Inspired by the recent news that NASA is investing in the tractor beam (albeit for molecules), here’s an interesting question: what fictional piece(s) of technology from a science fiction world would you most like to get your hands on? I’ve known for a while that my #1 choice would be the lightsaber, but I recently decided on the portal gun as #2 and one of those little alien fighter ships from Independence Day (or something similarly maneuverable) as #3.

Of course, those choices are just based on the sheer coolness factor. If we could actually have one piece of sci-fi tech, I’d definitely put my vote in for warp drive. I think the ability to travel to other planets in a short time (and presumably a relatively low cost) would have a bigger impact on society than anything else.