Orgasms without the sex

Kids, smoking, and a desire to raid the fridge. "That's what John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) thinks good old-fashioned sex leads to in Demolition Man. But in 2032, the exchange of bodily fluids is outlawed (even kissing on the mouth!). Instead, co-star Sandra Bullock busts out some futuristic VR helmets and they "think" about sex. That's not as impossible as it sounds. Futurologist Ian Pearson says that in the future, we will be able to decouple sexual sensations from physical activity to make the sort of orgasm devices we've seen in movies like Barbarella, Demolition Man and Sleeper.

By 2030, we may be able to wear electronic circuits on our skin, which can record signals from our nervous system during sex and allow us to replay the sensory experience at a later date. "It might be as easy as Ctrl-Shift-O for an orgasm, "he says.