Faulty predictions from scientists in the 50's

[GUNWOUNDS]

Yea this one is a laugh.  This is an article from popular mechanics magazine from 1954.

Make sure to read the fine print at the bottom.

fortran language and teletype technology?  hahahaah.

[Anathema]

Call me a geek, but it reminds me of Star Trek (the old series) and how people asssumed it wouldn't be until the 23th century before we could have those communicator thingies you could flap open and talk to people elsewhere with. My own cellphone is even compacter then the things they used hehe.

[Mahdi]

And 50 years from now on whatever super advanced internet like thing that we can't even comprehend is being used, some other guy is going to make some other post about scientists in the year 2005....

Not a single futurist or scientist predicted the internet.

Had someone who died in 1890 woke up alive and well in 1910 he would not have even recognized the world.

The World, she keeps going 'round and 'round....

[Andrew]

It's not real.

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp

[Ice_Cube]

It's not real.

Ha ha ha, pwned......funny picture though

[Jack Leaf]

Heh, fake or not it's bloody funny. :)

[Cyborg]

For those of you who've seen Alien, they have a funny anticipation of how future computers look like...

[Mahdi]

Lance Henrikson?

[TMA_1]

heh, well I dont make fun of it, because just imagine what people 50 years from now will think of our ideas? they will scoff and laugh at us a whole bunch.lol

[Megashrap]

Looks like some sort of shipping vessel brigg with a T.V. installed. And a very oversized keyboard on a stand.

[Tako]

looks like the inside of a sub

got a good laugh though ;D

[Kiyouta]

I don't find it funny at all. For all we know the person in the photo is probably dead. Have some respect.

[GUNWOUNDS]

I don't find it funny at all. For all we know the person in the photo is probably dead. Have some respect.

if that were the case then we couldnt laugh at any picture for fear that the person observed would be a potential corpse.

[Kiyouta]

Now you're being redicious. Clearly that guy in the photo is 60-odd. You think he's still alive today at the age of 110?!

Also, I've never seen a CSS icon with the text underneath saying 'Counter Terrorists Win'... but thats for another thread. ;)

hehehee, mind you the guy does have an interesting hair cut. :O

[Andrew]

Well, since the picture is fake, and unknown when the picture of the man was taken... this conversation is pointless about whether he is alive or not.

[Kiyouta]

Take that one step further, and this whole thread can go down the pan. :-

[Tako]

if it has not already ;D

[desert_storm]

Why would a computer need a wheel?

[Dragoon Knight]

The outer wheel is to move the mouse pointer up and down, the inner one is to move it left and right. :D

[Khan]

I want a wheel now, this mouse just seems so crappy.

[Dragoon Knight]

Get an Optical Mouse.  Microsoft may make shoddy OS', but they do a decent mouse, believe it or not.

I've got me a Microsoft Standard Optical Mouse.  I don't like the feel of the mouse wheel on the new fangled "Explorer", or whatever it's called. :P

[Khan]

Yeah I have the standard optical mouse from Microsoft, its so good, much better than windows... But I ment that I want a steering wheel, not a mouse wheel. :P

[Dragoon Knight]

I seeee... in that case, I can't really suggest anything. :P

Seriously, though, are we really making wild predictions like the one in the picture suggests we once did?  I remember an IBM executive or suchlike saying once that he saw "A world market for about 4 computers", but that was way back in the day.

Can anyone think of any far-fetched ideas that we're coming up with right now?  I can't, but that's because it's 4:10 AM and my brain has melted. ;D

[Khan]

Can anyone think of any far-fetched ideas that we're coming up with right now?

World Peace? See I can still do it.

Uh hmm, how about that idea that someone had of internet through a mains power supply? It might be really rubbishy sounding in 2050.

[Dragoon Knight]

Internet through the power supply? ??? Yeah, that does sound pretty stupid.  But you never know...

I think World Peace is possible, but not by everyone living in perfect harmony.  If it ever does happen, it'll Dune style, with one big-ass all-powerful emperor / dictator controlling everything.