21 January 2013

Prediction for 1941: The modern city is virtually noise free, thanks to silent riveting machines, more melodious auto horns and quieter subways. Building of the future will be soundproof, just as they are now built to be fireproof.

Predictor: Edward F. Brown, director of the noise-abatement commission of New York City in 1931

Reality: Let's see, what does a rivet machine have to do? Just shoves a large piece of metal into another piece of metal or a slab of concrete.  That shouldn't take much energy or effort, now should it?

Oh, wait... just remembering some basic physics... Yeah, this should take a lot of energy and effort. Silent riveting machines didn't show up on the director's time table.

Another great prediction from The Wonderful Future That Never Was, the 2009 book produced by Popular Mechanics culling their predictions from 1969 and earlier. If you like early to mid-20th Century futurism, you should get a copy of this one for yourself. There's lots of great stuff that doesn't give specific dates so you won't see it quoted here, but the pictures and text are still a lot of fun. Click on this link to get the book on Amazon.com or order it at your favorite local bookstore.

Looking one day... INTO THE FUTURE!  Robert A. Heinlein in 1950 gets one completely right about the changing relations between the sexes  ... in the year 2000!

Join me then... IN THE FUTURE!