We all remember watching Back to The Future when Doc and Marty travel to 2015, the electric pink hoverboard, the 3D shark from Jaws 19, the trash powered car and those self tying shoelaces make the future feel so . . . futuristic. As it turns out, this future is not so far away.
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The Time Gauge From the DeLorean in the Back to the Future Trilogy.
The Hoverboard
According to the MIT Physics Graduate Programme, a group of students have actually managed to develop a working hover board (although a long way away from mass production) and you’ll never believe who is testing the prototype. . . Tony Hawk
The Iconic Hoverboard Used by Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part 2
Tony Hawk is testing the new Hoverboard prototype.
Jaws 19 Hologram
This one is not such a surprise, we have all seen at least one 3D movie at our local cinema. Although the first 3D movie came out in 1957 (it was shown at MGM studios), they only really became a commercial cinema staple in the past 3 years.
The advertisement for the new Jaws 19 3D movie in Hill Valley square
Cinemas have had 3D options for the biggest Block Busters for years
Self-tying Shoelaces
This contraption seems a little bit far fetched, shoe laces that tie themselves are about as futuristic as commercial space travel, but rumours have been circling since Nike applied for a patent on self tying shoelaces in 2010, these laces are scheduled to be released in 2015 (strangely the year that Marty arrives in the future in the film).
The iconic self tying shoes from Back to the Future Part 2
Flying Cars
Scientists and inventors have been toying with this idea for over 50 years to no prevail, until now. Companies such as Terrafugia and Slovack claim to have mastered the flying car and made it possible to switch between flight and driving mode within minutes. Although a far way away from having hundreds of cars whizzing about in the sky, the idea of having commercially available flying cars is slowly becoming a reality.
The trash powered flying DeLorean
Prototype of the Terrafugia flying car
Trash powered cars
Trash powered cars are an intriguing concept for an array of reasons, whether it be to save money on fuel or to help the environment, and thousands of people have been working on the technology to make it a reality. Although it is doubtful that it will ever be as swift and efficient as it was in Back to the Future, the process of turning garbage into fuel has been tested and proved to be viable by many different sources but the commercialisation of this process is still a long way away.
The flying, trash powered DeLorean from Back to the Future Part 2
Video Phone
Ah, communication of the future. The videophone has not only been covered in Back to the Future, many classic films have depicted a future in which callers have a face-to-face conversation in lieu of a telephone. This technology has been available for years through programmes like Skype, Tango even google has created their own video chat feature.
Video Chat in Back to the Future Part 2
Retro-modern Fashion
Everyone knows that fashion is cyclical, trends of the years past make their way back with modern updates (think 80’s leg warmers and bright colours minus the frizzy perms). Strange how Back to the Future correctly predicted the merge of the 1980’s fashion trends into the style of the 2010’s of which the most popular are the leggings, the luminescent colours and the off-the shoulder t-shirts, not to mention those stylish futuristic sneaks worn by Marty in 2015.
The Cap worn by Marty in 2015
Modern fashion caps
1980’s inspired fashion.
Amazingly enough, Robet Zemeckis (director) was surprisingly accurate about the technology that would be available 26 years later. Although not all of these advances are publicly available they will be in the not-so-distant future, maybe in the next few years life will be as it was in Hill Valley in 2015.
Galileo says 