Sorry, Seattle, the ‘Back to the Future’ commuting prophecy didn’t come true
Oct 21, 2015, 5:22 AM | Updated: 6:39 am
Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled to this very day in Back to the Future II ? 4:29 p.m. on Wednesday Oct. 21, 2015. (AP/Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
(AP/Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
Today is “Back to the Future” Day.
Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled to this very day in Back to the Future II — 4:29 p.m. on Wednesday Oct. 21, 2015.
And they see a headline on a holographic billboard: “Cubs win World Series.”
That’s the line everyone’s talking about. But they forget the rest of the line: “Against Miami?”
Not to be fussy but the World Series doesn’t even start till next week. But that’s how predictions usually go.
The new movie about Steve Jobs starts with a prediction by sci-fi icon Arthur C. Clark, who’s standing in front of a giant mainframe computer telling a reporter that one day every household would have access to one.
“These things will make possible a world in which we can contact our friends anywhere on Earth even if we don’t know their actual, physical location.”
And he predicted the consequences of that.
“In fact, any executive, even any physical skill could be made independent of distance.”
Yes, he predicted outsourcing. But then he also predicted that cities would disappear.
“In fact, men will no longer commute. They won’t have to travel for business anymore, they’d only travel for pleasure.”
No more commuting? Wrong.
Come to think of it, Back to the Future also got the commuting part wrong.
“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.”
I’m sure we’re all enjoying our roadless non-commutes.
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