Can We Make a Sonic Screwdriver?

How Engineers are Catching Up to The Doctor

The sonic screwdriver from Doctor Who is like a magic wand disguised as technology. It can do more or less whatever the plot requires, except work on wood for some reason. As fantastical as this device seems, I don’t think making one is completely outside the realm of possibility. I’m convinced you could build a true sonic screwdriver with two rather awesome physics concepts: acoustic levitation and quasiparticles.

Let’s go over what the sonic screwdriver can do.

• It can open locks, push objects, and of course, drive in screws. All of these require the application of forces without physical contact.
• It can be used to scan objects, organisms and environments.
• It can operate computers and other electronics remotely.
• It can influence an organism’s metabolism from a distance.
• It can be controlled via thoughts and send information directly to the user’s brain.
• And finally, the screwdriver can be used to manipulate portals that link different locations in time and space. We see this in The Eleventh Hour and The Day of the Doctor.

All of these functions would require the manipulation of matter on atomic or subatomic…