Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

The future of commuting took a left turn (2009)

Gordon Dickson wrote a piece in the February 15, 2009 issue of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about the Paleo-Future blog: In popular culture, paleofuture refers to the study of what people in the past thought we’d be doing today — flying in cars, eating entire meals in a pill, submitting to self-aware robots. One clearinghouse…

Tech News Matt Novak

City of the Future Postcards (circa 1910)

Leominster in the Future (postcard circa 1910) At the turn of the 20th century, the postcard seemed to be a popular medium with which to imagine the future. While these depictions were often tongue-in-cheek they, like the Jetsons in the 1960s, held some kernel of truth about society’s expectations for what was to come. We…

Tech News Matt Novak

The Public School of Tomorrow (1912)

The March 7, 1912 Spirit Lake Beacon (Spirit Lake, IA) published a piece by V.A. Arnold titled, “The Public School of Tomorrow.” It’s interesting to see transportation discussed as a way to revolutionize education in the early 20th century. An excerpt from the piece appears below, along with the article in its entirety. Our future…

Tech News Matt Novak

The Electronic Home (circa 1988)

Ameritech’s (late 1980s) concept video The Electronic Home envisions the futuristic world of HDTV and videophone, as well as internet-like services that allow you to make restaurant reservations (at a cartoonishly stereotypical Italian restaurant), shop for kimonos (because your shirt is made of giant playing cards), or buy a house (with your Atari joystick). The…

Tech News Matt Novak

Man or Machine? (1933)

Whenever doing research on past robots of the future I usually have to wade through a lot of exaggeration, distortion, and lies. The hundreds of articles that I’ve read from the 1920s through the present often describe robots doing things that would be incredibly difficult, even for the robots of 2009. It is much easier…

Tech News Matt Novak

Family Life to be Altered Greatly by 21st Century (1968)

The January 2, 1968 Lima News (Lima, OH) ran the third in a series of articles based on research by the Commission on the Year 2000 of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The third in the series dealt with life, work and family issues humanity would face in the year 2000. As I’ve…

Tech News Matt Novak

But the Internet has no Dewey decimal system… (1995)

With search engines acting as such a necessary tool for internet use in 2009, we sometimes must remind ourselves that they did not come pre-packaged with cyberspace. The 1997 book Predicting the Future looked at past and contemporary predictions of the future and assessed their accuracy. A 1995 prediction by Bill Gates about “the internet…

Tech News Matt Novak

Rejuvenated Downtowns (1959)

The March 1, 1959 edition of Arthur Radebaugh’s Closer Than We Think! featured “rejuvenated downtowns” of the future. I travel the United States often imagining what the downtowns of our major cities once looked like. Few American downtowns are thriving, or barely surviving. The downtown of the city in which I live (St. Paul, MN)…

Tech News Matt Novak

Horizontal Cities of 2031 (1931)

The December 6, 1931 Daily Capital News and Post-Tribune (Jefferson City, MO) ran a short blurb about Francis Keally’s predictions for the city of 2031. Keally (1889-1978) was an architect who worked on the Oregon state capitol building in Salem, which was completed in 1938. Francis Keally thinks that our future cities will spread out…

Tech News Matt Novak

The Pioneers’ Centennial (1909)

Did you raise a toast to William Marconi last night? How about Robert Fulton? Not even the Wright brothers? Well, this piece in the September 26, 1909 New York Times thought you would be doing just that in twenty-oh-nine. This fictionalized future editorial explores everything from the “aerovessels” we were to be flying to the…

Tech News Matt Novak

Man’s Life in the Space Age (1962)

Fun House has posted some fun images from the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, which was also known as the “Century 21 Exposition.” The image above is a map which “illustrates your trip through the World of Century 21.” Previously on Paleo-Future: Seattle World’s Fair Official Souvenir Program (1962) Frederick & Nelson Ad (1962) Century…

Tech News Matt Novak

Everyman’s Folding Auto (1939)

The November 26, 1939 San Antonio Light (San Antonio, TX) featured this prediction of the fold-up car of the future. Even the young man of the scientific future may find trouble, one day on the road, with his sunpower automobile. He gets out, tips up the car with one hand and looks underneath. Finding what…

Tech News Matt Novak

Exploring Space (1958)

While The Complete Book of Space Travel was aimed at teen and pre-teen boys, the 1958 book Exploring Space was looking for a younger audience (still of boys, mind you, since we all know that lady-parts get confused with all that science and math). Below are sample pages from the book, including one that some…

Tech News Matt Novak

Game Parlor of the Future (1982)

This two-page spread from a 1982 issue of Electronic Games magazine is pretty spot on with many of its predictions. However, being “chained to the family TV set” isn’t such a big deal when Little Johnny Future now plays on a 72-inch monster TV. Thanks to Paul H. for sending this article my way. The…

Tech News Matt Novak

Jetpack Dreams

I haven’t yet read Mac Montandon’s book Jetpack Dreams, but thanks to this video it’s made its way to the top of my book heap. Jetpack Dreams Trailer from Mac Montandon on Vimeo. Read more:Disneyland Jetpack (1966)10,000 Years From Now (1922)Jet Pack Video (1966)Bell Aviation’s Rocket Pack (1964)Jet Flying Belt is Devised to Carry Man…

Tech News Matt Novak

Tomorrow’s Kitchen (1943)

The July 16, 1943 Morning Herald (Uniontown, PA) ran this piece about the kitchen of the future, complete with built-in pots and pans. The kitchen was designed by the Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass company, which may be the same company that imagined the glass house of the year 2008. A special thanks to Warren for pointing me…

Tech News Matt Novak

Robot Christmas (1958)

Well Medicated recently compiled a number of paleo-futuristic images (mostly stolen from the always-excellent blog Modern Mechanix), including this one from the December, 1958 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. The robot family of the future sure is adorable, putting up their Christmas tree and all. If you recall, Parade magazine had a more terrifying depiction…

Tech News Matt Novak

Airplanes of Future Will Travel 1,000 MPH (1939)

The January 29, 1939 Hammond Times (Hammond, IN) ran this piece about the super-fast airplanes of the future. The article quickly devolves into a debate about how trustworthy air speed indicators are. WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 — Airplanes capable of flying nearly 1,000 miles an hour – 300 miles an hour faster than the speed of…

Tech News Matt Novak

Vacation at a Space Hotel (1982)

The The Kids’ Whole Future Catalog really is a treasure trove of 1980’s futurism. Today we have a letter from Jenny, writing her friend Susan about the amazing space hotel she’s visiting in the year 2002. Having graduated high school in the year 2002, I’m a little disappointed that my graduation ceremony wasn’t held at…

Tech News Matt Novak

Moving Pictures to Show Schoolboys of 1995 Our Time (1920)

The March 18, 1920 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA) declared that movies would help future generations better understand the past. This piece has striking similarities to 1920’s predictions of movies replacing textbooks. The piece is also interesting to read side-by-side with “Big Laughs Coming” from the Modesto Evening News in 1922. Every moving…

Tech News Matt Novak

Matt Novak

The future of commuting took a left turn (2009)

City of the Future Postcards (circa 1910)

The Public School of Tomorrow (1912)

The Electronic Home (circa 1988)

Man or Machine? (1933)

Family Life to be Altered Greatly by 21st Century (1968)

But the Internet has no Dewey decimal system… (1995)

Rejuvenated Downtowns (1959)

Horizontal Cities of 2031 (1931)

The Pioneers’ Centennial (1909)

Man’s Life in the Space Age (1962)

Everyman’s Folding Auto (1939)

Exploring Space (1958)

Game Parlor of the Future (1982)

Jetpack Dreams

Tomorrow’s Kitchen (1943)

Robot Christmas (1958)

Airplanes of Future Will Travel 1,000 MPH (1939)

Vacation at a Space Hotel (1982)

Moving Pictures to Show Schoolboys of 1995 Our Time (1920)

Artemis 2 by the Numbers: Breaking Down NASA’s Big Return to the Moon

Apple Removes iPhone Vibe Coding App from App Store

China’s Biggest Social Media Celebrity Is… Kris Jenner?

Up to $1,550 Off on pCloud: Pay Once, Protect Data Forever for World Backup Day

National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Adds ‘Succulent Chinese Meal’ Guy

Feds Sniffing Around Polymarket After Suspicious Bets

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Don’t Get Too Attached to Any AI App

‘Paradise’ Writer Teases What’s Coming in Season 3 After That Huge Twist

Trump’s New White House App Is Mildly Concerning and Weird for a Lot of Reasons

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets