April 20, 2007
I'm sure in 1985 plutonium is available at every corner drugstore, but in 1955 it's a little hard to come by.
According to an article in a 1900 edition of Ladies Home Journal, the government owes me money. For, you see, by the year 2000 "A university education will be free to every man and woman". So, I was definitely ripped off. (I was supposed to have free health insurance, too, but let's not get crazy.)
I love these "where's my flying car?" types of things. They're the good cop to the "end of the world is nigh" bad cop predictions. And some of them aren't so far off. The aforementioned article from 100 years ago correctly predicts the disappearance of street cars from our cities, automobiles that are cheaper and more ubiquitous than horses, television, radio and wireless telephones... not to mention central heating and air (though it's called "Hot and Cold Air from Spigots").
After perusing that, I went looking for other prediction articles and found a great site called Paleo-Future. It's a blog whose author collects all sorts of articles and videos of "the future that never was".
Things like this: "By 2000, the machines will be producing so much that everyone in the U.S. will, in effect, be independently wealthy. With Government benefits, even nonworking families will have, by one estimate, an annual income of $30,000-$40,000 (in 1966 dollars). How to use leisure meaningfully will be a major problem, and Herman Kahn foresees a pleasure-oriented society full of 'wholesome degeneracy.'" - What to do with all this leisure time? (1966)
Wholesome degeneracy. That's my goal in life.
[ via Stupid Evil Bastard ]
Where do I sign up?
Back when I was a wee lad...my mom would take me to the Bangor Public Library. I remember checking out these books from the 60's showing how cars would look in the "future"...all swoopy and nuclear powered. No joke.
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