They are the inventions and happenings that were once only dreamt up in the pages of fantasy novels and the far-flung corners of the imagination. But, in a week where the first man with a severed spine has walked again and scientists have created their own versions of a tractor beam, it seems that inventions that were once a futuristic impossibility are now moving into the realm of reality.

Scientists may be bright, but they aren't the only people capable of thinking up cool inventions. In fact, sometimes inventors need a little inspiration from those with less technical know-how. Although we're still waiting on the hoverboards from Back to the Future, many of our biggest and most unexpected achievements in technology have come to us thanks in part to out-of-the-box ideas spawned by science fiction authors and filmmakers.

Science fiction has always commented on the present, and today's present is very science-fictional. All around, we see inventions that could transform the world within a decade or two. So why don't more science fiction writers speculate about them? Here are 12 real-life developments science fiction should be plundering.

Science fiction is by far the nerdiest of the fictions, and its bread and butter consists of robot uprisings and unexpected time travel consequences. But for every Martian invasion and robocop-related mishap it has warned about, science fiction has made some stunningly accurate premonitions. We're not talking about broad predictions, like "thinking machines" or "interplanetary travel."