Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reality?

[Civ001]

So I was looking at some guys blog about old predictions from the 1950s and 1960s how they were showing off the world of tomorrow.
http://www.paleofuture.com/

I would like to know why did this vision of the future never come to reality in the 21st century like we were promised?

 

[sojourner]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

Because no one can accurately predict the future.

 

[Melakon]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

Popular Mechanics back then was always telling us how great things were going to be in 2000. Still waiting, especially for cars with nuclear engines.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

after Tchernobyl, Mururoa, Exon Valdez, Deepwater Horizon, Ramstein, Lockerby, oil crisis, financial crisis etc. we regained something the futurists of the 50s and 60s had lost in their enthusiasm: awareness of the risks.
Unlikely as it sometimes seems, mankind apparently does have a tiny bit of common sense after all.

 

[Mudd]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

Because no one can accurately predict the future.

Bingo.

Try as the writer might, prediction is almost always extrapolation. That doesn't work for very long.

 

[T'Girl]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

One of my favorite old preditions is that robot would be sitting in the pilots seat flying the airplanes and working on the factory floor standing at the milling machines.

Kind of came true, except the robots were built into the machines not seated/standing next to the machines.

Kids in class rooms with computer screens in front of them came true, but they didn't see lap tops and tablets.

 

[Alrik]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

I remember using used computer punch cards from Rockwell/Collins as scrap paper in my grade school classroom. I don't think anyone predicted that most of us would be carrying a cell phone that has more computing power than the computers used to land a man on the moon.

 

[feek61]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

Because no one can accurately predict the future.

I think I'm most disappointed that we are not all wearing silver clothing; been waiting my whole life for it!!

 

[FPAlpha]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

Many predictions fail to include the economic side of technologies.

For example.. there are far better storage technologies available than a Blu Ray disc but the market can't switch technologies every 2-5 years to keep up with cutting edge developments because who wants to replace his movie collection every few years?

Many of the technologies could be in our lives if we wouldn't care about costs.. colonies on the Moon or even Mars, flying or at least self-piloting cars, an intelligent house etc. All this is possible from an engineering point of view but only rich people would be able to afford such a home.

Until such technologies trickle down to a more modest investment level they will not be spread widely. It sometimes takes quite a while for cost to come down and people have a hard time adapting to new and unproven technolgies and don't want to spend thousands on a new tech gadget when they're not sure if it will be around and supported a few years down the line.

 

[Mudd]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

Because no one can accurately predict the future.

I think I'm most disappointed that we are not all wearing silver clothing...

You hang at the wrong bars.

 

[Drone]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

I think I'm most disappointed that we are not all wearing silver clothing; been waiting my whole life for it!!

Well, if Daniels had popped up at some of those speculators' brain storming sessions, at least they would have been correct about the future popularity of the man's formal body suit, made out of recycled tires!!!!

 

[Alrik]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

Because no one can accurately predict the future.

I think I'm most disappointed that we are not all wearing silver clothing...

You hang at the wrong bars.

You do?! Would never have guessed.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

You can too predict the future!

One day, everyone posting in this thread will be dead. In fact, so will everyone on Earth. And a bit farther out than that, this planet won't even exist anymore.

See, it's easy!

 

[Alrik]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

You say that with such certainty.

 

[sojourner]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

You can too predict the future!

One day, everyone posting in this thread will be dead. In fact, so will everyone on Earth. And a bit farther out than that, this planet won't even exist anymore.

See, it's easy!

RAMA won't agree with you.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

I think I'm most disappointed that we are not all wearing silver clothing...

You hang at the wrong bars.

And/or street corners.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

The weirdest one I saw was a Popular Mechanics bit which showed an airplane with THREE FUSELAGES all laid out in a row. They apparently had never heard of this thing called "weight."

 

[scotpens]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reality?

For one thing, cigarette-smoking robots are just silly.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

You can too predict the future!

One day, everyone posting in this thread will be dead. In fact, so will everyone on Earth. And a bit farther out than that, this planet won't even exist anymore.

See, it's easy!

Only under the assumptions that
a) time is strictly linear (no branches or loops) and
b) this universe and every single inhabitant and planet are unique (i.e. no parallel realities/universes)

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Re: Why did those old predictions about the future never come to reali

You can too predict the future!

One day, everyone posting in this thread will be dead. In fact, so will everyone on Earth. And a bit farther out than that, this planet won't even exist anymore.

See, it's easy!

Only under the assumptions that
a) time is strictly linear (no branches or loops) and
b) this universe and every single inhabitant and planet are unique (i.e. no parallel realities/universes)

There is no evidence for a), and b) is irrelevant because any versions of yourself in other universes are still not you, so you will be dead even if they are still alive.