Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

Jet Packs and Macs (1994)

Like the teaser ad for the new Power Macintosh in 1994, this ad reappropriates images of the paleo-future. See also: Power Macintosh Ad: This Future Belongs to the Past (1994)

Tech News Matt Novak May 2 '07

The 1982 book The Omni Future Almanac contains a list of the top companies for the year 2000. Telecommunications services, energy, and genetic/biological engineering will probably be the significant growth areas over the coming years, and the “Fortune 500” of today will look quite different from the “OMNI 500” of tomorrow. Here is a look…

Tech News Matt Novak May 1 '07

Communities May Be Weatherized (Edwardsville Intelligencer, 1952)

The Edwardsville Intelligencer (Edwardsville, Illinois) ran an article on December 15, 1952 outlining a vision of weather-controlled communities of the future. “Weather-conditioned” communities in the future are perfectly feasible, according to a professor of architecture. Ambrose M. Richardson of the University of Illinois announced that his graduate architecture students already are working on a model…

Tech News Matt Novak May 1 '07

Delicious Waste Liquids of the Future (1982)

The 1982 book Our Future Needs (World of Tomorrow) by Neil Ardley envisions a world where liquid waste is converted into food. A food factory of the future serves a desert city. Pipes bring waste liquids from industries in the city to the factory, where they are converted into foods by bacteria in tanks. Solar…

Tech News Matt Novak May 1 '07

Mammy vs. Robot (Charleston Gazette, 1937)

This Li’l Abner comic by Al Capp ran in the July 18, 1937 edition of the Charleston Gazette (Charleston, West Virginia). See also: Donald Duck’s “Modern Inventions” (1937) All’s Fair at the Fair (1938)

Tech News Matt Novak May 1 '07

I want an oil-cream cone! (1954)

In 1954 Victor Cohn wrote the book 1999: Our Hopeful Future. Cohn, a well respected science and medical journalist, reportedly interviewed scientists and engineers at MIT while researching for his book. Pink snow covered the ground in 1999. Farmers sprinkled dye to absorb sunlight, speed melting and advance planting … For lunch the Futures ate…

Tech News Matt Novak May 1 '07

1980-1990 Developments (1979)

The last two pages of the 1979 book Future Cities: Homes and Living into the 21st Century describes what will happen over the course of “the next 120 years.” Naturally, we’ll begin with the 1980s. 1980-1990 -Satellites in Earth orbit beam educational programmes to many countries in the underdeveloped Third World. -Wind turbines – modern…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 30 '07

1999 A.D. (1967)

Split second lunches, color-keyed disposable dishes, all part of the instant society of tomorrow. A society rich in leisure and taken-for-granted comforts. In 1967 the Philco-Ford Corporation released a short film titled 1999 A.D. In it the inevitable advances of the future are demonstrated. This clip of the kitchen of the future showcases a world…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 30 '07

Memory of ‘Tomorrow’ (New York Times, 1941)

Fanciful visions of the future were few and far between in the early 1940s. This article by Sidney M. Shalett, from the April 27, 1941 New York Times sums up why. It was on a Sunday morning – the last Sunday in April – two years ago when the great World’s Fair opened: April 30,…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 30 '07

Ray Gun book (1999)

The book Ray Gun by Eugene W. Metcalf and Frank Maresca examines the science fiction side of the paleo-future. I tend to stay away from pure science fiction on the Paleo-Future blog but there’s no doubt that images of futuristic heroism had a large impact on mainstream ideas of what tomorrow held. Above is one…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 28 '07

Homework in the Future (1981)

Forget jetpacks, Martian colonies and floating cities. We may have found the most astonishing claim made by anyone of the paleo-future. According to the 1981 book School, Work and Play (World of Tomorrow), in the future, homework will be fun! Upon hearing the news every child of the early 1980s choked on their bologna sandwich.…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 28 '07

In 50 Years: Cars Flying Like Missiles! (Chicago Daily Tribune, 1959)

The Chicago Daily Tribune ran an article in their April 26, 1959 edition proclaiming, “In 50 Years: Cars Flying Like Missiles!” Below is an excerpt from the piece. Can you imagine an autoist driving up to a “gas” station 50 years from now and receiving replacement energy capsules for his car instead of getting a…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 27 '07

‘Humanization of space’ envisioned in shuttle’s wake (Christian Science Monitor, 1979)

A November 2, 1979 article by John Yemma in the Christian Science Monitor outlined Jesco Von Puttkamer’s vision of America’s future in space. Von Puttkamer was a planner for NASA and even consulted on the first Star Trek movie. By the late ’80s or early ’90s, a huge solar power satellite may be constructed to…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 27 '07

Power Macintosh Ad: This future belongs to the past (1994)

In 1994 Apple Computer ran a series of ads that were essentially reflections on the paleo-future. The idea was that with the Power Macintosh the real future had arrived. See also:Apple’s Knowledge Navigator (1987)

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 27 '07

Prelude to a Great Depression (The Chronicle Telegram, 1929)

In the March 8, 1929 issue of the Chronicle Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) Roger W. Babson made predictions of what the future held. Below is an excerpt under the heading of “Stocks and Bonds.” Babson couldn’t estimate how quickly everything was about to change and that it would be for the worse. It almost reminds me…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 27 '07

The Kids’ Whole Future Catalog (1982)

The 1982 book The Kids’ Whole Future Catalog features a broad range of paleo-futuristic hopes and dreams. From floating cities to rocketbelts this book runs the gamut of 1980s futurism. Unfortunately, it also contains some scam artists such as Uri Geller. For the most part it’s a great read and we’ll definitely be checking out…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 27 '07

Superfarm of the Year 2020 (1979)

The 1979 book Robots (World of the Future) includes the “Superfarm” of the year 2020. Many of the advances that they write about appear to have become a reality. That being said, I’ve never seen a farm that looked like that. Plastic domes are in contention with the videophone and flying cars for supreme perpetual…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 26 '07

Sealab 1994 (1973)

The 1973 book 1994: the World of Tomorrow has yet another example of future colonization of the world’s oceans. In this permanent undersea base of the future, scientists working at an oceanographic laboratory and operations center seek ways to exploit the vast food and mineral resources of the earth’s ocean basins. Such a center would…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 26 '07

Animals of 2076 (1977)

The quote below from Phoebe Burdg of San Martin, California was featured in the Tricentennial Report, published in 1977. Phoebe describes animals of 2076 that will of course be mechanical. The only live animals are these necessary to provide meat. Any others are expertly mechanized duplicates of the real thing, as depicted in the many…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 26 '07

Computer Rights Pact of 2007 (1982)

The Omni Future Almanac is 293 pages of paleo-future glory. In the “Projected Computer Milestones” section of the book I naturally turned to 2007, curious just how far behind we are. It then occurred to me that if we interpret the DMCA in a certain way, we are sadly right on schedule. Demand for a…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 25 '07

Matt Novak

Jet Packs and Macs (1994)

OMNI 500 (1982)

Communities May Be Weatherized (Edwardsville Intelligencer, 1952)

Delicious Waste Liquids of the Future (1982)

Mammy vs. Robot (Charleston Gazette, 1937)

I want an oil-cream cone! (1954)

1980-1990 Developments (1979)

1999 A.D. (1967)

Memory of ‘Tomorrow’ (New York Times, 1941)

Ray Gun book (1999)

Homework in the Future (1981)

In 50 Years: Cars Flying Like Missiles! (Chicago Daily Tribune, 1959)

‘Humanization of space’ envisioned in shuttle’s wake (Christian Science Monitor, 1979)

Power Macintosh Ad: This future belongs to the past (1994)

Prelude to a Great Depression (The Chronicle Telegram, 1929)

The Kids’ Whole Future Catalog (1982)

Superfarm of the Year 2020 (1979)

Sealab 1994 (1973)

Animals of 2076 (1977)

Computer Rights Pact of 2007 (1982)

Meta Goes the Way of xAI, Considers Renting Computing Power as Own Model Flails

Apple’s ‘Hide My Email’ Feature May Reveal Users’ Real Addresses

Amazon Practically Gives Away the UGREEN 3-Port 30W USB-C Charger for Under $10

Saharan Dust Is Blowing Into the US. Here’s What It Means for Holiday Weekend Weather

Company Plans to Drop 600,000 Bacteria-Infected Mosquitoes into DC This Summer

Samsung’s Smart Glasses Could Team Up With Its Rings and Watches

Elon Musk Is Reportedly Showing Off an AI Device to Investors

Zach Cregger to Write What Could Potentially Be the Next ‘Backrooms’

Physicists Devise Black Hole Alternative With a ‘Mini Universe’ at Its Center

Palantir CEO Calls Drugs ‘The One Thing I Don’t Do’ in Wildly Unhinged Interview

The Best Gadgets of June 2026

Meta Fury AI Glasses Review: The Worst Company Still Makes the Best Smart Glasses

Google Home Speaker Review: A Faster Way of Being Frustrated

The Best Tech to Level Up Summer 2026

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Review: A Private Screen Only Goes So Far

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Review: The Best Handheld PC, but You’ll Have to Pay for It

HP OmniBook Ultra Review: Perfect, if Not for the Little Things

Fender Elie 6 Review: So Close to Being Great

Govee Outdoor Chromatic String Lights Review: A Colorful Way to (Kind of) Light Your Patio

Logitech’s Folding Travel Mouse Fails at the One Thing That Matters Most