Google Is Working on a Tool That Would Record Your Memories — Just Like in 'Black Mirror'

You know the future is arriving sooner than you thought when Google gets approval for a patent described as a "method and apparatus for enabling a searchable history of real-world user experiences." 

In other words, Google may be developing a way to record what we see. Remember that episode of Black Mirror, in which everyone can play back their memories? It's that.

That last time Mic reported on the ability to record life experiences, it was in the form of a surgically implanted, WiFi-enabled eye, due to debut in 2027. But from the looks of it, Google may get there first, and less painfully.

Much like how Google Glass had a camera for recording — though not to unanimous delight — the new, as-yet-undeveloped tech would record photos, videos or possibly audio, with the option to transmit it to a server cloud, to then be searchable and drawn upon later. 

Our memories could become a giant photo gallery. We could just play back whatever we wanted to remember: blurry one-night stands, a great night out with friends or a few hours back to find where the hell we left our keys.

It could also have a huge effect on law enforcement. Instead of relying on body cams, police and military could be required to keep their stream live while they're on the clock. 

What will it look like? Ideally, less clunky than Google Glass. It might not even be something you wear.

One alternative could be something like the 3-D printed EYE concept, an implant that's more invasive than people might like.

Another option, like the Ocumetics Bionic Lens, is already claiming it could give users vision that's three times better than 20/20. It could be given recording capabilities eventually. 

And given the human-energy-harvesting technology in development in labs around the world, it might not be long before humans have Google's recording technology, documented using camera-enabled contact lenses and powered by the electrical current being harvested from our ears. Crazy, right?

Science is the coolest.