# If someone from the 1950s suddenly appeared today, what would be the most difficult thing to explain **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454 "2013-11-21T17:57:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/41 "2013-11-21T20:23:25Z")
Price of gasoline. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/42 "2013-11-21T20:27:16Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > And the same daily issues that haven’t been solved by technology. Where the hell is my flying car? “Sir, bear in mind that we’ve got a whooooole lot of women drivers.” ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/43 "2013-11-21T20:31:45Z")
I kinda suspect that the overwhelming pervasiveness of computers and computing power would blow a 1950s person’s mind. There’s lots of things that were devised back then, but had to wait on the computer becoming mainstream and ubiquitous for them to realize their potential. MRIs were conceptually developed back then, but didn’t really come into their own until much later. Things like Skype with web-cams would be the stuff of fevered science fiction, and the idea that not only could you do that easily, but that you could do it on a device you keep in your pocket that also is a telephone, calculator, video player, autofocus/auto exposure camera and video recorder would be entirely astounding. Not so much any particular aspect, but the integration of all of them would be pretty surprising. Keep in mind that transistor radios were still rather large back then and did one thing only. Even Star Trek tricorders and communicators from a decade later were less feature-rich than your average smartphone. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/44 "2013-11-21T20:48:31Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > And while we’re on the subject, disabled people are now mainstreamed into society and not “put away”. Certainly there are situations where this has to be done ☹ , but it’s not a disgrace to have a disabled family member. It just is. Most parents nowadays also know that if a child has a difference or challenge of some kind, it cannot be punished out of them. “And we call this the ‘Special Olympics’”. “You mean you RACE them!?”:eek: ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/45 "2013-11-21T20:49:04Z")
The economic advancements in Asia would be pretty mind blowing. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/46 "2013-11-21T21:01:08Z")
Professional football players having to apologize for homophobic comments. I remember the (later) fifties, and NOBODY was saying homosexuality is in any way acceptable. It was either a sin or a disease. And same-sex marriage? It would be inconceivable to them. And how much we know about the universe. When I was a kid, we knew about two galaxies, the Milky Way and Andromeda, plus the Magellanic Clouds, and that was it. Now we can see the amazing pictures from the Hubble telescope, and evidence of planets around other stars. That’s magic! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/47 "2013-11-21T21:09:34Z")
> [@Mr\_Quatro](#): > > Gay marriage being legal, gay senators, gay congressmen, gay governors, gays in the military… Yeah, that’s the first thing that popped into my head. Gays were still considered perverts or, at best, mentally ill. Oh, and also we’d have to explain that Liberace actually _was_ gay! (Was he on the scene in the 50s, or was that later?) ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/48 "2013-11-21T21:20:06Z")
Someone would have to explain to him why we still have bomb shelters for sale and no nuclear war has taken place as of yet … and don’t forget the wall came down in Berlin in 1989 but it didn’t even go up till 1961 so he wouldn’t even know about that problem. Salaries would be hard to explain too ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/49 "2013-11-21T21:25:02Z")
Think of the opposite situation, as a sort of updated _Back to the Future_ thing. The joke about Ronald Reagan being president might even be funnier. \*You’re from the future, huh. So, who’s president? Barack Obama!\* ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/50 "2013-11-21T21:39:29Z")
And yes, both the Dodgers and Giants moved to California. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/51 "2013-11-21T21:41:17Z")
> [@Mr\_Quatro](#): > > Except in the state of Oregon it’s a state law that they pump your gas for you 🙂 And New Jersey. You know, the civilized parts of the country where you can sit in your car like a gentleman while the tank is being filled. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/52 "2013-11-21T22:12:54Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And how much we know about the universe. When I was a kid, we knew about two galaxies, the Milky Way and Andromeda, plus the Magellanic Clouds, and that was it. Now we can see the amazing pictures from the Hubble telescope, and evidence of planets around other stars. That’s magic! I’m pretty sure they knew about more than two galaxies for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/53 "2013-11-21T22:13:53Z")
Single mothers, bi-racial relationships and the divorce rate. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/54 "2013-11-21T22:22:06Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I think the gay thing would be the one they had the hardest time wrapping their heads around. Civil Rights for African Americans was already starting by the 50’s and had plenty of mainstream support. Lots of people from the 50’s might’ve hated it, but I don’t think they’d be surprised. > > Homosexuality, on the other hand, was still basically seen as a perversion and mental illness by almost everyone. The fact that a few decades later a sizable portion of the population just decided it didn’t matter would, I think, blow 1950’s guys mind far more then black Presidents or smart phones. > > Hell, I was born in the 80’s, and its still kinda weird for me to think about how fast homosexuality has gained general acceptance. I was born in 1980 and was terrorized for racial reasons throughout my teens in the 1990s. So I am a little skeptical about all the comments that the 50s guys wouldn’t have an issue with the racial thing but would have a much bigger issue with gay acceptance. Though I have to admit this is colored by my own experiences. I was born knowing gay and interracial couples as friends and family. Sometime in the early 90s I learned how bigoted many people still were. I would agree that anti-gay bigotry seemed much more casual and accepted much more recently, though. So that would be more difficult to accept, but racism as a mainstream view isn’t that long in the past, either. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/55 "2013-11-21T22:24:27Z")
Seems all the good ones are taken, so I’ll go with Viagra and other medical miracles, including the fact that not only are people living longer, but they are living better, longer. Oh, and why Americans today are so freaking fat. I think that, depending on who this time traveler is, that would come as the biggest shock. And the dominance of fast food. Other things…advances in the car. Things like computers and space travel would be too far out there for most people to grasp…but think about showing someone from the 50’s a modern car and then telling them how much horsepower they are stuffing into those small engines while also showing them the gas mileage they get. It’s something that is so familiar that, I think, would really underline the changes and differences and advances to the common person. It would blow their minds. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/56 "2013-11-21T22:33:00Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > That people are rich enough to have two television sets Well, some people are. I’d love to take a 50s mother/wife to a modern grocery store. All that variety! Just the cereal section alone would confound her. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/57 "2013-11-21T22:34:33Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I was born in 1980 and was terrorized for racial reasons throughout my teens in the 1990s. So I am a little skeptical about all the comments that the 50s guys wouldn’t have an issue with the racial thing but would have a much bigger issue with gay acceptance. Though I have to admit this is colored by my own experiences. I was born knowing gay and interracial couples as friends and family. Sometime in the early 90s I learned how bigoted many people still were. I would agree that anti-gay bigotry seemed much more casual and accepted much more recently, though. So that would be more difficult to accept, but racism as a mainstream view isn’t that long in the past, either. I think the idea is: in the '50s, you could be be one of _those_ races so long as you know your place: don’t whistle at white women, don’t give me no lip when I call you “boy” and you call me “sir”, make damn sure to sit in the back of the bus and drink from the ‘colored’ fountain, and so on, and so on, and you can even shine my shoes. You’re openly gay? Time to get your teeth knocked out. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/58 "2013-11-21T22:38:03Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I was born in 1980 and was terrorized for racial reasons throughout my teens in the 1990s. So I am a little skeptical about all the comments that the 50s guys wouldn’t have an issue with the racial thing but would have a much bigger issue with gay acceptance. Though I have to admit this is colored by my own experiences. I was born knowing gay and interracial couples as friends and family. Sometime in the early 90s I learned how bigoted many people still were. I would agree that anti-gay bigotry seemed much more casual and accepted much more recently, though. So that would be more difficult to accept, but racism as a mainstream view isn’t that long in the past, either. I don’t believe anyone is saying everyone would be cool with Barack Obama as President and greater rights and tolerances for blacks. I think what we’re saying is already by the 50s you had (aside from those who didn’t care) basically two broad types; 1. People who feared exactly what we have today (more or less legal racial equality as a matter of fact, widespread black voting, employment protections for minorities, freedom to marry interracially, an interracial President who identifies as black etc)–so they’d be unhappy but they wouldn’t be shocked. To them it’d be an “I told you so, you give 'em an inch and they take a mile” reaction. 2. People who had hoped for exactly what we have today. (Not every living person in the United States who was white was opposed to civil equality.) These people would not have a problem with our current society. They might be surprised it actually happened…but not shocked. Shocked to me is like someone from the Civil War era finding out man has landed on the moon, because that’s literally the realm of science fiction in the 1800s (Jules Verne.) ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/59 "2013-11-21T22:39:16Z")
> [@Sahirrnee](#): > > Single mothers, bi-racial relationships and the divorce rate. Definitely the mainstreaming of single motherhood and divorce. That’s been so total that people forget about it entirely. Even in the 80’s and early 90’s, people considered it worthy of a joke when the groom at a wedding had two prior marriages and the bride had one. Also the changes in culture, inasmuch as that much of what’s on TV today would have been considered pornographic then. Likewise the increased profanity. Anyone from the 50’s would immediately have noticed that. Oh, and where do scientists and engineers of today keep their slide rules? I haven’t seen one anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454/60 "2013-11-21T22:39:23Z")
Imagine if you were asked to imagine what medical science would look like in 2076, would any of it be that surprising to you? Regenerating limbs? Consciousness transfer? Tailored gene therapy? I wager not. You might not understand the specifics but you’re not that surprised that things are more advanced in general. Similarly, I don’t think the internet or self driving cars would be that surprising. Instead, what I think are the most difficult things are regressions or deviations from trends. Some things I think would be very hard to explain: - How we put a few men on the moon, and then didn’t go back for over 40 years. - The widespread secularism of American culture and how religion no longer is a core part of the everyday lives of many Americans. - Women becoming as sexually aggressive as men, the hookup/one night stand culture, sexting and the general decoupling of sex from relationships - The lack of civility, especially around political discourse. - The nostalgia movement and the entire hipster thing being huge. - That we would allow a major city like Detroit to just collapse into ruin and not really care. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-from-the-1950s-suddenly-appeared-today-what-would-be-the-most-difficult-thing-to-explain/674454.md?page=4)