Great and amazing advances in technology on the horizon!

[falafel]

I was thinking about Back to the Future II recently, and I realized that "the future" in that movie was 2015. That's only about 5 years away, so I thought I would start this thread to chronicle the great technological advances we can expect to see in the next five years. There's some really great (and useful) tech right around the corner.

1. The coolest (and most obvious) - the hover-car. This will likely be the cause of GM's big revival.

2. Mr. Fusion - everyone will be fueling their car with an ounce of old beer, a banana peel, and other crap from the McFly's garbage.

3. Extreme food re-hydrators. "Hydrate level four please!" You sure can hydrate a pizza, ma.

4. Self-lacing shoes

5. Self-adjusting jacket sleeves.

6. Hover-boards. But don't forget, bojos, those hover-boards don't work on water!

7. Descending fruit trays. To be fair, I think the tech for this already exists.

These aren't exactly tech advances, but things I'm looking forward to nonetheless.

1. Fashion - double neck ties. I wouldn't want to be the first dude rocking this look, but I'll partake once it hits marginal acceptance.

2. The Cubs win the world series! I know its still 6 years or so away, but its nice to have something to look forward to. And now I know to put some money on the cubbies. I'll have my own crappy casino empire in no time.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I was thinking about Back to the Future II recently, and I realized that "the future" in that movie was 2015. That's only about 5 years away, so I thought I would start this thread to chronicle the great technological advances we can expect to see in the next five years. There's some really great (and useful) tech right around the corner.

1. The coolest (and most obvious) - the hover-car. This will likely be the cause of GM's big revival.

2. Mr. Fusion - everyone will be fueling their car with an ounce of old beer, a banana peel, and other crap from the McFly's garbage.

3. Extreme food re-hydrators. "Hydrate level four please!" You sure can hydrate a pizza, ma.

4. Self-lacing shoes

5. Self-adjusting jacket sleeves.

6. Hover-boards. But don't forget, bojos, those hover-boards don't work on water!

7. Descending fruit trays. To be fair, I think the tech for this already exists.

These aren't exactly tech advances, but things I'm looking forward to nonetheless.

1. Fashion - double neck ties. I wouldn't want to be the first dude rocking this look, but I'll partake once it hits marginal acceptance.

2. The Cubs win the world series! I know its still 6 years or so away, but its nice to have something to look forward to. And now I know to put some money on the cubbies. I'll have my own crappy casino empire in no time.

The technologies in Blade Runner (2019) are at least of the level of those found in Back to the Future II. Distant space travel, near-human replicants, hovering cars.

Escape from New York was supposed to be set in 1997.

[falafel]

The technologies in Blade Runner (2019) are at least of the level of those found in Back to the Future II. Distant space travel, near-human replicants, hovering cars.

Escape from New York was supposed to be set in 1997.

Well, duh. 2019 is after 2015. Of course those things already exist in 2019.

[Commando]

I'm also psyched for hologram technology that will be super realistic. Also looking forward to that new Jaws flick.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

1. The coolest (and most obvious) - the hover-car. This will likely be the cause of GM's big revival.

Is there some kind of sensor on the keys to keep from losing them with the hover-car?

[TripletDaddy]

I'm looking forward to when the tough kids in high school aren't driving cars, they are still riding skateboards and dressing like this:

[falafel]

Is there some kind of sensor on the keys to keep from losing them with the hover-car?

Well, in the year 2015, golf does not exist anymore, so I don't see how this is relevant to the discussion at hand.

[falafel]

I'm looking forward to when the tough kids in high school aren't driving cars, they are still riding skateboards hoverboards and dressing like this:

Only DORKS will be riding skateboards.

[falafel]

We may be on an accelerated time table. I'm sure I've seen these shoes already.

[SteelBlue]

I heard a song by Tim Wilson on Bob and Tom a couple of weeks ago titled "Where the f- is my jet pack?" that covers this exact topic.

[Omaha 680]

Being that I work in a transportation industry that rides on 150 year old technology (railroads), I pay pretty close attention to advancements to guess when my job will be eliminated. My money is on ever-more powerful software or self-driving cars. However, some see "hyperloop" technology as the future:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/n...sert/84236120/

Never say never, but I'm not a big believer. Especially with quotes like this:

BamBrogan noted that humans in a hyperloop pod wouldn’t feel the acceleration as it would happen more gradually, eventually hitting close to 750 mph.

750 mph is not enough of an improvement over current air travel technology to justify the absolutely enormous capital expenditure required to get the infrastructure in place for this. But this may eventually take hold in shorter routes like LA to SF like the article says.

[Commando]

I'm completely sold on traveling in tubes. Maybe it's not that much of an improvement over air time, but it is an improvement. If they could have the system going at a good clip firing off pod after pod after pod every few minutes it could completely replace some of the most popular air routes or at least relieve airport traffic. Yes, it is a sizable initial capital expenditure but it won't happen all at once. You'll first see an exclusive route, then a West Coast system, then if it's reliable and popular will expand. I like the idea of a trans-atlantic or trans-pacific tube system. I like that it uses so little fuel and how relatively quiet it would be. Getting to Mars would be cool, but let's face it-- those astronauts are going to die out there. This is more exciting to me.

[Moliere]

Sounds claustrophobic and I'm sure it would make me more sick than a smooth plane ride but I like the idea. I wonder if it's really necessary to have the tube and not just a track?

It also reminds me of The Running Man.


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[SCcoug]

Sounds claustrophobic and I'm sure it would make me more sick than a smooth plane ride but I like the idea. I wonder if it's really necessary to have the tube and not just a track?

It also reminds me of The Running Man.


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The tube with low pressure is the whole point.

[Commando]

Sounds claustrophobic and I'm sure it would make me more sick than a smooth plane ride but I like the idea. I wonder if it's really necessary to have the tube and not just a track?

It also reminds me of The Running Man.


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Yeah the purpose of the tube is to create a vacuum and eliminate as much air resistance as possible for maximum efficiency.