For most people, sci-fi is pure fantasy and a means to provide some escapism from the hum-drum of everyday life. Programmes such as Star Trek and Doctor Who have drawn legions of dedicated fans, studying each scene, memorising lines and analysing sub-plots for hidden meaning. Indeed, the impact that the sci-fi genre has had on popular culture is probably incalculable.

Many modern-day inventors and scientists admit to being inspired by shows such as Star Trek. The communicator-like ‘flip-phone', for example, is now commonplace. And in medicine, laser ‘scalpels' have even been developed. In some respects, we may even be centuries ahead of the world that is on display in Star Trek, given it was set in the 23rd century.

Indeed, the world we see today is different altogether from the one 100 years ago. At the beginning of the 20th century, some people said that everything that could be invented had been: the telephone, the automobile, recorded sound, moving images and the first flight had taken place. But, of course, the surface of the technology revolution hadn't even been scratched. The 20th century saw man travel faster than the speed of sound and go to the moon; and televisions in every household. And the 20th century also saw the invention of perhaps the biggest influence on how we live our lives since the humble telephone; the personal computer.

But at first, the PC was initially a plaything for computer geeks and games enthusiasts. To bring computers to the masses, something else was needed. Something that would revolutionise the way people lived their everyday lives. And that, of course, was the internet.

Besides allowing people to shop online or verify just about any fact there is to be verified, the internet has added a new dimension altogether to the world of communication, and has brought advances way beyond the capabilities of the humble telephone.

Whilst ‘chatting' online has been fairly commonplace for a number of years, either through instant messaging services or internet-telephony technology, all that was really new about this was the medium. Now though, video calls can be made across the internet to anywhere in the world, bringing to life the visions of those who created the likes of Star Trek more than 40 years ago.

And what is truly revolutionary about being able to communicate face-to-face over the internet, is not only the fun and enjoyment it creates, but also it's free. All that's needed is a computer, an internet connection and a mic-enabled web-cam, and it's good to go.

So, with internet technology and a little inspiration from the world of sci-fi, it's now possible to say hello, and wave goodbye. And whilst we may not be able to beam ourselves to the other side of the world quite yet, we're certainly a few light-years further on from where we were 100 years ago. Seeing really is believing!

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