These Hilarious Vintage Photos Tried to Predict Future, and They Did a Terrible Job
From domesticating wild animals to serve us to Tinder and Ironman who?
We can’t really blame the creators of these advertisements for their vivid imagination or hopes for the future. If you all had an idea about what goes in my tiny head or what my younger self thought about adult life, you’d probably be having a #ROTFL moment. After all, the future is full of possibilities, and it’s just a hard thing to crack or foresee.
Will Elon Musk crack the code to Mars?
Will India and Pakistan ever become friends?
Will Bitcoin hit the million mark?
Will women ever get equal pay?
When will we become free from Covid19?
Will all humanity become mother natures Sunday roast ?#environmentcrisesisreal
None of us knows. And that was also the case back then; they, too, had no clue.
So let us take a peep back into history and see what our ancestors were up to and how well they depicted and predicted the coming times. I must say I had my Grinch moment, and I did a lot of smirking (Ah, why not? And this will probably take about a couple of centuries more). They may not have been entirely meticulous, but it looks like they were onto something.
1. We Should Have Had These Sea Cities by 2000
The Earth is a house to billions of humans, and although there is a constant tug of war between humans and nature, we are nowhere near leaving the land and building sea cities. The world has seen enough architectural and structural engineering wonders in the past decades but creating a fully functional and self-sustainable town on the sea is far from reality.
The above ad is modeled after the mythical city of Atlantis, which is believed to be sitting at the ocean’s bed. Back then, people thought they were quickly running out of land, and that by the turn of the millennium, we would require such setups…Two decades into the 21st century, and that, of course, hasn’t happened.
As of now — for the water bodies out there — the best we can offer you are the sea villas in the Maldives, and I have nothing to complain about it.
(P.S. you are welcome to start a go fund me #SendMs.Malik2Maldives campaign.)
2. This Will Give Tinder a Run for Its Money
Finding true love is a deep desire and a long quest, and for most of us, it’s tiring and a little less rewarding in the end. So if you are fed up with all the bar hoping, small talks, and Tinder swipes, start praying for this blunder to come true. After all, we all know how hard it is to think of a cheesy yet quirky pick-up line.
Apparently, this scientific mating device is blessed by Aphrodite and Cupid himself to help you find that match made in heaven.
This über fantastic piece of technology effortlessly computes and glues couples together. But how does it actually work? Lol, I wish we knew; all I can see are dozens of wires, tubes, meters, and some diodes.
3. Astronauts, Let’s Go to Work
In 1939, Hughes Industries called for rocketing as the future slogan; back then, Space and rockets were all the rage #tothemoon. Although all significant space milestones happened in the late 60s, clearly, we were all pumped up for our first Moon landing in 1969 since 30 years before it actually happened. Cars were popular and ambitious back then, so getting ourselves a rocket pack and launching our butts into Space was a clear and simple next step.
A magical journey to the stars is every child’s dream and fascinating of most adults as well (not me though, while thinking of Space, I can only imagine my dear Robert Downey Jr. gasping out of oxygen)
I am very sure that this ad was Stan Lee’s inspiration behind our favourite hero, Tony Stark. But, no matter how badly some of us want this to become a reality, unfortunately, only Ironman came anywhere close to this.
We do have water-powered jetpacks, but these rocket boosters are still very impractical. And what about the cost of fuel?! The danger of life?! And even mere efficiency and ethical use?
4. Keeping It Cool Everywhere
The ad is dated back to the 60s where air conditioning was not a standard and economical technique. Yet, with the word being new to the public, all wanted to become a part of this cultural change, so here comes your portable air conditioner, which feels like a carry-on bag. To me, this is a complete waste of energy (both physical and fuel wise… that thing looks heavy), but you can go for it.
I come from a state with pretty hot summers and equally freezing cold winters, so I know the war of seasons pretty well. But fitting a couple of ACs in the train itself is more intelligent than carrying a hundred of these little ones.
Come on, people, what were you thinking…..
5. Hello 60s, I Am Still Waiting for This One: They Thought Food Would Come by Pneumatic Tubes
Cooking is an equally divided topic — just like North and South Korea — where some of us find it calming and therapeutic, while for others, it’s a nightmare, and they can’t cook even if their life is on the line. I happily mark myself in the middle of the spectrum.
For those who are tired of cooking, you could have a fresh, hot, and delicious meal popping out of one of these many magical and portable tubes/conveyor belts, where these tubes are equipped to cook a wide variety of meals from a three-hundred-page menu.
Even in the most prominent cooking facilities, human hands add that punch of flavour, and any high-tech machine can’t dispose of culinary chefs. Of course, nowadays we have delivery services like Uber Eats and Postmates, but such machinery hasn’t arrived yet.
6. The Farming of the Future
Farming is the backbone of any economy or nation. Although most developed countries are remotely dependent on primary sector employment, farming is still a significant component in the lives of vast populations across the world. Farming indeed has taken giant leaps since the nineteen-thirties. There are AI-supported cleaning and sorting systems, yet they require human monitoring and labour in serviceable parts. We still use tractors to harvest crops, and we still have to drive them like any other customary means of transportation.
The ad shows that there would be a fleet of automatic machines doing their job while men will watch all the action from far above in their spaceship-like stations. Although this would be great, we could produce healthy and organic foods with little to no human labour, but it’s far from reality for now.
Recently, Bill Gates has become the largest farm landholder in the United States, so let’s see if he can bring any revolutionary farming operational and industrial changes.
7. The Kindle From the Great Depression: They Thought This Would Be the First E-Reader
Books have been around since forever, and so has been the printing press. We have come a long way from Gutenbergs Bible to the Amazon Kindle. But this is a reasonably recent shift, and yet books haven’t lost their charm. Still, this specific piece of advertising gives an account of a future where would’ve been reading via electronic devices for decades. These would operate via a ridiculous set of apparatus like an enlarging screen, miniature films, and buttons that can turn the pages.
This item is nowhere as portable as the iPad you have in your house.
P.S: After looking at this, I went into a great depression.
8. Self-Driving Cars: They’re Not Going to Happen Any Time Soon
Self-driving cars have been a fixation of many for a long time. Although we have made significant progress in the automation industry, such wonder is far from being approved by the governments on a broader scale any time soon.
It looks like those folks were pretty optimistic and fearless to indulge in a board game in the middle of a road.
9. In a Minute Delivery: Food Truck/Delivery/ Store on Wheels Hybrid Was All the Rage
Jeff Bezos is the world's richest man, all thanks to this idea of comfort and convenience coupled with our late-night “add to cart drives.” Now it’s a norm to order items via delivery services on your phone, but back in the 1940s, it was uncommon to do so.
However, a beautiful looking glass-walled vehicle that constitutes everything one might need for your upcoming day is genius. ( Please add tampons, hair ties, and coffee too!)
10. A Marriage Between Mountains and Beaches
Have you ever wondered about sunbathing in the Swiss alps in the winter? Don’t worry, you are not alone; the mastermind behind this picture is your soulmate. (I want that too). Soaking in the sun while still looking at the pretty snow is what dreams are made of.
Moreover, it will give the mountains, peple, and beach bodies a shot at being in harmony.
11. Can We Abduct Some Cows on the Way Home?
It would be correct to say that the 50s were very inspired by Space and science. As a result, this brilliant possibility was showcased in the March edition of Mechanix Illustrated: a combination of a flying saucer and a personal aircraft.
This would have made a perfect vehicle and turn all garages into hangers.
12. 2000: Mum, It’s a Crisis. I Have My College and High School Graduation on the Same Day
Schooling and education, in general, have changed a lot over the centuries. After all, I wouldn’t be able to write this article if it hadn’t. But we are nowhere near to what this picture depicted.
According to this picture, the teacher would shove the books into an apparatus that would transmit them to ours heads. (But what shocked me is that the students look way too intreated to learn, yet that “teacher’s pet” student is comforting and assures me that not everything can change.)
Even if this school had been located on the South Pole, a five-year-old me would be found lying flat on the ground and crying on top of my voice… Mum, I want it.
And similarly, if this ever becomes a possibility in the future, my kids are not getting admission to these fancy schools. Mumma is an old fashion b****, and sweet child O’ mine get ready to face the real world.
Bonus:
- In the 1920s a women's home journal thought we would be able to domesticate wild animals to serve us. LOL!!
2. And we were supposed to swap the body of our car whenever we felt like it — I’m outraged that this doesn’t exist.
I am curious to know: what do you think about the future and its limitless possibilities?
Any suggestions or wishlist?
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