Paleo-Future Blog

Letters by 4th Graders to the Year 2000 (1976)

2009-07-04T18:40:26Z

The July 4, 1976 Grand Prairie Daily News (Grand Prairie, TX) published letters written by 4th graders, addressed to people of the year 2000. Just as the newspaper did, I've left the spelling and grammatical errors. Because if we've learned anything at the Paleo-Future blog, it's that kids are stupid.

We'll begin by looking at letters by young Laurie Smith, Yolanda Tejeda, and R.C. Brown. These kids really hit all the major futurism topics of the 20th century: robot maids, moving sidewalks, flying cars, meal pills, push button everything, education through television, socialism, and candy. Lots of candy.

Dear Janice,

In the year 2000 I think that cars can fly in the air as fast as they want to without using gas. You can get whatever you want, including candy. Houses will be way up in the sky. You can have robots to do the housework for the mothers. Instead of walking, the the sidewalks will move for you.

Your friend,

Laurie Smith

Dear John,

In the year 2000 I think thay kids will be taught at home on their T.V. The army will be using lazor guns. Cars will be like spaceships and the strreetlights will be on long tall poles. Another means of transportation will be push buttons. Select where you want to go, push a button, step through a door, and you'll be where you wanted to be.

Food will be in tablet form, put on water on the tablet and your food will be on your plate.

Sincerely yours,

R.C. Brown

Dear Laurie,

I think in the year 2000 the earth will be much more polluted than it is.

I also think that we will have no more school, and cars can go as fast as they want without getting a ticket.

The government will pay every person as much as they want without them having to work. I also think we will be out of energy for stores or anything that uses fuel in the year 2000.

Sincerely,

Yolanda Tejeda

Previously on Paleo-Future:

Inventors Die Testing "Flying Pinto" (1973)

2009-07-03T16:37:57Z

Remember a few months back when I made a joke about how dangerous a flying Ford Pinto would be? Well, in 1973 two inventors actually tried to create such a flying vehicle, and died while testing it. The article from the September 12, 1973 Press-Telegram (Long Beach, CA) is below.

Known as "the flying Pinto," a combination of a Ford Pinto auto and Cessna airplane, the prototype plunged to earth about a mile from Ventura County Airport late Tuesday afternoon.

Killed were Henry A. Smolinski, 40, Santa Susana, and Harold Blake, 40, Los Angeles. They were the founders and top two officers of Advanced Vehicle Engineers, launched at Van Nuys in 1968.

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Medical Predictions for 1999 (1955)

2009-07-03T02:26:09Z

Dr. Lowry H. McDaniel of Tyronza, Ark., was a very optimistic doctor, though his ideas were certainly in line with medical futurists' thinking of that era. The June 9, 1955 Charleston Gazette (Charleston, WV) lays out his vision of the year 1999, which includes a 150 year life span, a cancer vaccine, and the complete eradication of infectious disease. You can read his 10 predictions for the year 1999 below:

A man 90 years old will be considered "young," a man of 135 "more mature" and there will be "a minimum of senility because the heavy cholesterol which determines the age of our arteries will be absent."
"Our women, thanks to proper hormone medication, would stay young, beautiful and shapely indefinitely."
The Salk killed-virus vaccine "which is doing a tremendous job now" will be replaced in a few years by a living modified virus vaccine.
All human infectious disease, including rheumatic heart disease and venereal disease, will be eradicated.
Cancer will be "successfully treated by a virus vaccine or radioactive compounds."
The common cold and "even the more serious respiratory virus infections will be only a memory."
"Even greater victories await the highly-trained surgeon" of the future. Eye surgeons will restore vision to today's hopeless cases.
Synthetic foodstuff will bring an end forever to famine and starvation.
Electronic devices will enable deaf mutes to "speak." Initial research is underway by the Radio Corporation of America.
Insulin will be given in tablet form for the control of diabetes. Medical science will discover an "effective treatment" against the blood, heart and degenerative diseases of old age.

Previously on Paleo-Future:

Roof Over New York (1949)

2009-07-02T00:59:37Z

It's amazing how popular the idea of roofing in an entire city was in the 20th century. The concept of one day controlling the weather was likely exciting because it meant absolute domination over nature and one's environment. I suspect to conquer weather was the penultimate in shaping humankind's destiny, while the ultimate was likely immortality. (Someone's still working on that one, right?)

This illustration from the August 28, 1949 San Antonio Light (San Antonio, TX) depicts the future New York City skyline. The picture accompanies an article from Prof. A. M. Low, which we'll take a look at in the coming weeks.

CLIMATE "TO ORDER" -- One of the things to come, Professor A. M. Low points out, is likely to be the weather-controlled city. Using the famous New York skyline as a "model," the artist's conception, above, embodies some of the best scientific thinking of our time. "Roofs" like the one pictured may be constructed over cities and linked to skyscrapers to provide scientific control of weather. Open cross section of "roof" shows weather experts busy controlling temperature, etc.

Previously on Paleo-Future:

One-World Job Market (1959)

2009-06-30T15:27:37Z

The November 29, 1959 edition of Arthur Radebaugh's Closer Than We Think features a job interview of the future. And what job interview of the (paleo)future would be complete without a man from Philadelphia and his entire family chatting via videophone with a potential employer in Buenos Aires?

Until recently, a man limited his job hunting to his home town. Now he sometimes searches the country. Tomorrow's job markets -- and opportunities -- will be world-wide.

Television will make it possible for an employer in Buenos Aires to interview a job seeker in Philadelphia. New Yorker Felix Cuervo has already pioneered in this direction, interviewing applicants for Civil Aeronautics Administration positions over a 2-way closed circuit. Said Cuervo: "Dress, bearing, manner and ability can be gauged over television about as accurately as in personal interviews."

Thanks again to Tom Z. for the color version of this Closer Than We Think panel.

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The Domination of Space (1950s)

2009-06-30T02:08:36Z

The History Channel documentary Sputnik Mania uses footage from the films Space and National Security and Challenge of Outer Space to tell the story of the United States' ambitions to dominate space. Wernher von Braun and General John Medaris are seen in this clip from the film speaking out publicly about their desire for the militarization of space, fearing that if they do not act quickly the Soviets would do it first.

Future Wars in Space
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During an interview Major General Bernard Shriever proclaims, "The day will come when perhaps our major battles will be space battles instead of air battles. I certainly couldn't predict exactly when that will be, but I'm sure it will come in the future."

Previously on Paleo-Future:

Not Enough Bread in 1959 (1909)

2009-06-29T02:21:14Z

I never really took James J. Hill for a Malthusian, but this article in the January 28, 1909 Milford Mail (Milford, IA) certainly paints him as one. Hill's argument was basically that there would be too few farmers for a fast-growing American population.

To reflect on the progress made in the United States during the first half of the 20th century is pretty awe-inspiring. Intelligent people with opposing opinions could argue for hours whether this was despite or because of 2 world wars and the Great Depression. You can read the entire piece from the Milford Mail with Hill's predictions below.

They must learn to farm better. Intensive farming is inevitable. In very truth, two blades of grass must grow where but one grew before, and land that now produces only one bushel of wheat must produce two. And farmers must learn to handle their products more wisely after they are produced. There must be no waste either of substance or value.

Photo of James J. Hill from the Library of Congress.

1909 Jan 28 Milford Mail - Milford IA Pa Leo Future

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Sex in the Year 2019 (1986)

2009-06-28T23:39:12Z

In his 1986 book July 20, 2019: Life in the 21st Century author Arthur C. Clarke discusses what sexual relations will be like in the year 2019. He envisions a world in which people "boldly state their desires, no matter how bizarre or specific."

While many of his predictions about sex seem pretty accurate, (assuming few dramatic changes within the next 10 years), the most dated part about his vision of the year 2019 involves the posting of classifieds in a newspaper and sending a response to what we can assume is a physical post office box:

Married white female, 40, seeks well-endowed SWM, 18-28, for 3-month intimate companionship. My husband's hormone treatments (he's 6 months pregnant) have put him out of commission temporarily. You take care of me; I'll take care of you. Electrostimulation okay; as is drug-enhanced orgasm, but prefer partner with original equipment rather than implant. Send photo and vaccination certification to Box 2238.

--Personal ad, The Village Voice (July 20, 2019)

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Mama's Easter Parade Costume of 2000 A.D. (1951)

2009-06-28T23:09:51Z

This image of "Mama's Easter parade costume in 2000 A.D." appeared in the February 26, 1951 Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (Walla Walla, WA). "Chicago fashion experts" predicted that women would carry around their own food, fuel and telephones in mesh bags. The food and telephones seem rather prescient, but I'm not so sure about the "fuel" part of the equation.

FASHION FORECAST -- Mama's Easter parade costume in 2000 A.D. will look something like this, say Chicago fashion experts. They say women will tote their own food, fuel and telephones in mesh bags, such as are carried by model Marjorie Needham.

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Frozen to Death in the Year 2011 (1873)

2009-06-28T22:23:26Z

The July 10, 1873 Decatur Republican (Decatur, IL) describes, in a rather condescending manner, a prediction of one Professor Plantamour. It seems Plantamour was fond of making predictions involving comets, predicting in 1872 that Plantamour's Comet would collide with Earth on August 12, 1873. After it was fairly certain that such an event would not take place Prof. Plantamour moved his disaster dates further into the future. In the case of this prediction from 1873, the year 2011 would bring about a completely frozen Earth.

We have heard from our ally, Prof. Plantamour, again. Last year he prophesied we were to be burned up. Now he declares in a paper just issued in Paris, that everybody will be frozen to death in the year 2011. We are glad to have the date accurately fixed, for we shall arrange for our life insurance policy to expire in the year 2011. The first news of the freeze will appear in the Saturday Evening Post for Jan. 1st, 2011, an we shall offer as a premium to clubs that year, an all-wool overcoat four feet thick, with an air tight stove in each breast pocket, and a gas heater in the tail, and an open grate arrangement at the collar. The getter up of two clubs will have a pair of skates, and a double breasted pink undershirt thrown in. Persons who wish to compete for these prizes, can send their subscriptions now, from this year to 2011, in order to make the thing certain. No paper shall beat us, if we have to get up a corner in a double-breasted undershirts and create a panic in the market. --Max Adeler

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