5 Gadgets from Futurama that We Must Have Right Now!

Futurama is often rated as one of the best animated TV shows of all time. While providing a funny glimpse of Earth in the future, the show introduces us to new gadgets, mostly the results of science and technology gone mad. However, not all the gadgets are necessarily bad. Here are 5 gadgets from the world of Futurama that we could really use right now.

In the world of Futurama, Professor Farnsworth has come up with many whacky inventions. However, the smell-o-scope is definitely one of the most useful (and non-lethal) inventions that the mad professor has invested his time and effort in. A smell-o-scope is to your nose what a telescope is to your eyes. Imagine a contraption that allows you sniff and pick up odours and scents from faraway places. Reminiscing about the smell of wet mud on a rainy day? Simply swivel your smell-o-scope in any direction where it is raining. Also, who doesn’t want to know what Neptune smells like?

Not only does music still exist in the 31st century, it is incredibly awesome thanks to musical instruments like the holophonor. When playing the holophonor, not only do you create music, but also holographic stories to accompany the tune; a complete audio-visual extravaganza! An individual playing the holophonor is capable of holding a one-man opera and only the most talented of musicians can master the art of playing this instrument. Learning to play the holophonor is so impressive that Fry willingly trades his own hands in exchange for a pair of robot hands from the Robot Devil. As far as wooing a lady goes, the holophonor is the 31st century equivalent of a smooth saxophone.

We always imagine that in the city of the future, traveling by public transportation would be convenient and a hassle-free experience. However, not even in our wildest imaginations could we dream up of the vacuum tube system featured in Futurama. The concept isn’t that far-fetched really. In the past, many tall office buildings used a similar vacuum tube system to carry mail around; many buildings still continue to have these tubes in working condition. If the tubes can be used for transporting mail, then why not transport people through them as well? It may not be the most practical solution to our public transportation issues, but nothing beats whizzing around the city in a transparent vacuum tube.

Every person has certain ‘what if’ moments in their life, when they look back upon the decisions they have made (or look forward to making in the future) and try to predict the results. Computers have made our lives so much easier already. Why not take it one step forward and let them sort out the ‘what if’ moments in our lives as well? Simply speak a hypothetical scenario into the What-If machine and sit back and relax as the machine shows you the results and consequences of your decisions. If that doesn’t make your life better, then nothing else will.

As a kid, everyone wanted a robot best-friend. And friends don’t get any better than the great Bender. Sure he drinks, smokes, steals, swears, visits unscrupulous neighborhoods and is extremely lazy, but those are the things that make him so much cooler than any other robot. Plus, who wouldn’t want a friend that requires alcohol as a source of power. Fun times are guaranteed.

The best we can hope for at this point is that scientists invent cryogenic tubes that will allow us to freeze ourselves till the year 2999, when these amazing gadgets will hopefully exist.