21 October 2015… Ring a bell? It’s the date Dr. Emmett ‘Doc’ Brown tapped into his time-travelling DeLorean’s flux capacitor, ready for the off.
The future’s here…
REX Features
In case you need a nudge, it was at the end of the first Back To The Future film. The date then was 26 October 1985.
And Doc persuaded Marty McFly and his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, to come back to the future with him to help their children.
Hitting 88mph the trio was then transported to 4.39pm on 21 October 2015, and faced with one possible future.
But that wasn’t the only thing that kept us transfixed.
The 1989 cult classic sequel teased us with all sorts of seemingly unimaginable tech. From futuristic flying cars to power-lacing shoes.
Well, staggering as it sounds, we’re here.
It’s actually 21 October 2015!
So what seemingly unimaginable predictions came true, and which are we still hoping will?
Auto-adjusting and auto-drying jacket: MISS
BTTF II: The garment had a button on the bottom near the zipper area that auto-adjusted to perfectly fit the wearer and dried itself when wet. A dream come true for our unpredictable summer downpours!
TODAY: Don’t hold your breath though, they’re yet to be invented, but some intelligent clobber includes Nike+ running shoes that come with a sensor that tracks your run, then sends the data to your iPod. There’s even designs for clothes that adjust according to outside temperatures, and include Wi-Fi technology that can transmit cleaning instructions to a washing machine.
REX Features
Automatic dog-walker: NEAR MISS
BTTF II: Man’s best friend, maybe, but when winter strikes no one really wants to take their furry friend outside for some exercise. Enter the super smart hovercraft. Clipped to the dog’s lead, you have yourself an automatic dog walker. Genius!
TODAY: Apparently, there are clever devices that could make this concept a reality. However, the noise from these drones would probably spook most mutts. So for the foreseeable future, you’ll need to wrap up and take Rover for a walk yourself.
Bionic implant: NEAR MISS
‘Oh, Marty, be careful around that Griff character. He’s got a few short circuits in his bionic implants,’ Doc warned.
BTTF II: A bionic implant was a modification to the body by replacing certain parts with robotic pieces. Some enhanced strength, height and had an automatic punch-blocking system, though the recipient was unaware.
TODAY: Bionic implants are still in their very early stages, and not as advanced as Griff’s. But with 3D technology and cutting-edge research producing synthetic body parts to replace damaged tissues, limbs, organs and senses, maybe human beings can one day be rebuilt from top to toe with artificial parts.
Dehydrated pizza: NEAR MISS
BTTF II: The size of a cookie when dehydrated, once run through the Black & Decker hydrator, in a matter of seconds there’s enough pizza for a family to feast on!
TODAY: Not quite dehydrated pizza, but astronauts have their food dehydrated like this before their space mission, which then expands when water is added.
Holofilm: HIT
BTTF II: Bet you jumped out of your seat when Jaws reared his ugly head from one of the holographic billboards around Courthouse Square. Holofilms were a highly advanced version of 3D movies. Jaws 19 was being shown in Hill Valley when Marty was passing through, and was ‘swallowed’ by a gigantic holographic image of the sea beast.
TODAY: Given Jaws 5 to 18 haven’t been produced, it’s unlikely Jaws 19 will hit our screens any time soon. As for holographic films, Milton Keynes is home to the UK’s first 4DX theatre, which features water sprays, gusts of air, fog and strobe lighting inside the auditorium to simulate the weather and scenes on screen.
Hoverboards: NEAR MISS
BTTF II: Essentially a skateboard that hovers! They still needed momentum from the rider, and were useless over water and ice, except for the more powerful Pit Bull model. Still uber cool though.
TODAY: The 2015 version is a far cry from the airborne skateboard the film touted. In fact, our wannabe hoverboard is actually an electric skateboard. Close, but no DeLorean!
They’re also illegal to ride in public. That said, a sign by the pond in Courthouse Square read NO HOVERBOARDING. So not much has changed there.
Who knows, maybe we’ll be whizzing round on the real deal in another 30 years…
REX Features
Multi-channel video screen: HIT
BTTF II: A multi-channel video screen was a wall-sized video screen that could display at least six channels at once. You could even freeze frame to show a still image across the separate screens.
TODAY: The basic concept exists in the real 2015, with today’s tellys offering picture-in-picture functionality and various satellite packages giving overviews of channel groups – like sports – which can be viewed at once. Some smart TVs also support voice commands, so you can turn the TV on and off, change channels, access apps, and surf the web.
Power-lacing shoes: NEAR MISS
BTTF II: These ingenious trainers with shoelace-like straps automatically tighten to secure your foot in place once you’ve slipped them in.
TODAY: Believe it or not, auto-lace technology is in the offing. You’ll still need to use a lever to adjust the ‘laces’, but it’ll put an end to tying one shoe too tight, blocking off blood supply, double bows for bulky laces and tripping over them when they inevitably untie themselves regardless.
REX Features
Rejuvenation clinic: MISS
BTTF II: A rejuvenation clinic was where the physical effects of old age could be reversed, adding decades to someone’s life. Doc underwent the process in his seventies. Treatments included hair repair, changing the blood, and replacing organs.
TODAY: Although there have been major advancements in plastic surgery, the type of wrinkle removal and body overhaul Doc had isn’t available to us…yet!
Skyway: NEAR MISS
BTTF II: A highway in the sky for flying vehicles, signs and lane markers floated around to keep people in their lane. Local skyways connected to hyperlanes with access to major international cities on other continents. Floating skyway signs indicated exits, destinations, and even travel conditions. Awesome!
TODAY: While we’re yet to take flight in four-wheels, believe it or not, more than one company has created a flying roadster. One even has collapsible wings! Plus, there’s grand plans underway for a 12,400-mile superhighway linking the Atlantic and the Pacific. The vast motorway across Russia would connect with existing networks in Europe, following a similar route to the Trans-Siberian railway. And, a new rail route could make overland trips from Britain to the US – via the Channel Tunnel – a possibility.
REX Features
Video glasses: HIT
BTTF II: These smart specs allowed Marty Jr to watch telly without a large screen, annoying his folks by tuning at the dinner table. His sister, Marlene, also had a set that allowed her to talk on the video phone, also while eating dinner!
TODAY: Though no longer produced, the Sony Glasstron Personal Home Theater System LCD eyeglasses included two LCD screens and two earphones for video and audio.
Google Glass, sci-fi-looking eyewear, is essentially a wearable computer. A touchpad on the side allows users to swipe through things such as the weather and previous phone calls. There’s a camera, and you can view maps to help navigate.
REX Features
So, what would do you think another Back To The Future sequel would look like if it envisioned the future 30 years from today?
The post Back to the Future fans – 21 October 2015 is finally here… appeared first on Life Death Prizes.