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"Doctor Who fever reached critical mass last night as Peter Capaldi was unveiled as the 12th incarnation of the Time Lord. The BBC show has always been steeped in technology and scientific theory - of both the human and alien variety - a trend which is unlikely to end with Matt Smith&amp;#039;s tenure. With this in mind, Digital Spy has compiled a list of the top five gadgets from the iconic science-fiction series. The TARDIS The TARDIS is perhaps one of the most important creations in the history of science fiction, allowing the Doctor to travel through space and time, and thus facilitating the show&amp;#039;s premise. Fuelled by Artron energy, the TARDIS is a spaceship created by the Time Lords as a means of transporting its occupant to any point in time and any place in the universe, besides time-locked events such as the Time War. The craft is much larger on the inside than its exterior suggests, and its &amp;#039;chameleon circuit&amp;#039; technology enables it to blend in with its surroundings; although the Doctor&amp;#039;s Type 40 version is stuck in the form of a 1960s-style London police box due to a fault. In &amp;#039;The Impossible Planet&amp;#039; - first aired in 2006 - the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) revealed that the TARDIS was grown, rather than constructed, by the Time Lords. No others can be spawned, as the required seeds were destroyed during the Time War. The TARDIS made its debut in the first ever episode of Doctor Who, 1963&amp;#039;s &amp;#039;An Unearthly Child&amp;#039;.      Sonic screwdriver The Sonic screwdriver is perhaps the most useful and versatile item in the Doctor&amp;#039;s box of tricks, and has been since the Patrick Troughton incarnation of the Time Lord first wielded it in 1968. The device is typically used as a lock pick, but it can also carry out medical scans, track alien life, and remotely control other pieces of technology. Troughton&amp;#039;s Doctor made regular use of the device, though its prominence declined under Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, and the gizmo was written out of the series altogether in 1982. After making a cameo in the Paul McGann-fronted Doctor Who movie, the sonic screwdriver became a regular fixture again when the show was relaunched with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role, and continues to be a fan favourite.      K-9 K-9 was never intended to be a recurring character when he was introduced to the show in 1977, but the robotic dog&amp;#039;s popularity soon saw him back by the Doctor&amp;#039;s side. Several incarnations of the mechanical mutt have shown up through out the series, the first two accompanying fourth doctor Tom Baker. K-9 has numerous abilities that make him an invaluable ally to the Time Lord, not least the laser weapon concealed in his nose and his encyclopaedic knowledge of the universe.      The Master&amp;#039;s laser screwdriver While you won&amp;#039;t find many deadly weapons among the Doctor&amp;#039;s inventory, the same cannot be said of his nemesis, the renegade Time Lord known as the Master. First wielded by John Simm&amp;#039;s version of the character in 2007 episode &amp;#039;The Sound of Drums&amp;#039;, the device resembles the Doctor&amp;#039;s Sonic Screwdriver, but is used for more malevolent purposes than picking locks. The Laser Screwdriver is capable of killing its target by emitting a deadly laser beam, or artificially ageing them, providing it has a blueprint of their DNA on board.      The Master&amp;#039;s tissue compression eliminator The Master&amp;#039;s traditional weapon of choice is one you wouldn&amp;#039;t want to find yourself on the wrong end of, shrinking its victims down to the size of dolls and killing them in the process. First wielded by the original Roger Delgado incarnation of the villain, the weapon has racked up a sizeable body count over the years, and even appeared in other mediums. The Doctor used the device to take out the alien Death&amp;#039;s Head in a Marvel Comics crossover series, not believed to be canonical with the television show, and Radio 4 comedy series Nebulous parodied the item in one of its episodes.  What are you favourite Doctor Who gadgets? Post a comment below. Image gallery - The 12 Doctors:  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/doctor-who/news/a504106/doctor-who-the-time-lords-top-five-gadgets/>