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Technological Flights Of Fancy That Fizzled
prostoalex writes "MSNBC's Alan Boyle takes a look at seven futuristic dreams for the past that never managed to materialize into anything substantial in this 21st century. At the top of the list are flying cars, with personal jetpacks, passenger airships, supersonic commercial flights, space travel and colonies, with propulsion breakthroughs completing the list."
Surprised that's not on the list anywhere ...
Where are the flying skateboards from Back to the Future?
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Interesting that all of these failed technologies are transportation based. Good thing we invented the SUV instead of personal jetpacks, or some nonsense.
...the prediction of hundreds of cable channels did come true and yet there is still nothing on.
Fast low-latency connectivity to every home, via a low-cost fiber-optic cable?
I remember Ye Olde Phone Company, back in 1995, was telling me (on a tour of the "copper racks" no less) that they planned to start installing residential fiber right into people's houses next year, and that the whole city would be wired up within 5 years...
Obviously, 5 years of Corporate Time!
So, I have my cable modem, which is nice for downloads... but still sucks for latency.
I want my monkey man!
Why didn't "Windows Security" make it on the list? Oh wait, this is MSNBC...
quantum teleportation != Propulsion breakthroughs
Seriously, it has nothing to do with propulsion, Mr. Boyle. <grin>We'll have to wait another lightyear at least to see better propulsion.</grin>
...we have all the penis enlargers, cheap toner cartridges, and some other Chinese-looking stuff that I can't read, that money can buy!
Who would have dreamed that thirty years ago!
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
But how about totally revolutionary physics -- the kind of thing we see in "Star Wars" or "Star Trek"?
:)
You mean the kind of revolutionary physics that allows multi-ton objects to turn on a dime at insanely high velocities (with nothing to "push" against) without tearing themselves apart, and also without expending the energy of a small nuclear blast in order to do it?
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
Oh, wait. It's medication time. And jello with dinner!
Pressurized hydrogen (aka deuterium) is supposedly inflammable, and doesn't actually become flammable until it has a proper oxygen/hydrogen ratio (at which point it returns to being H).
:)
Dr. Nick: You mean inflammable means flammable? What a country!
I'll leave this one for the chemistry geeks in the crowd to chuckle over
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
Think twice before posting next time unless you want an extra large greased Yoda doll stuffed up your ass.
Obviously the fine folks at popular mechanics have never watched SPIDERMAN. The Green Goblin's personal hovercraft and the military jet-pack are great examples that they simply overlooked. I'm sure once there is enough demand they will start mass producing both.
I'll see your commercial and raise you a Leno bit.
...
To quote:
Randal: It's times like this it occurs to me that we were lied to by "The Jetsons".
Dante: Yeah, well most of us rational thinkers weren't banking on a cartoon to offer us a viable glimpse into the future of technological development.
R: That voice. Where have I heard that voice before? B: In about 365 other episodes. But I don't know who it is either.
Forget flying cars and colonies on the Moon! I'm still waiting for Duke Nukem Forever!
"Yeah, well, Dracula called and he's coming over tonight for you and I said okay."
If you haven't seen it already, watch The Flying Car immediately. From director Kevin Smith starring everyones favorites Dante and Randal
Moderation Totals: Flamebait=2, Troll=1, Redundant=1, Insightful=6, Overrated=1, Underrated=1, Total=12. (not mine)
Wow. "Research" and a geocities link in the together ... that's gotta be credible.
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I am an expert in electricity. My father held the chair of applied electricity at the state prision.
The future ain't what it used to be. Alas we have no paper clothes, moving sidewalks, flying cars, or orgasmatrons. Yet no one could have predicted the spork. Look at how it revolutionized our fast food industry. NOT a day goes by when I think about all those sporks I got at Kentucky Fried Chicken (before they changed their name to KFC). Truly a failure of imagination on the part of our futurists and science fiction writers.
If there is one unpredicted technological gadget that we must all worship and bow before it is the beer widget. A miracle! Of the widgeted stouts I've had both Beamish and Guiness. And Boddington's is pretty tasty too.
"You'll get nothing, and you'll like it!"
What happened to inventions since then ?
Patents & Lawyers.
Do not be alarmed. This is only a test.