In the 80’s, the three Back to the Future movies, featuring Michael J. Fox, were very popular.In the second movie, Marty McFly travelled to the future, more specifically to October 21, 2015. Making a movie that is situated 25 years ahead, the writers had to predict what the future would be like. Of all the gadgets that were shown in the movie, here are some things that actually exist today. Did the writers get it right in predicting these gadgets would exist or were the inventors inspired by the movie for making them? I guess we’ll never know, but it is fun though to see what came out of it:
1.The hover board
The most iconic feature of the move definitely was the hover board.
Although it is not yet commercially available, it actually exists. Both Lexus and Hendo have a working prototype.
2.Flat screen TV’s
In the 80’s TV-screen were still tubes. Today, they are all replaced by flat screens.
3.Video calls
Skype has not yet replaced phone calls completely, but video calls are very common.
4.Biometric identification
Using a fingerprint as identification is not strange anymore. The technology is widely available in keyboards and iPads/iPhones and other devices, such as Samsung Galaxy phones.
5.Motion-controlled video games
That's exactly what Microsoft's Kinect for the Xbox is all about.
6.Tablets
The iPad has spun an entire tablet market.
7.Smart glasses
When Dr. Emmet came back from the future, he was wearing glasses to talk on the phone.
Google Glass is definitely going in that direction.
8.3D Movies
Avatar revamped the trend, even thought the market hasn't really taken off.
9.Computer controlled houses
With the internet of things, our appliances can be controlled by mobiles and computers.
10.Digital Data
No more CD or DVD, everything is recorded in digital format on USB sticks.
11.Wall-mounted televisions
With led-technology, there are no limits anymore to the size of a screen.
12.Auto-lacing sneakers
Nike made a limited edition of some kind of self-lacing shoes.
13.Organic Fuel
It has not yet replaced oil but it exists.
14.Drones
Are very often used to make movies where a camera man can’t get, but we still need someone to operate it, although the new Lily selfie drone is already able to “follow” you autonomously wherever you go / bike / ski / kayak.
15.Upside-down plants
However crazy it may sound, it is possible to grow vegetables from the ceiling.
It’s nice to see that several things really exist 25 years later, but many items however did not come true. Here are a few, but to see them all, you’d better watch the movie again.
1.Jaws 19
Thank God they stopped at Jaws 4.
2.Fax machines
They still exist but not in every house like in the movie. Scanning and e-mailing are today’s preferred means for sending documents.
3.Flying Cars
The Slovakian company Aeromobil is working on it, but that could take some more years.
4.Self-cleaning shirts
Do not exist yet but would be very interesting
5.Chicago Cubs
They haven’t yet won the World Series, but everything is still possible.
