In his Danger Room column for Wired, Noah Shachtman shares Usborne Publishing’s 1979 illustrated trip to the far-off world of the year 2000 — and beyond!, complete with orbital factories, floating pyramid cities, and laser-powered replicators. His professional interests tend towards the military though:
Some of the predictions aren’t too far off; take off the laser cannon and the mini-wings in front, and the fighter plane, designed for “dogfighting in the 1990′s,” is reminiscent of today’s F-22. It’s even got “robot missiles” that “home in on the target by themselves.”Other prognostications didn’t pan out, alas. “Armed hovercars” haven’t replaced Humvees. 100-kph hydrofoil patrol boats” didn’t make it to “most, if not all, world navies” by “the 1990′s.” And troops aren’t climbing into “giant rocket transport[s]” to “quell an uprising in a state halfway around the world.” They’re still stuck with old-fashioned jets to do the job. Sigh.