The Future

Dear Future, what do you have in store? By Shannon Alfonso

The most asked question from the 1900s to the 1980s was: what will the future look like? Most of people’s outlooks of the 21st century were optimistic as the anticipation for more advanced technology grew. People imagined flying cars, moon vacations, tasting full meals in a single pill, learning machines, and more. However, today some of these predictions from the past haven’t come true, which raises the question of how much our society will change in the coming years. This article will discuss how accurate people’s predictions in the past are and if the future looks bright or sits on dull horizons.

1900s predictions

During the 1900s (120 years ago) there was a rise of new technology such as the airplane, which sparked the imaginations of people in Germany. In fact, a chocolate factory called Hildebrands made postcards depicting life in the year 2000. They predicted that people would rely on airborne transportation such as hot air balloons to get to their destination. You may start to giggle or smirk at the fact that in 2024, we are still traveling by the same modes of transportation as in the 1900s, just more efficient and advanced versions. Back then, people believed that every facet of society would rely on flying through the sky such as delivering mail and venturing around cities. However, we haven’t reached that level of advancement yet.

1930s predictions

The 1930s is known for a plethora of events, the most well-known being the Great Depression. Even though this era was a time of hardship and turmoil, many people still had hope for the future. This idea was exemplified in artwork which predicted a better and more advanced society. For example, German artist Echte Wagner predicted FaceTime. This was an extremely accurate prediction of the future as we use FaceTime today to connect with people and see their faces through video call. The use of color in his artwork also symbolizes how the author sees this technological advancement as beneficial, foreshadowing bright horizons in the future.

1940s pedictions

The 1940s were defined by World War II, the Holocaust, atomic bombs, and the beginning of the Cold War. It was an eventful and unsettling time, yet bore the hope of new beginnings and idealizations of the future. New ideas of shopping were introduced, where you didn’t have to leave your house to purchase items. This is parallel to online shopping which increased during COVID, where we bought different products without going into a physical store. Thus, we now rely more on online shopping than going into stores, making this prediction very accurate.

1950s predictions

The 1950’s followed the end of World War II and is considered the atomic age of science and technology. The rise of suburbia, consumer culture, big cars, and economic prosperity defined the era, adding a sense of hope for the future. One prediction that people had during this time was solar cars. Many thought that the energy from the sun would be an alternative fuel source for cars. This prediction is accurate. Today, we do have solar powered cars, but it’s very expensive. In fact, Aptera Motors Corp. a pre-production startup company, created the world’s first Solar Electric Vehicle. This requires no charging, only energy from the sun, acting almost like a solar panel! On a personal note, when I was walking back from school the other day, I saw a solar powered trash can. Given this, it looks like society is moving towards alternative and renewable energy sources in the future.

1960s predictions

The 1960s is commonly associated with the civil rights movement, countercultural movements, the Beatles, and more. People fantasized that in the future there would be self-driving cars. This prediction is accurate as we do have self-driving vehicles today, but it isn’t very common for people to have as it costs millions of dollars. The first self-driving car was successfully piloted from Pittsburgh to San Diego in 1995, so this vision came to life in the 90s. Today, Tesla is one of the most famous self-driving car manufacturers. They have also produced some of the first all-electric cars as well. However, only a few states allow a vehicle to be completely independent of a human operator on the road.

1970s predictions

The 1970s was a time where rock’ n roll became popular, when discotheques were playing the hottest music, and when bell bottoms ruled fashion trends. Pop culture influenced society and their perception of the future. For example, in the 1977 James Bond film, “ The Spy who Loved Me” the concept of receiving a text message through watches was introduced. Believe it or not nearly two decades later, the smartwatch was invented by Steve Mann, an inventor from Canada. Later on, Apple released their Apple Watch which was a far more advanced version of Mann’s smartwatch. This can send texts, allow phone calls, track your heartbeat, etc. This highlights how our society is getting more efficient, building on past innovations.

1980s predicitions

The 1980s was classified by big hair, shoulder pads, the introduction of the walkman, the rise of big artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna, and teen chick flicks. It also saw the growth of the sci-fi movie genre, with retro and futuristic movies like Steven Spielberg’s E.T The Extra-terrestrial (1982), Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future (1985), and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982). It’s somewhat funny to see the way directors imagined the future to be. For example, Blade Runner is set in 2019, where it depicts the future as being extremely advanced in technology to the point that it is hard to tell between humans and replicants (bioengineered humanoids). Along with this, many thought that eventually humans would inhabit space and create civilizations/ cities on the moon. However, this idea is nowhere close to today, though Ridley Scott’s vision may be fulfilled in the future with the rise of A.I.

Present predictions

We certainly have our own predictions for the future. In school, my classmates have said that artificial intelligence will take over the world. I somewhat agree with this assessment, I believe that A.I will change many aspects in our lives, just like how it made plagiarism easier. In today’s age, we are trying to find technology to make things more efficient, such as sending texts or calling someone. I think overall the influence of A.I will be more prominent in our lives, but may not take over the world entirely. In addition, many believe that climate change may worsen in the future. This is mostly due to globalization, the construction of new buildings, and more. In fact, in the city that I live in, there has been more construction of apartments to accomodate more people. As a result, there are an abundance of particulates being released into the air. It also contributes to a densely populated city, which increases waste and puts a greater strain on resources.

For the most part, the idealized vision of the future has been somewhat accurate, but only time will tell what horizons await for us.

Here is a video if you want a more in detail breakdown of past predictions: https://youtu.be/UOtb5jUogXw?si=

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