this technology could easily modify their face in
11:13any way that they want to.
11:15Number three, replicators.
11:17Replicator technology can rearrange molecules into thousands of different foods, clothing,
11:23small devices, and other items.
11:26World hunger was already virtually eliminated on Earth by the time replicators became commonplace
11:30in the 24th century. But its invention gave humanity an
11:33infinite and much more convenient supply of food and a 100% humane source of meat.
11:40Plus, they removed the need to store food at all.
11:42Any meal could be produced hot or cold in an instant, and if you didn't enjoy it,
11:46you could feed it back into the machine to be rearranged into your next meal.
11:50They also allowed for things to be built much quicker and easier,
11:54leading to what was probably the biggest increase in production efficiency
11:57since the Industrial Revolution. In Star Trek Prodigy, we even saw a replicator that could
12:02construct entire vehicles atom by atom. Although there are many who claim to prefer
12:07the taste of real food, there's no denying that the creation of the replicator was a game-changer.
12:14And I really hope they are invented in our future, because an unlimited supply of crisps?
12:20Yes, please.
12:21Number two, transporters.
12:23In the 20th century, Albert Einstein proved that matter and energy are interchangeable,
12:29different forms of the same things. In Star Trek, Emery Erikson used this knowledge in 2124
12:35to create the first functional transporter. The transporter can convert anything into a
12:40stream of pure energy, which can then be directed somewhere else and reconstructed into its original
12:47form. Several people died during the early trials of this technology, leaving humanity with a
12:52general distrust for beaming until closer to the 23rd century. For a while, it was almost
12:57exclusively used for transporting non-living things. Transporter use eventually skyrocketed,
13:03and by the time of Star Trek Picard, Earth was dotted with public transporters that could send you
13:08all across the planet in an instant. Of course, transporters were actually created by the writers
13:13of the original series as a cheaper way to get the characters from the ship to a planet, because
13:20landing the ship or a shuttle onto a new planet's surface every week would have eaten up the budget.
13:26Number one, warp drive. The date of Zephon Cochran's first warp flight, the 5th of April 2063,
13:34is one of the most important moments in human history. Humanity had long believed that faster
13:40than light travel was impossible, but by folding the space around his ship, Cochran was able to break
13:47the universal speed limit. After detecting a warp signature near Earth, the Vulcans could no longer
13:53ignore humanity, so they decided to make first contact. What followed was the biggest worldwide
13:58collaboration ever seen on Earth. When humanity realised they were not alone in the universe,
14:04they united like never before. The post-World War III planet was transformed into a utopia.
14:10Humans were finally able to visit other solar systems and become a part of the galactic neighbourhood.
14:15First Contact Day became an official Federation holiday, celebrated on the 5th of April every year.
14:21Some kids get the day off school, and there are celebrations all across the Federation commemorating
14:26the events of this first warp flight. There have been other advancements in faster than light
14:31propulsion since 2063, such as the Spore Drive, the Proto Drive and Quantum Slipstreams, but none changed
14:38the fate of humanity like the first warp engine.
14:41And that concludes our list. If you think we missed something, then do let us know in the
14:46comments below. And while you're there, don't forget to hit that like button and also the
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