"Back to the Future II" Were we right?
It’s time to geek out on an all-time great movie Back to the Future II which was the sequel to 1985's hit Back to the future where instead of going back in time, Marty and Doc take you to the future, 2015. Released to movie-going audiences November 1989, 4 years after the first movie and 30 years since many sat in the theatre watching MartyMcFly discover hoverboards, flying cars, powered shoelaces and flying news drones. It makes you feel a bit ancient, doesn't it? What did a crazy doctor, a high school student and a time-travelling flying DeLorean predict?
Hoverboards
This is the biggest disappointment of our generation. Humanity has failed. So let me get this out of the way quickly. No, we don't have hoverboards as promised by Back to the future II. I know, I thought we would be bouncing off walls and racing cars while floating above the ground by 2015 but unfortunately that’s not the case.So why don't we have hoverboards? Well for many reasons, most of them involving the laws of physics. While actual designs have been released in recent years, they are far more rudimentary and look nothing like the model Marty McFly had. Though two companies seem to be ahead of everyone else and have the first working prototypes, both using electromagnetic technology. The “Hendo hoverboard” which I think looks better and seems to work a lot better, can only be used on certain types of metal that do not contain iron and will fall flat over other surfaces. While the Lexus model uses superconductors cooled by liquid nitrogen, it also fails if it's not above a surface embedded with magnets. Though both companies attempted to resemble the models from BTTF II, neither board would make a dramatic getaway from Giff or Biff.
Achievement Rating: Epic Fail by Humanity
Drones
We don't have hovering robot reporters that cover court cases or sports games. However, we do have personal drones that record video and capture photos remotely for us. Using drones to take pictures and video seems like old news now, but they can be bought for less than $100. There are still year’s worth of improvements that need to be made before we reach BTTF II drone standards.A friend of mine just adopted a greyhound, so dog-walking drones which are seen in BTTF II would certainly be a good investment. As for normalising dog-walking drones, who knows, it could be the next zillion-dollar idea.
Achievement Rating: Sort of there
Programmable Home
1985 Jennifer is escorted to her 2015 home by the police after being discovered sleeping in the alley after Doc zaps her with a sleep inducer. The police escorting Jen to her door mention how she should have the lights programmed to turn on when she comes home. Smart home products like Apple,Google, or Alexa can recognise who is home and action the personal preferences of that individual. Making a programmable home a reality is possible and already being done with new improvements and systems being made every day.
Achievement Rating: Achieved and booming!
Power Laces
Nike released a version of Marty's iconic Nike Air Mags in 2011 but they weren’t self-lacing like the version you see in the film. If you have a causal$1k to drop on a pair of shoes, Nike have recently released a set of sneakers that have a self-lacing feature via an app. You can also change the lights and control other elements via a smartwatch or smartphone. You will need to charge them when you go to bed but it should be easy with the wireless charging pad they come with (https://www.nike.com/au/adapt).
Achievement Rating: Over Achievement, but late on prediction.
And because I couldn’t help myself, I had to add another prediction which doesn't involve a form of technology but includes wispy blond hair, Cheetos style tans and a weathered face. Yes, that's right. There are a lot of similarities between the BTTF series bad guy Biff Tannen and Donald Trump. Donald andBiff have both been married three times and like to live amongst vast amounts of wealth and extravagance. Biff also becomes a successful businessman whoo pens a casino which he lives above (Trump Tower anyone?), hotels and golf courses and then decides to go into politics. This isn’t a political statement, it’s just a fact. I had to mention it, the prediction is just too spooky.
Marty McFly finds himself in a future which has captured the imagination of millions and has proved itself to be remarkably clairvoyant. The world created by writer Bob Gale and then brought to life by director Robert Semeckis resembles our own in strange and uncanny ways. So, while we haven't made as much progress as Back to the Future II predicted like clothes that dry themselves, mobility aids, re-hydrating food and food waste as a fuel source, we are at least very close. Except for the Jaws19 movie. I don’t think that will happen ever, why mess with a classic right?
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