Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

Lyndon B. Johnson on 2063 A.D. (1963)

Today we have Lyndon B. Johnson’s predictions for the future of space exploration, as printed in the book 2063 A.D.. Perhaps the outstanding feature of a prediction about the next century in space is that our imagination today is too limited to visualize the vast possibilities. In other words, more will be accomplished in space…

Tech News Matt Novak

“Grasshopper” Golf Cart (1961)

The March 5, 1961 Chicago Tribune ran this Closer Than We Think! strip, showcasing the golf cart of the future. Hey, it can’t all be starving children and future shock. To save steps for the par-shooter of the future, a Tokyo firm has designed a remote-control golf cart, based on the same principles that permit…

Tech News Matt Novak

2000 A.D. Radio Documentary (1966)

The 1966 radio documentary 2000 A.D.: A documentary on life in the universe in the 21st century, hosted by Chet Huntley, covers some very interesting topics. Government, energy use, leisure time, electronics, use of the oceans, and private enterprise were among the many issues discussed by Mr. Huntley and those he interviewed. You can listen…

Tech News Matt Novak

Broken Time Capsule (1963-1997)

Since my first post about the General Dynamic Astronautics Time Capsule of 1963, we’ve learned that it was likely crushed when the building was torn down sometime in 1997. As noted in the comments, 201 copies were produced and distributed to major universities, which is where I happened upon the copy I now have in…

Tech News Matt Novak

Automobiles of the Future (1966)

The 1966 book Automobiles of the Future by Irwin Stambler contains some pretty awesome projections of what we were supposed to be driving by now. The image above is the cover of the book. Stay tuned as we check out the cars of the (paleo) future as featured in this classic book.

Tech News Matt Novak

Electronic Shopping (1983)

Terry R. Hiller wrote an article titled “Going Shopping in the 1990s” for the December, 1983 issue of The Futurist magazine. Mr. Hiller was understandably skeptical of the prospect of electronic shopping. However, many of the things he asserted would not come to pass did indeed happen. An excerpt appears below, along with graphics from…

Tech News Matt Novak

EPCOT Publicity Materials (1981)

The diverse and informative Disney blog, 2719 Hyperion has a very interesting post about the publicity materials sent out prior to EPCOT’s opening on October 1, 1982. Below is a description of the attraction New Horizons from an early brochure. New Horizons An underwater colony is one of the future habitats highlighting your journey through…

Tech News Matt Novak

General Dynamics Astronautics Time Capsule (1963)

The booklet 2063 A.D., published by General Dynamics Astronautics, was placed into a time capsule in July of 1963. It contains predictions by scientists, politicians, astronauts and military commanders about the state of space exploration in the year 2063. The introduction to the book appears below. This archive records the predictions sealed in a time…

Tech News Matt Novak

Picturesque America (1909)

After recently reading about how devoid the paleo-future is of advertising I thought it’d be a good time to pull out a cartoon Harry Grant Dart drew for a 1909 issue of Life magazine. This image can be found in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Collection. See also: Futuristic Air Travel (circa 1900)

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Robot Farms (1982)

The 1982 book Our Future Needs (World of Tomorrow) contains this two-page spread of robot farms of the future. No, they don’t grow robots. The robots just work on the farms. But combine the idea of robot farms and the robot rebellion we looked at a few months back and you’ve got a hilariously horrifying…

Tech News Matt Novak

The Air Ship: A Musical Farce Comedy (1898)

The 1960’s TV show The Jetsons taught an entire generation what to expect of the future. Using comedy to create fanciful expectations of the future is not an idea exclusive to the twentieth century. The posters above advertise The Air Ship: A Musical Farce Comedy from 1898. Below is an article which appeared in the…

Tech News Matt Novak

Up-Wing Priorities (1981)

Paleo-Future reader Mark Plus sent me a very interesting piece from the June 1981 issue of Future Life magazine. The author, F.M. Esfandiary, insisted that the Right/Left political and social dynamic was outdated. The new direction was Up. Mr. Esfandiary would later change his name to FM2030 because he was convinced that he would live…

Tech News Matt Novak

Much-Needed Rest (1903)

A common fear of the future is that life will become much too hectic. This idea is commonly portrayed in cartoons such as the one above, which ran in the June 4, 1903 edition of Life Magazine. The caption reads, “Mr. A. Merger Hogg is taking a few days’ much-needed rest at his country home.”…

Tech News Matt Novak

Space Spiders (1979)

The 1979 book Toward Distant Suns features the “Space Spiders,” illustrated below. Space Spiders are designed to help build the space colonies of the (paleo)future. Use of Space Spiders to build a space colony of the Stanford torus type. In the foreground mobile teleoperators carry rolls of aluminum to restock the Spiders’ supplies. Detail shows…

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Sees World Better or Worse (1923)

Of all the contributions to the February 12, 1923 Bridgeport Telegram article Thinking Men and Women Predict Problems of World Century Hence Educational Director of the Rand School, Algernon Lee makes the most non-commital prediction of them all. A hundred years hence the world will be either a great deal better than now or a…

Tech News Matt Novak

Wristwatch of the Future as Crimefighter (1979)

The 1979 book Future Cities: Homes and Living into the 21st Century goes into some detail about how the “risto” may be used in a variety of applications. Aside from instantly voting via your watch the device apparently has crime-fighting capabilities. Crime in cities could get a knock from the risto. Police would all be…

Tech News Matt Novak

House of the Future for the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition (1956)

The photos and excerpts below are featured in the book Fifties Source Book and highlight the Kitchen of the Future built for the 1956 Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition. Peter and Alison Smithson were major exponents of Modernist architecture in Britain, commissioned to design the House of the Future for the 1956 Daily Mail Ideal…

Tech News Matt Novak

Gardens of Glowing Electrical Flowers (1900)

From October 11 until December 27, 1900 the New York Observer ran a series of eight letters by a man named Augustus. He was reporting from the Paris Exposition of 1900. The second installment of the series, which ran October 18th captures the wonder of seeing a city engulfed in electric light and the hope…

Tech News Matt Novak

Black & Decker Hydrator (1989)

In the futuristic world of 2015 you’ll "hydrate" Pizza Hut pizzas with your Black & Decker Hydrator. This clip, from the 1989 movie Back to the Future: Part II, also contains a pretty interesting fruit storage device along with a "Master-Cook" console which looks like some kind of recipe holder. See also:Back to the Future:…

Tech News Matt Novak

Future Newspapers Written by Advertisers (1912)

The August 10, 1912 Chicago Defender contained this blurb about journalism of the future. “What’s your idea of the future journal?” “It will be written by advertisers, and it will contain nothing calculated to bring a blush to the cheek of the young person except cosmetics.” See also: Tablet Newspaper (1994)

Tech News Matt Novak

Matt Novak

Lyndon B. Johnson on 2063 A.D. (1963)

“Grasshopper” Golf Cart (1961)

2000 A.D. Radio Documentary (1966)

Broken Time Capsule (1963-1997)

Automobiles of the Future (1966)

Electronic Shopping (1983)

EPCOT Publicity Materials (1981)

General Dynamics Astronautics Time Capsule (1963)

Picturesque America (1909)

Robot Farms (1982)

The Air Ship: A Musical Farce Comedy (1898)

Up-Wing Priorities (1981)

Much-Needed Rest (1903)

Space Spiders (1979)

Sees World Better or Worse (1923)

Wristwatch of the Future as Crimefighter (1979)

House of the Future for the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition (1956)

Gardens of Glowing Electrical Flowers (1900)

Black & Decker Hydrator (1989)

Future Newspapers Written by Advertisers (1912)

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