Ten Times Sci-Fi Shows Predicted the Tech of the

Future

(1962) The Jetsons Videophones→ Facetime The TV show The Jetsons, a cartoon about a futuristic family, actually depicted many of the technologies we use today. One of these is called the “videophone”, and is used to talk face to face with anyone. Our version is Facetime.

Photo Warner Bros. Television Distribution

(1995) The Simpsons phone watch→ Smart WatchA gag in a episode of The Simpsons from 1995 showed a future version of Lisa who was being proposed to. When the plan fell apart, her boyfriend called for plan B via his phone watch. Today, we now have smart watches that can do much more than call people for you.

Photo 20th Television

(2008) Iron Man Suit→ Machine LearningIron man’s suit comes with J.A.R.V.I.S, a artificial intelligence system that is equipped with machine learning. Even in the comic books and cartoons of the 90’s, Iron Man’s suit was capable of machine learning. Just look at what Machine Learning can do now!

Photo Paramount Pictures

(1987) Star Trek’s Data→ Artificial Intelligence Although very humanlike, Data is a sentient and fully functional android in Star Trek:The Next Generation. His artificial intelligence allows him to do anything from complex mathematics to struggle to understand human behavior. Today we may not have a physically fully-functioning android powered by AI, but AI software is everywhere, including at Salesforce.

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(1989) Back to the Future II Interconnected Tech→ The Internet of ThingsBack to the Future is known for its wacky futuristic gadgets, but one thing they got right before we came up with it was the Internet of Things. In Back to the Future II everything in the kitchen is interconnected. Today, our phones, watches, alarm clocks and even cars are all synced with each other.

Photo Universal Pictures

(1962) The Jetsons → Robot Vacuum Another piece of tech that the Jetsons predicted was the robot vacuum. Seen as early as episode 1, the vacuum helps Jane by popping directly off the wall to clean.

Photo Warner Bros. Television Distribution

(1999) Futurama → Virtual Reality Futurama had a gag in an early episode in 1999, showing that the people of the future had three options for skeeball- they could physically play, play VR skeeball, or play virtual virtual skeeball. Today, you can play all sorts of games via VR, or even one day watch others do it via VR through VR. Why you’d want to is another story.

Photo 20th Television

(1983)Inspector Gadget Gadgetmobile→ Google Self-Driving CarInspector Gadget has many inventions, but a major one is his partner in justice, the Gadgetmobile. This self-driving free thinking car transforms to help the Inspector in all his crime-solving cases. Over thirty years later, we now have Google Self-Driving Cars out for testing. We may not be at the level of the Gadgetmobile yet, but we’re getting there!

Photo DHX Media

(1962) The Jetsons foodarackacycle → Robot restaurantsAnother Jetsons invention called the “foodarackacycle” is a machine that produces whatever food you select from the panel. It now exists-- kind of. Robot restaraunts, in which food can be selected from an iPad and simply appear in a panel in the wall moments later, exists in cities like SF and Tokyo.

Photo Warner Bros. Television Distribution

(1987) Star Trek PADD → Tablet computers Another piece of technology that Star Trek predicted was the emergence of tablet computers. In the Star Trek universe, the PADD, an acronym for Personal Access Display Device, is a hand-held computer with a touch-screen interface. Today, we have touch-screen tablet computers!

Photo Paramount Pictures