Quotations
(1) Replicator machine
A replicator machine is one which will build anything that it has a blueprint for. The idea is that it builds items atom by atom, so for instance if you want it to create a cup for you, then it will create a cup - and so on. If the technology can be mastered, then the impact is massive. You won't need to go down the shops to buy your cutlery, you will make it. The value of things will plummet and the entire shop economy could possibly disappear. If you can make everything you need at home, why go out and spend money on it? It is predicted that we'll all have replicators in around 20 years time, although as with any prediction that should be taken with a pinch of salt. But it seems that this is an item of science fact, not science fiction.
(2) Teleporter
Whether this one will ever happen is a little less clear. Although we have all read about scientists having transported things successfully, that it individual particles in a quantum entangled state. Moving on to transporting macro-objects is something that may be practically impossible and certainly currently seems so. However if invented it seems clear that this would change all our lives.
(3) Robots with human intelligence
Robots that are able to think and reason just like humans in the sense that they would be indistinguishable from us would be a genuine revolution. Whilst it could be potentially dangerous to humanity were this to happen, the impact could not be underestimated either way: combining the raw processing power of a machine with the ability to be creative, understand and interpret the world like we do through our senses and have a full command of language and other human skills would be something to behold.
