As a kid, did you dream of Penny's computer book from Inspector Gadget—and now you've got an iPad? Or wish you could just ask questions aloud or make commands and have them happen—and now you're pining for Google Glass? Or hope for a day when you could send a "fax from the beach"—and you can actually just send an email from your smartphone? In many ways, the unthinkable is actually becoming the reality, as science continues to advance. Here are six innovations that the world is actually very close to:

BIONIC HUMANS

Kids watching Steve Austin in the '70s probably didn't think they'd be seeing regular joes with bionic body parts before 2013, but they really are out there. In fact, a man named Nigel Ackland recently received a new, cutting-edge arm from RSLSteeper, a UK-based prosthetics company. He needed an upgrade after his dog's leash took off the fingers from his old model, and he isn't lamenting the loss. Ackland can now tie his shoes for the first time in years, hold a cold beer, and even deal cards—something even two-handed people struggle to learn.

The bebionic3 hand (RSLSteeper)