Star Trek’s holodeck is slowly becoming a reality

Star Trek set the bar for the future with the holodeck

Imagine having your very own holodeck. The adventures you could take would be endless. Just like on Star Trek, you could choose a real world or a fictional planet to live another life in. Like Captain Picard, you could be a hard-boiled detective or a governess like Captain Janeway.

While the actual reality of a holodeck is far away, as Syfy.com reports, virtual reality is already being tested in various situations, like these see-through fish swimming in virtual seas, and may just be on its way to the classrooms to replace Zoom learning. The Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Standford University is looking at ways to bring virtual reality into classrooms, specifically middle school and high school. Right now, scientists are working with teachers to pinpoint the positive and the negatives of working with VR.

While not a holodeck, virtual reality is one step toward it

But one school isn’t waiting. Optima Classical Academy in Naples, Florida, will take the virtual leap forward this year as they are accepting enrollment at present for students who will learn at the world’s first school that exists entirely in virtual reality. This opens up a world of possibilities for those children who, for whatever reason, can’t attend classes in person. This way, they will attend in a 360 degree space where the teacher is essentially present.

In a virtual world, students will be able to interact more than what they can do with online classes. They can become more fully engaged, and teachers see that as a positive, especially in light of how the students have had to learn because of the pandemic. This way, they will feel more like they are present in the classroom.

Though this certainly isn’t the holodeck yet, it is the first step toward creating realities that can change our lives. While right now, the focus is on making changes that will improve our current world, it will only be a matter of time before we can enter any world we want.