9 Amazing Futuristic Predictions We're Still Waiting For
Back
in the day, people had big dreams. They expected the 21st century to
have magic carpet cars, a highway to Russia and a jetpack for every girl
and boy. Boy, were they wrong. A few things weren't too far off, like
automatic lights, food that cooks in minutes and television “screens”
that hang from the wall, but basically, we’re a huge disappointment.
1981 - Zero Gravity Football
Relocating to a space station doesn’t mean you have to leave your 4 million dollar salary behind. High above Earth, football players strap on tiny, compressed air motors and zoom around a 3-dimensional space marked by laser lines. But despite all the crazy sports technology, they’re still wearing lace-up shoes and the kind of tube socks you used to get free at a gas station.
What We Actually Have:
Futuristic role play in your parents’ basement.
1950 - Robot Halloween Costumes
Notice the quality, handcrafted design. The careful construction of the joints, the seamless transition of the nose. In the 1950s, robots of the future were exquisite.
What We Actually Have:
A cheaply-made monstrosity, kind of like real electronics. The child on the right is crying because his brother refused to take the Footloose soundtrack out of his tape player.
1984 - Robot Maid
Until I saw this guy, I thought Rosie was the greatest robot maid ever created. But Rosie never made breakfast and lunch simultaneously, and she never vacuumed up toast crumbs before they hit the floor. Bad robot.
What We Actually Have:
A robot whose only talents are vacuuming, entertaining pugs and scratching up baseboards. Yawn.
1960 - Snow Melter
A snow removal machine with flame-throwing jets and built-in power plants.
What We Actually Have:
Unsuspecting children whose parents are inside enjoying a mug of hot cocoa.
1937 - Giant Babies
A new elixir of growth promises a race of superwomen, supermen and superbabies. Let’s not talk about diapers.
What We Actually Have:
One woman who gave birth to the weight of a Superbaby, but spread over 6 children.
1981 - Computer Criminals
Instead of mugging you in the streets like criminals of the olden days, criminals of the future apply a secret code to their computer and transfer money out of banks. Then, they put on their inconspicuous orange pants and try to outrun the men in leather jackets and motorcycle boots.
What We Actually Have:
A guy who went from hacking the Pentagon to winning awards for his whistleblowing activities.
1998 - The Millenium Bug
At the stroke of 12:01 am on January 1, 2000, the world comes to an end. The power will go out, phones will stop working, computers at the bank will crash, police will disappear and the illusion of social stability will be shattered.
What We Actually Have:
The Blackberry. Same difference.
1957 - Electric Highways and Driverless Cars
Imagine a world where families actually play Scrabble together—I mean, imagine a world where cars speed down an electric superhighway controlled by electric devices embedded in the road. No traffic, no accidents, no road rage.
What We Actually Have:
Traffic jams of epic proportions caused by construction and/or drivers' inability to merge.
1964 - Futuristic Firebird
The Firebird III is the “pace-setter for the car of the future,” with joystick controls, a turbine engine and an electronic guide system that eliminates routine chores like grocery shopping and dropping your children off at school.
What We Actually Have:
The Pontiac Aztec, voted one of the worst cars of all time by TIME magazine.
1981 - Zero Gravity Football
Relocating to a space station doesn’t mean you have to leave your 4 million dollar salary behind. High above Earth, football players strap on tiny, compressed air motors and zoom around a 3-dimensional space marked by laser lines. But despite all the crazy sports technology, they’re still wearing lace-up shoes and the kind of tube socks you used to get free at a gas station.
What We Actually Have:
Futuristic role play in your parents’ basement.
1950 - Robot Halloween Costumes
Notice the quality, handcrafted design. The careful construction of the joints, the seamless transition of the nose. In the 1950s, robots of the future were exquisite.
What We Actually Have:
A cheaply-made monstrosity, kind of like real electronics. The child on the right is crying because his brother refused to take the Footloose soundtrack out of his tape player.
1984 - Robot Maid
Until I saw this guy, I thought Rosie was the greatest robot maid ever created. But Rosie never made breakfast and lunch simultaneously, and she never vacuumed up toast crumbs before they hit the floor. Bad robot.
What We Actually Have:
A robot whose only talents are vacuuming, entertaining pugs and scratching up baseboards. Yawn.
1960 - Snow Melter
A snow removal machine with flame-throwing jets and built-in power plants.
What We Actually Have:
Unsuspecting children whose parents are inside enjoying a mug of hot cocoa.
1937 - Giant Babies
A new elixir of growth promises a race of superwomen, supermen and superbabies. Let’s not talk about diapers.
What We Actually Have:
One woman who gave birth to the weight of a Superbaby, but spread over 6 children.
1981 - Computer Criminals
Instead of mugging you in the streets like criminals of the olden days, criminals of the future apply a secret code to their computer and transfer money out of banks. Then, they put on their inconspicuous orange pants and try to outrun the men in leather jackets and motorcycle boots.
What We Actually Have:
A guy who went from hacking the Pentagon to winning awards for his whistleblowing activities.
1998 - The Millenium Bug
At the stroke of 12:01 am on January 1, 2000, the world comes to an end. The power will go out, phones will stop working, computers at the bank will crash, police will disappear and the illusion of social stability will be shattered.
What We Actually Have:
The Blackberry. Same difference.
1957 - Electric Highways and Driverless Cars
Imagine a world where families actually play Scrabble together—I mean, imagine a world where cars speed down an electric superhighway controlled by electric devices embedded in the road. No traffic, no accidents, no road rage.
What We Actually Have:
Traffic jams of epic proportions caused by construction and/or drivers' inability to merge.
1964 - Futuristic Firebird
The Firebird III is the “pace-setter for the car of the future,” with joystick controls, a turbine engine and an electronic guide system that eliminates routine chores like grocery shopping and dropping your children off at school.
What We Actually Have:
The Pontiac Aztec, voted one of the worst cars of all time by TIME magazine.
About the Author:
Copywriter
As
Stikky Media’s copywriter, Stacey Santos spends her days writing,
editing and obsessing over punctuation. She crafts everything from blog
posts and articles to web copy and press releases, and is always looking
for an excuse to research strange topics. When she’s not at her
computer, you can find her playing the piano, getting lost in nature or
eating peas. Questions? Comments? Contact Stacey at stacey@stikkymedia.com.
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