predictive programs vol.4

July 6, 2025 / 7 Minute Read

a galaxy not so far away

I was first introduced to Star Wars in 2005, not in a theater with a box of popcorn in my lap, but in my father’s room via a bootleg version of Episode 3.

I didn’t understand what I was watching at the time, but you don’t have to understand something to fall in love with it.

Laser swords, magical powers, alien species, and huge space battles provided the type of stimulation my kiddish mind lived for.

Back then, the Star Wars galaxy really did seem far, far away, yet as I reflect 20 years later, it seems to grow closer by the day.

In fact, that galaxy may soon turn into our reality, or at the very least certain parts of it.

While aliens and force powers are still limited to the Star Wars universe, its futuristic technology is not.

Let’s take a look at a few new and emerging forms of technology that prove the Star Wars galaxy might not be so far away after all!

holograms

We’ll begin with holograms.

When R2-D2 projected the SOS heard across the galaxy, the hologram of Princess Leia pleading for help, audiences were dumbfounded that such a thing could exist.

How could it be possible to project such a realistic image of something that wasn’t truly there?

Sure, when holograms were first introduced in the original Star Wars, phones and long-distance communication were more than a reality. Yet, nothing compared to those blue, grainy silhouettes on the big screen.

Now, in 2025, companies like Microsoft claim to be on the brink of ushering in an age where hologram technology could become ubiquitous.

Here are a few examples of the emerging reality of hologram technology:

1. Holographic Telepresence for Communication

Example: Microsoft Mesh and Hololens

How it works: These platforms use mixed reality and holographic displays to allow people to appear as 3D holograms in remote locations, enabling lifelike virtual meetings.

Use case: In business or education, someone wearing AR glasses (like HoloLens) can interact with a holographic version of a colleague or instructor in real time.

Impact: Reduces travel needs, enhances remote collaboration, and brings a new level of realism to virtual communication.

2. Holographic Entertainment and Live Performances

Example: Holobox (Holoconnect)

How it works: 3D holographic projections recreate lifelike performances of artists on stage using a combination of CGI, motion capture, and projection techniques.

Use case: Audiences attend concerts where the artist appears as a highly realistic hologram, often performing with live musicians.

Impact: Revives classic performances and offers new revenue and artistic opportunities in the music industry.

3. Holographic Medical Training and Visualization

Example: HoloAnatomy by Case Western Reserve University

How it works: Students use AR headsets to see and interact with detailed, anatomically accurate 3D holograms of the human body.

Use case: Used for teaching anatomy without the need for cadavers, improving accessibility and interactivity in medical education.

Impact: Enhances learning through immersive visualization and supports remote medical education.

cybernetics

Next we’ll move on to cybernetics.

The union of man and machine has always been a key component of the Star Wars mythos. Main characters Luke and Anakin Skywalker both sported robotic hands for the majority of their lives, and the lore is filled with literal cyborgs such as Darth Vader and Lord Malgus.

While prosthetic limbs and robotic medical devices were already mainstream by the time of Star Wars’ initial release, they were far more primitive than anything displayed in the universe.

Fast forward to today, and you’ll find a world filled with advanced prosthetics and cybernetic entities.

Here are a few examples of the emerging reality of cybernetic technology:

1. Neural Interfaces (Brain-Computer Interfaces)

Example: Neuralink (by Elon Musk)

What it is: A brain-computer interface (BCI) that implants tiny electrodes into the brain to enable direct communication between the brain and external devices.

Use Case: Helping paralyzed individuals control computers or prosthetics using only their thoughts.

Impact: Neuralink’s trials mark a significant step toward merging the human nervous system with digital systems, aiming for both medical and long-term enhancement purposes.

2. Advanced Bionic Limbs

Example: Össur’s Mind-Controlled Prosthetics

What it is: Prosthetic limbs that respond to electrical signals from the user’s muscles or nerves, enabling intuitive movement.

Use Case: Restoring mobility and functionality for amputees.

Impact: These devices blur the line between biological and mechanical systems by integrating directly with the human nervous system, allowing for precise and even subconscious control.

3. Cochlear Implants with AI Enhancement

Example: Cochlear Limited’s Smart Hearing Implants

What it is: Implants that bypass damaged parts of the ear to stimulate the auditory nerve, often enhanced with AI to filter background noise and improve clarity.

Use Case: Restoring hearing to individuals with profound deafness.

Impact: It’s one of the most successful and widespread cybernetic devices, integrating human neural processing with digital signal processing for real-time sensory enhancement.

cloning

Let’s end with a bang and discuss cloning, shall we?

Cloning is a relatively new concept in Star Wars, and did not become a staple of the franchise until Attack of the Clones (2002). However, since its debut, cloning has become a cornerstone of George Lucas’ universe.

Through media such as The Clone Wars TV show and The Force Unleashed game series, Star Wars fans everywhere have been exposed to the potential and impact of cloning technology.

When evaluating our current landscape, it appears that clones will no longer solely be affecting a galaxy far, far away.

Here are a few examples of the emerging reality of cloning technology:

1. Cloning Endangered or Extinct Species

Example: Revive & Restore – Cloning of the Przewalski’s Horse and Black-Footed Ferret

What it is: Scientists use somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to clone animals from preserved cells of endangered or extinct species.

Use Case: Preserving biodiversity and reintroducing lost genetic diversity into small populations.

Impact: It’s the first time cloning is being used as a conservation tool, potentially aiding in reversing extinction.

2. Pet Cloning for Commercial Use

Example: ViaGen Pets – Cloning Dogs and Cats

What it is: A company offering commercial cloning of pets by replicating their genetic material to create a new animal with the same DNA.

Use Case: People pay tens of thousands of dollars to clone beloved pets.

Impact: It represents the commercialization of cloning, making it accessible to the public and raising ethical and regulatory questions.

3. Gene-Editing & Stem Cell Cloning for Medicine

Example: Salk Institute & Kunming University – Human-Monkey Embryo Chimeras (2021)

What it is: Researchers inserted human stem cells into monkey embryos, creating hybrid embryos that survived for up to 20 days in the lab.

Use Case: Studying early human development, testing disease models, and exploring organ-growing compatibility in animals.

Impact: It marks a major step toward understanding cross-species development and potentially growing human-compatible organs in animals — but also raises serious ethical questions.

a galaxy near you

Thanks to extreme advances in the fields of cybernetics, cloning, and hologram technology, our world inches ever closer to the Sci-Fi phenomenon George Lucas created so many years ago.

The days are soon approaching when the technology introduced in Star Wars will be seen, not as a fantasy, but as our new reality.

While the exploration and advancement of such technology raise serious ethical concerns that call for intense scrutiny and oversight, I must admit this stuff is pretty cool!

One can only hope that one day soon some brilliant scientist will decide to build a lightsaber.

Bye Chance.