[rollei_list] Re: OT: Some Pop Photo History

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Lilley" <54moggie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 9:46 AM
Subject: [rollei_list] Re: OT: Some Pop Photo History


> It's interesting to see what was considered "futuristic" 
> back in the '20s
> and '30s - looks pretty goofy today.  It's also 
> interesting what was not
> predicted and I reference the '39 Worlds Fair - like the 
> major impact of TV
> (think of the educational purposes!) and the internet was 
> completely missed
> - not even a clue that something like that might happen.
>
> Rob
>
    When I was in college I discovered the library had a 
large collection of Hugo Gernsback publications from the 
1930s and 1940s. I now don't remember the title of the one I 
got interested in but it had predictions of what the future 
would be like in something like 25 years. All wrong ane 
would be wronger now. I don't remember much specifically but 
it was mostly extrapolation of technology then current plus 
some wishful thinking.
    There are many developments which were either never 
predicted or very rarely predicted. No one seemed to have 
forseen the possibility of satellite communication or its 
impact. Nor personal computers. Most of the science fiction 
of the 40s and 50s that concerned itself with computers 
envisioned vast centralized machines that would take over 
the world. Never the empowering of individuals by small 
computers. I think the closest to cell phones was the 
"communicator" in _Star Trek_ or perhaps Dick Tracy's wrist 
radio. The video phone featured in _2001 A Space Odysey_ is 
just a bit of technology from AT&T that was probably 
obsolete when featured in the movie.
    The fact is that if you could _actually_ predict future 
technology you would be inventing it.
    OTOH, we do have raised roadways in Los Angeles and lots 
of helicopters flitting around (or maybe its thumping 
around) but they are not being used by individuals.
    One problem with some of these old predictions is that 
no one ever seemed to consider if the developments they 
describe were actually practical or desirable.

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

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