Classroom Questions

Questions for ‘Get a sneak peek at the tech you may use in the future’

a person seen in profile is wearing black rimmed glasses and waving at their friend on some type of screen technology. The friend seems to pop out of the screen like a hologram.

Will you ever hang out with holograms of your friends? A new type of screen displays images that seem to pop out in 3-D. But this illusion only works when the tech is tracking your eyes (so this picture is an artist’s concept of what it might be like).

Leia Inc.

By Science News Explores

To accompany ‘Get a sneak peek at the tech you may use in the future’

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

  1. Do you think people in the far future will have more, less or about the same amount of free time as we have today? Briefly explain how you came to that answer. What is an aspect, or chore, of modern life that you hope technology will manage for us? What is an aspect of modern life that you hope remains the same as it is today?
  2. Imagine describing a typical day in your life to someone your age who lived 100 years ago. What is something about your daily life that you think would surprise them? Come up with one question this person might ask you regarding your typical day.

During Reading:

  1. What is “not realistic” about the Star Wars depiction of a Princess Leia hologram, according to Alex Kvasov?
  2. How does the real hologram-like technology developed by CREAL differ from the Star Wars version?
  3. Give one specific example of how clothing created by computerized knitting machines can be customized for someone.
  4. Based on the story, what is one potential advantage of socks containing fibers made from coffee grounds?
  5. Give one example of a task carried out by Physical Intelligence (PI) robots.
  6. What is the name of the PI robot that interprets verbal commands?
  7. Describe one discovery made by researchers who analyzed smartwatch data that had been collected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  8. According to this story, how might smartwatches or smart rings of the future help people other than those actually wearing the technology?
  9. Give an example of how modern battery technology limits the size or other potentially desirable attributes of a device mentioned in this story.
  10. What is the power source for the wearable LED developed by Mohammad Malakooti and his team?

After Reading:

  1. Which of the developing technologies described in this story would you most like to see become a practical reality? Describe how you might use that technology. How do you imagine that using this technology would change what a typical day looks like for you?
  2. Pick one of the technologies described in this story and consider ways that it could introduce new problems or worsen existing ones. Describe one concern someone might have about this technology becoming a practical reality. What could we do to reduce the likelihood that such a problem would develop? To what extent do you believe the potential benefits of this technology outweigh the risks? Briefly explain your answer.