[ClassicSpiderman]

...as seen from the year 1967.

I want my self-cleaning house right now!

[seahorse]

I didn't watch the whole thing, just enough to see how optimistic people can be about technology, and how technology will change things and solve basic problems like - educating our children - not.

[mattduke]

And all the products are made in America.

[kadoomsoon]

They missed the prediction that we have degraded socially to the level of fat wolverines and no longer speak in complete sentences and no longer practice polite dress, speech and actions..
I liked the kid: "This is the room where the computer lives."
That whole system is a notebook today.

[emersonbiggins]

Not in any way related, but if any of you are interested in purchasing a demonstration house of the National Solar Decathlon that was presented last summer in D.C., here is one from the University of Texas School of Architecture; bidding starts at $200 large. (I did not work on this, though - that's probably a plus...)

Includes 6.6 kW solar PV array.



UT BLOOMhouse

[lawnchair]

I enjoy that it was sponsored by a division of Ford, yet outside of a fleeting glimpse of a car (flying?) no indication that we'd be spending several hours a day, on average, on roads that were mostly built by 1967, trying to get anything done.

[I_Like_Plants]

they MADE us watch that in high school!

The people don't seem all that happy, and they seem to have every aspect of their life tracked by that PDP-8 or whatever that computer is....

[TheDude]

The actress who played the wife also played a sexy alien in "Spock's Brain," one of the funniest of the original Star Trek episodes.

"A society rich in leisure, and taken-for-granted comfort." Got that right! Much of this stuff has come to pass. Microwave ovens, for instance - nothing far fetched about that. But why have a conveyor belt leading out of the thing?

The snoopy home computer, that was weird. "I'm sorry Davey - I can't open the pod bay doors until you finish dinner."

[Tyler_JC]

Almost everything in that video is currently.

The flying car and the fuel cell heater aren't available but everything is else.

Want to play chess on your computer? (check your "games" drop down menu"

Want your own personal computer in your house? How about a dozen of them that fit into your hand and allow instant communication with the rest of the world's computers?

Want a fridge that reminds you when you are running out of milk? The Japanese have had those since the 1990s

Want to learn from home? You can learn math, English, anything you want from your computer

Want a device that gives you a medical diagnosis? Try WebMD

The Future Is Now.

[pup55]

Surprisingly accurate for some of us. Some others of us are lucky to be living like it is 1967.

So much for using all of the leisure time given to us by these machines to enhance our artsy side. A lot of people end up working three jobs to pay the mortgage.

Not to mention the fact that instead of being a world of happy, civilized people, the divorce rate is about 50%, the obesity rate is about 2/3. We really have not used these gifts particularly well.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pup55', 'S')urprisingly accurate for some of us. Some others of us are lucky to be living like it is 1967.

So much for using all of the leisure time given to us by these machines to enhance our artsy side. A lot of people end up working three jobs to pay the mortgage.

Not to mention the fact that instead of being a world of happy, civilized people, the divorce rate is about 50%, the obesity rate is about 2/3. We really have not used these gifts particularly well.

[Andrew_S]

Just consider. 1969 was still a time of hope and optimism and that look 30 years into the future was surprisingly accurate. But imagine projecting 30 years into the future from today, that would be 2037. I think for most people it'll be worse.

[I_Like_Plants]

Tyler JC all that stuff is current INCLUDING the fuel cell heater and flying car, those last two just aren't widespread. But for a price they can be built.

There are courses from MIT on line for free, Navy electronics manuals (best in the world for learning 'tronics for those not calculus-inclined) classic literature on gutenburg.org etc. Plus if you have any disease or condition, you can read the same stuff your doctor is reading on it, if you dig.

Toyota's making some neat robots, so's Honda, and they'll not be any more expensive than one of their cars. And less expensive than your own nanny if you're old and infirm, which is their intended purpose.

It's just that all this stuff takes tons of resources, and because the rich must have their own hyper-consumptive lifestyle, the nonrich and that's almost all of us, must work some long-ass hours. And give up unprofitable things like friendship and family.