1972's Vision of The Future...in 2010

My husband and I just inherited a box of books from his childhood. One of them (which Dan vividly remembers reading decades ago) is called “2010 – Living In The Future.” It was written in 1972, when he was 2 years old. Looking at this vision of the far-away future (egads! that’s now!), made us laugh hysterically.

The book illustrations include computers looking like HUGE beasts with dials (like our TV sets had back then). The description of the kitchen’s control panel includes the phrase “it looks like a typewriter.” If only there were a reference to 8-tracks somewhere, the imagery would be complete.

Much of it is reminiscent of The Jetsons – machines showering and dressing us, food appearing on conveyor belts just after you order it, etc. (Although there was no prediction of flying cars, which frankly, was my favorite part of the Jetsons.)

A few things have actually happened. They somewhat accurately describe using computers to order things like groceries…except they’re using telephones along with the computer screen to do so. There was no way to envision the Internet! There are not-quite-right, but still close to the idea, descriptions of going to school from home and using videophones. There’s a page about reading and ordering books on a computer screen, which amazon.com recently pioneered with their Kindle.

I really wish the description of airline travel had come true, which is described as being so cheap and prevalent that you don’t need advance reservations, and so fast that you can be in Australia in a couple of hours!

Interestingly, on the heels of “Earth Day” last week, they wrote that all of our dishes would be disposable and simply washed into the sewers. Apparently there was not much of a concern about conservation issues in 70s…and sadly, they couldn’t envision that our oceans would be filled with garbage swirls the size of Texas by 2009. There’s also a mention that “no one is concerned about pollution anymore” because of technological advances eliminating that problem. If only that one had come true!

But I’m also glad that not all of their predictions are a reality. SO thankful that we are NOT all wearing jumpsuits, which is a major theme in the book (along with still wearing 70s hair styles!)
The most disappointing line says “no matter where people work, they will work for only three days a week” (due to the increases in efficiency). How unfortunate that those changes have actually only resulted in everyone working harder, and wanting more, for less! Sigh. I can only hope my kids don’t have 80-hour workweeks when they grow up.

I can hardly wait to see what happens in another 40 years. I really hope we can pay with things using only our fingerprints. I’m sick of all the change in the bottom of my purse.