Michael
Dec 21st 2009, 10:49 PM
Futurology and telephones
Here's an oddball topic for you all! :D
I was just thinking about how various sci-fi or pop culture movies try to predict the future - but get it wrong!
For example, with our modern 'cell phones' (aka mobile phones), I noticed that the original Star Trek tv series (circa mid-1960's) managed to get the cell phone exactly right - size, shape and how it is used (complete with flip-tops).
In contrast, Agent 86 from Get Smart - a comedy tv series from the same time period - had a personal telephone built into his shoe. Similarly, I remember a cartoon and comic book from when I was a kid called Dick Tracy and they all had wristwatches that were video-telephones. I remember thinking that was a very cool thing to have when I was a kid - it was so futuristic! :lol:
So anyway, this thread is about this phenomena. Please share with me any examples that you can think of that involve some sci-fi book/movie or whatever (presumably pre mid-1970's when satellite phones started to appear) using a telephone like object - particularly if they got itwrong in how it would appear or be used - or any other similar technological development.
I just find such futurology interesting. I'm always reminded about the magazine "Popular Mechanics" and how they got their predictions about helicopters so completely wrong - even in the late-1940's.
So if you can think of any 'wrong' depictions of mobile telephones from pop-culture or sci-fi from pre-1975, I'd love to hear about it. :)
Here's an oddball topic for you all! :D
I was just thinking about how various sci-fi or pop culture movies try to predict the future - but get it wrong!
For example, with our modern 'cell phones' (aka mobile phones), I noticed that the original Star Trek tv series (circa mid-1960's) managed to get the cell phone exactly right - size, shape and how it is used (complete with flip-tops).
In contrast, Agent 86 from Get Smart - a comedy tv series from the same time period - had a personal telephone built into his shoe. Similarly, I remember a cartoon and comic book from when I was a kid called Dick Tracy and they all had wristwatches that were video-telephones. I remember thinking that was a very cool thing to have when I was a kid - it was so futuristic! :lol:
So anyway, this thread is about this phenomena. Please share with me any examples that you can think of that involve some sci-fi book/movie or whatever (presumably pre mid-1970's when satellite phones started to appear) using a telephone like object - particularly if they got itwrong in how it would appear or be used - or any other similar technological development.
I just find such futurology interesting. I'm always reminded about the magazine "Popular Mechanics" and how they got their predictions about helicopters so completely wrong - even in the late-1940's.
So if you can think of any 'wrong' depictions of mobile telephones from pop-culture or sci-fi from pre-1975, I'd love to hear about it. :)