‘Technium’ Tells Us How Close We Are To Cruising On Hoverboards

A couple of weeks ago, Funny or Die pranked the Internet by faking the launch a new hoverboard that lets users cruise around like Marty McFly. If you’re still disappointed that hoverboards aren’t real, you should check out Technium–a new web series that shows viewers how close humans are to developing iconic future technologies.

Technium, hosted by YouTuber Lana McKissack, takes on a different sci-fi technology in each episode. In the debut, McKissack presents the Flyboard, an aquatic device that uses jets of water to propel the user a few feet off the surface. Viewers get to see the gadget in action, while some quick shots from Back To The Future II compare the Flyboard to its fictional counterpart.

Technium lives on Forge Apollo, a sci-fi channel that launched a year ago

. It is the channel’s first reality series, joining a collection of sci-fi short films and an upcoming web series, Ambient.

Upcoming episodes will look into futuristic innovations out of the Star Wars and Tron universes, and audience suggestions are encouraged. Technium is built in the Man At Arms mold: It is appealing to YouTube’s geeky demographic, led by a charismatic host, and an inviting opportunity for pop culture brands, which can use it to explore the ways their inventions are applied in real life.

All Technium needs now is an audience, but it should get that, too. The first episode has several notable commenters, including EpicLloyd, Liam Dryden, and Engadget. Keep an eye on Forge Apollo; this early buzz forecasts that Technium will hit it big.