[ExI] Predictions for 2008 from 1968

[Kevin Freels]

I was just pondering some of these things the other day. Is it me, or 
does it seem to others that on some things we are completely missing the 
boat? 2008 and we still can't do better than concrete and asphalt for 
roads?  Air-traffic control is a joke. My hair is falling out and 
there's nothing to be done about it. And where is that caries vaccine? I 
need it bad. I inherited soft teeth from my mother and my mouth has 
already cost me $15,000 by 36 years of age.

I have been working on a complete tear down and rebuild of my home for 
several years and sometimes it just amazes me how archaic the processes 
are and how much technology goes into them. I have high-tech lithium-ion 
powered framing nailers, a laser sliding mitre saw, and an insulation 
blower but still what I am resorting to is sticking shaped trees 
together with metal pins and cramming stuffing into the middle to hold 
in the warmth. Even worse is the need to thread the entire structure 
with pipes and wires. As much fun as I have with the framing nailer I 
can't help but to be a bit disappointed in my fancy log cabin from time 
to time. I should be able to design the thing on my computer and just 
print my new rooms with a giant ink-jet; power and plumbing integrated 
just like an IC chip.

I know a lot of priorities changed in the 70s - especially with 
transportation and space travel. Telecommuting was barely touched in 
this essay but one has to wonder why the 300 mile trip was even 
necessary given his "TV phone" and other capabilities. I'm not too 
concerned with our abilities to transport people because of the coming 
abilities to telecommute. Real travel in the future will likely be an 
unnecessary luxury.

I couldn't quite figure out the purpose of the domes. I have often seen 
these in sci-fi and future predictions but to what end I have no idea. 
If the reason was because the air outside the domes was too terrible to 
bear, I would think that this failed prediction is a good thing. Let's 
hope we can always refrain from putting domes over our cities.

It's nice to see some of the more interesting things actually happening. 
Personal rides in the ISS and submarines are available - albeit 
expensive. I can't wait till the price comes down so I can go.

I guess the most unsettling thing is that we haven't reduced the number 
of diseases and found cures for the remaining ones. Instead, we've 
discovered many more. We have some really cool stuff, but even a basic 
blood test that can detect all cancers eludes us. Solar cells still 
suck. And mileage for vehicles hasn't changed much in 20 years. Let's 
hope the next 40 years are better than the last.

Emlyn wrote:
> http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/24/what-will-life-be-like-in-the-year-2008/
>
> Really, a pretty damned good shot with a lot of those predictions. And
> the stuff thats wrong, well, in a lot of cases it damns us more than
> damns the writer. Most of it should exist. Why doesn't it? We seem to
> have spent decades on frippery, as far as I can see. Great technology,
> pity about the application...
>
>