A new exhibit at the Ontario Science Centre showcases the influence pop culture has on technology and vice versa. From the movies that foreshadowed technologies of today, to robotics, the exhibit explores this duality it’s called “Popnology”.

Edward Eyth worked on designing concepts for the Back to the Future movie from the 80’s. A lot of the concepts in the movie came to life, like Marty McFly’s hi-tech specs and today’s virtual reality glasses oculus rifts. Eyth says there is something about filmmaking that can make even the most incredible concepts seem achievable.

“I think right now Silicon Valley is run by science fiction nerds who are bringing some of these great ideas to life for us”.

As we’ve seen with Back to the Future examples, pop culture can foreshadow technology. If this continues who knows- we might have concepts like Star Treks transporter effect come to life.

Brent Lessard is competing in Elon Musk’s hyperloop innovation competition. The idea of travelling within a sealed tube faster and more efficiently than any existing transport method. Lessard says it’s part creativity, part technology, that realizes these kinds of future innovations.

“Growing up I’d say I had a very healthy science fiction diet and I always thought that that would be the kind of future we would live in.”

The creators of the exibition want to inspire children by showing them science fiction can become science fact. The Popnology exhibit runs until August.