Maybe this will be able to tell me what the heck that weird thing is over in that place....

'The laser-powered device -- which is about the size of a cellphone -- can identify almost any known substance...But sci-fi fans may notice something familiar about the device: News of the development appeared on digg, the popular technology-news clearinghouse, under the headline "Star Trek Tricoder [sic] Invented by NASA."'(link)(via)

Well if these things go commercial, that perennial question "What's that growing in the fridge" may actually be awnsered.

Though I find this a little disheartening... They've got their priorities in the whole trying to make scifi stuff real thing all weehackywoohoo... I mean, tricorders are all fine and dandy, but what about light sabers?... I know we're criss-crossing sci-fi universes here, but honestly what would you rather have: a geeky nerdy tricorder, or a laser sword?...

So get to it scientist engineering type people, with your inventing and making cool stuff... Oh wait that would be me...

Man, I'm a nerd...