Phasers.

The ability for me to vaporize anyone who pisses me off would make the world MUCH better.

That or telekinesis. Being able to unhook a bra at 50m would open up a whole new world of irritating people at random.

Hyper-efficient solar cells that convert nearly all of the electromagnetic spectrum into electricity. There's actually a lot of research moving in that direction. (Example)

Efficient suicide booths. Even better if they use the solar cells mentioned above. That way they can be placed off-grid pretty much anywhere. :)

I'm still waiting for my hovercar, dammit! o_O

Well then, go get building, then!

Oh, you meant "flying car?" Well dang.

Cute, Jamie, but yes, I meant "flying car" like the Jetson's, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jetsonslogo640x480.jpg, you know?

Thank you Brian.....this just changed my whole day.

I'm still waiting for my Jetpack.

Computer controlled so there will be no accidents...hmmm...

Will that be like the computer-controlled motion sensers on toilets, that always flush when I get up, and never flush while I am seated (thereby splashing my ass)?

Or the sinks which of course always provide me with water when my hands go under them, never ever leaving me high and dry with a glob of soap on my hand?

Ha!

Woah! Forget whatever I could come up with. You just described my ultimate fantasy -- benefits of public transit and private vehicle. Affordably. In my dreams.

Nicole K:

Now, now. Who's to say one's ass can't use a good splashing now and again? You think it's a bug, I'll claim it's an "unintended feature."

Sorry, couldn't let that one pass by.

My order is long. But considering I love sci-fi it isn't surprising:
1) A replicator. Perfect pizza in a second in the comfort of my own home? Fuck yes. Plus no one would go hungry b/c it's just taking a bunch of random elements that exist and smooshing them together to make wine, model cars or the latest fashion accessory.
2) The hair thing from the Jetson's - you stand beneath it and it transforms your hair into any perfect style imaginable.
3) Personal transport units. Beam me anywhere, anytime. I wonder what traffic is like on an atomic level. Maybe they'll find out over at CERN w/ their nifty new little boom device.
4) Holodecks (or a holo-room of some sort). I will never be able to afford a trip to the islands of Thailand. But if I could wrap the cost of a holo-room into a mortgage it might be a possibility in a few years.
5) My own personal fraking toaster to do my bidding. I hate dusting and pulling weeds.

How about a magic box you can set on your desk, and do all sorts of information management. You could even work at home, never commuting and wasting that energy.

Oh, wait...

I absolutely love the PRT idea. I've been casually watching the industry for about the last 5 years. It hasn't gone anywhere and it's not likely to go anywhere soon unless some billionaire takes it on as a cause. It would be even better if it were generalized into some kind of automated packetized transport system - any sized package from/to anywhere without human intervention - analogous to how IP transmits data.

A few others on my modest list:
1. A comfortable seat in coach. Preferably one with memory foam and the ability to go into a "zero g" position on long flights.

2. The Amazon Kindle, only better.

3. Conversions of books to movies that don't suck.

4. Smellivision. (or should that be Telesmell?)

5. Sustainable small government.

Don't ever say it can't be done, as it's probably already being worked in a lab somewhere!

What I'd like to see: Nanotechnological approaches to cancer treatment. I think Instapundit mentions progress in that area from time to time (no, I don't have a specific link).

Other things that would be nice:

- Cure for receding hairline that doesn't involve hair transplants.

- Ability to produce halfway decent pizza in the county where I live (how hard could that be?). This may be beyond any forseeable technology, but I guess I can dream.

One more thing: Gretchen, what's a fraking toaster, and what does it have to do with raking or weed-pulling?

"One more thing: Gretchen, what's a fraking toaster, and what does it have to do with raking or weed-pulling?"

In case she doesn't get around to replying, and to reference my own nerdosity, I'll reply.
She watches Battlestar Galactica. Both the curse-word "frak" (which recently had an article on cnn.com) and referring to semi-or-fully sentient robots as "toasters" comes from there.

Re: Explanation from Jamie (SMS), 8:35 AM.

Oh, okay. I haven't seen the new Battlestar Galactica, though my eldest likes it pretty well, I think. I do remember the old one, from the late 70s, but I remember it being pretty weak tea compared to Star Wars, with an annoying little kid as well. They did say "frak" though. It's just that I'd always assumed that, like a similar vulgarity, it ended with "ck."

Quite frankly I dont think a toaster would do any good picking weeds, I'd get one that could pick off snow birds on the freeway though, and I'd definetly have to get a model 6

Hey gretchen do you think they'll keep to the Januar air date or push it back half a dozen times like they did this year?

Amy, that's exactly how I spend my bus time! Wouldn't trade my read time for looking-for-a-parking-spot time for the world.

Though my choice of reading material (and not just the newsletters from AU, ACLU, and FFRF and Ms and Mother Jones magazines but the books I choose to read) does get me some hostile glares at times, interesting conversations when they have the balls. I can't wait to see what kind of looks your book gets.

I'll really confuse the hell out of regular commuters too: reading Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" then picking up a massive collection of Erma Bombeck's I picked up cheap at a garage sale then one on death another day. I have seen them (when they think I'm not looking) give each other wtf? looks. I think it's funny as hell. Especially when they're close-minded snobs.