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Four advances in health technology we were supposed to have by 'Back to the Future' Day
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While some of the technology depicted in the 2015 of the film 'Back to the Future Part II' actually has emerged, including voice activation, enormous flatscreen televisions, wearable technology and, incredibly, hoverboards, there are many other advancements specific to health shown in the film that we have, unfortunately, yet to achieve.
In honor of 'Back to the Future' Day, Healio.com has compiled an exhaustively researched list of (mostly) health-related technologies that were present on the October 21, 2015 visited by Marty McFly and Doc Brown, but have yet to appear in our own timeline.
It is important to note that, as McFly and Brown did not actually arrive until 4:29 p.m. Pacific time, we still technically have a few hours to go before the deadline as of this writing. However, it seems like a pretty safe bet that a surprise, last-minute release is not forthcoming for one or more of the following.
1. The “rejuvenation clinic”
An off-camera visit to one of these highly advanced medical facilities causes Doc Brown to not only appear remarkably younger (and conveniently allow Christopher Lloyd to not wear quite as much makeup throughout the second and third films), but also extends his life by an estimated 30 to 40 years. Highlights Doc outlines from the rejuvenation process include wrinkle removal, blood replacement, and a vague procedure referred to as “hair repair.” Perhaps most impressively, he also boasts of an entirely new spleen and colon.
While the field of organ transplantation has certainly grown and improved since 1985, it has yet to progress to the point where relatively healthy individuals are able to simply pop into a clinic for a spleen upgrade. The science behind hair repair also remains frustratingly underdeveloped.
2. Sleep-inducing alpha rhythm generator
Early in the film, in order to prevent Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer from remembering too much about her time travel experience, Doc uses a “sleep-inducing alpha rhythm generator” to render her unconscious. This unplanned use of the device later causes it to be less effective when Doc uses it on Marty’s future son to prevent his future incarceration.
The rhythm generator is a small, portable device that directs two lights into the subject’s eyes. Although not used for this specific purpose in the film, the potential application of the device in a medical setting is clear, as it provides immediate, drug-free anesthesia that results only in brief disorientation upon waking. Nothing resembling the sleep-inducing alpha rhythm generator is available in our timeline; however, its inconsistent efficacy in the alternate 2015 of the film suggests that additional research would be warranted prior to commercial release anyway.
3. “Lithium mode”
In a brief moment in the film, the older Marty McFly engages his home’s “lithium mode” upon returning from work. The mode appears to be a feature of the smart technology operating within the McFly residence, which allows voice-activated control of, among other things, the lights, television, telephone and an enormous tray of fruit suspended above the kitchen table. Upon setting the home to lithium mode, the 2015 McFly immediately acknowledges that he feels “much better.”
The benefits of lithium mode for patient and physician alike are immediately and obviously apparent. However, current smart technology for the home is mostly limited to adjusting temperature, turning lights on and off, locking doors and remote viewing of security cameras.
(A voice-activated fruit tray suspended from the ceiling is, perhaps, conceivable using actual 2015 technology, but also very impractical and almost certainly attracts insects.)
4. Orthopedic devices that let you float around upside-down
In the 2015 of the film, Marty’s father George arrives at the McFly home using a device that suspends him several inches off the ground, upside-down. It is explained that he is wearing the device, which includes a propulsion system that allows him free movement, because he has injured his back.
Our floating-around-upside-down therapeutic technology in actual 2015 is comparatively primitive. - by Adam Taliercio
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Editor’s note: The “exhaustive research” that reportedly went into the composition of this article essentially amounted to watching Back to the Future II last night. The editors regret this error. Happy 'Back to the Future' Day!