( CNN ) -- Photon torpedoes and proton torpedoes . Warp speed and hyperspace . Shhh ! Do n't tell anyone , but the `` Star Trek '' and `` Star Wars '' universes have quite a bit in common . Still , there are also enough differences that the eternal franchise versus franchise debate still tends to unfold with all the fireworks of a big-budget action sequence . With `` Star Trek Into Darkness '' coming out in a couple of days and George Lucas ' birthday on Tuesday , May 14 , we saw an opportunity to dive back into this neverending back-and-forth for clues about what lies in store for the tech world . And , in turn , we hope to look at what that says about us as humans . We 're asking you , the reader , to go through the gallery above and think about the technology in the `` Star Trek '' and `` Star Wars '' universes . How are they different , and how are they the same ? Which vision do you think would be most advantageous for the future of humanity and other alien races we may or may not befriend ? Read more about the 'Star Trek ' vs. 'Star Wars ' debate . To organize the discussion a bit , we broke up the analysis into five categories with overlap between the worlds : weapons , ships , biotech , robotics and everyday tools . Perhaps it 's no wonder the debate continues . Science fiction offers competing visions of what we as people might become . Nothing less than our future is at stake . Take a look at each section and see what you think , and then let us know your perspective in the comments area below .
`` Star Trek Into Darkness '' opens Thursday , and George Lucas ' birthday was Tuesday . Comment: Which side speaks most to you ? Click through the gallery and comment below .