Black Mirror is not exactly a show you’d watch to lift your mood. It almost exclusively depicts the dark side of technology that seems disturbingly realistic. However, a few episodes gave us a glimpse of tech done and used well. Here are the top 5 technologies from Black Mirror ranked the most useful by the viewers at Ranker. Needless to say: spoiler alert!
Eternal cloud for your soul, “San Junipero” episode
Would it be fun to live if you knew it never ends? San Junipero, the crown jewel of Black Mirror, where the bittersweet, beautiful love story flavored with just the right amount of darkness, will give you a look into such a future. In San Junipero, your consciousness can experience any era with as much fun as one could possibly handle. For most of us, the possibility of living forever can be equally terrifying as it is fascinating. But San Junipero brings forward a story of a quadriplegic woman whose only shot at experiencing life in its fullness is this cloud-based reality. And now that would be something.
Calculating “the one”: “Hang the DJ” episode
Tired of lame Tinder pick-up lines and aimless swiping? Black Mirror envisioned a futuristic dating app where an algorithm picks your partners. Since every algorithm needs data, the love seekers first have to complete around 2000 relationship simulations. That’s a whole lot of awkward conversations and bad dates, but hey, if it works, it works!
A mind-controlled game Infinity: “USS Callister” episode
Callister Inc. produces a fictional multiplayer game, Infinity, where users control a starship in a simulated reality with their minds. You can simply log in with a little button you stick on your temple, and once you’re “plugged in” the game, your real body is in something like trance while you play. Of course, this is Black Mirror, so the technology goes from useful to misused pretty quickly. In this episode, the frustrated CTO of Callister Inc. uses the game to turn his colleagues into his little puppets.
Regardless of such twisted intentions, the good idea behind the technology isn’t far-fetched. Elon’s chimpanzees are already playing games with their mind, and football players are mastering their skills just by imagining playing, thanks to neuro-training.
Autonomous Fences Pizza Van: “Crocodile” episode
Warm, fluffy pizza AND you don’t have to small talk with another human? The autonomous pizza van that appeared in Black mirror isn’t even fiction. Pizza Hut was already meddling with the concept years back, and Domino’s just let their pizza delivery robot car roam the streets of Houston.
Talking to comatose people: “Black Museum” episode
In the last episode of Season 4, Jack’s wife, Carrie, gets hit by a truck and falls into a coma. Thanks to the neurotechnology envisioned in the show, he can communicate with her, although all she can say is “yes” or “no”. In true Black Mirror fashion, things turn very dark from then onward, but hey, it was nice while it lasted.
Cover image credit: Netflix
