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What Will Life Be Like In 2008?

tblake writes "Back in 1968, Modern Mechanix mused what life would be like in 40 years. Some things they came pretty close on: 'Money has all but disappeared. Employers deposit salary checks directly into their employees' accounts. Credit cards are used for paying all bills. Each time you buy something, the card's number is fed into the store's computer station. A master computer then deducts the charge from your bank balance.' Some things are way off: 'The car accelerates to 150 mph in the city's suburbs, then hits 250 mph in less built-up areas, gliding over the smooth plastic road. You whiz past a string of cities, many of them covered by the new domes that keep them evenly climatized year round.' And some things are sorta right: 'TV screens cover an entire wall in most homes and show most subjects other than straight text matter in color and three dimensions. In addition to programmed TV and the multiplicity of commercial fare, you can see top Broadway shows, hit movies and current nightclub acts for a nominal charge.'"

8 of 648 comments (clear)

  1. I guess even he knew by i_liek_turtles · · Score: 5, Funny

    Even forty years ago, he wasn't naive enough to suggest Duke Nukem Forever being available.

    1. Re:I guess even he knew by plover · · Score: 5, Funny
      And listen to this:

      Money has all but disappeared. He knew my wife!
      --
      John
  2. Re:TFA was off in one important respect... by RockModeNick · · Score: 5, Funny

    but it's got ELECTROLYTES!

  3. Re:Another bad thing about centralized control by _KiTA_ · · Score: 5, Funny

    Note: this is not a video game. This is in Sweden. No,nonono. You did it wrong. Here, let me:

    "Video game...? THIS... IS... SWEDEN!"
  4. Re:Goddammit! by renegadesx · · Score: 5, Funny

    Answer: Windows admins

    --
    Make SELinux enforcing again!
  5. Re:Goddammit! by edwardpickman · · Score: 5, Funny
    Flying cars? Fuck flying cars, I want my four hour work day god damn it:

    Move to France. The future is now!

  6. ba-dam TIIIIIISH by Scrameustache · · Score: 5, Funny

    He knew my wife! I hate to break this to you, but everybody "knew" your wife.

    You might want to have yourself tested.
    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  7. Re:2048 by Fastball · · Score: 5, Funny

    Some of us were kept alive... to work... loading bodies. The disposal units ran night and day. We were that close to going out forever. But there was one man who taught us to fight, to storm the wire of the camps, to smash those metal motherfuckers into junk. He turned it around. He brought us back from the brink. His name is Connor. John Connor. Your son, Sarah, your unborn son.

    But seriously, at the risk of wasting a funny post, who modded the parent insightful? Why is it that dark, brooding fears about the future are considered so profound? I mean really, +5 Insightful?