One of the topics for the unconference part of CyborgCamp is exactaly this. Every year, we’re teased by science and technology magazines, advertisements, and news shows. They tell us that in a few years, we’ll all live forever, or that we’ll all have flying cars. But when has a sceintific or technological prediction actually come true? Where is the future that was promised to us?
M.T. Richardson of Vidoop (where we’ll be having the pre-CyborgCamp party) first suggested this as a topic at the Inverge afterparty. It’s been stuck in my head ever since.
But what about you all? What invention have you been promised that hasn’t panned out? For me, it is definitely awesome computer interfaces. We can’t even touch data today! I suppose we’ll be hearing all about it on Saturday, December 6th.
Several things.
1. The Moller car hasn’t come to fruition. As much because of technological issues as well as regulatory and draconian Governmental rules. You really couldn’t get licensed anymore for one of those than a comparably priced Cessna.
2. Bullet trains, jet trains, and maglev. America invented them all, from what I understand, but we don’t use a single one of them today. We should be moving at least 200+ mph in the US. Fastest train is 150mph in the US, for about 18 miles worth of track.
3. Autobahn caliber 150+mph highway speeds. Again, laws are broken, technology wouldn’t have any issue doing this.
4. Interactive data, as you mention toward the bottom of the entry. I think a big part of this problem is still the expensive aspect of the technology, but also penetration and understanding on behalf of users.
5. True GUI & 4GL Languages. They never really happened in a clean and elegant way. The Computer Languages of today however, are finally starting to achieve this.
6. Robots. I still want a robot.
…that’s my wish list.
Oh man — that list rocks. Thanks so much for posting it!