In the last issue of Discover (that being the one still available for purchase) the main story on the cover was a holiday shopping guide for the year 2033. This provided a number of devices, which would be probably somewhat commonplace by that time (though the list did create some controversy). It is interesting though that there is a close relation between speculative science and hard science fiction even when they do not reference each other.
As I have mentioned before, this is one of the main points in the Batman chapter of the book The Science of Superheroes, that being that when dreaming ahead for devices for Batman (or other non-powered characters) that a lot of those devices have since come into use. In the modern world it seems as though most characters cannot even keep up with real world science, as for instance in the early 1990s the power of Oracle (Barbara Gordon) to infiltrate computer networks and get information was essentially a superpower, now it is available to everyone with a smart phone. That having been said, it is maybe approaching a time where the next gen tech for superheroes is simply stuff that is already on the market or in development as the dreams of scientist and engineers catch up to those of writers.
Log in to comment