# Why were midcentury futurist predictions — like flying cars — so wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 26, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675 "2014-11-26T15:33:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/21 "2014-12-05T23:11:57Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Everything about that privileged use of land, airspace, resources etc. is kind of contrary to most other visions of our immediate future - “Come the revolution, ain’t gonna be no more limousines”\* > > - Obscure R. Crumb reference. Boy, there’s a future whose time has passed! Seriously, AB, check the other thread. I’d like your thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/22 "2014-12-06T00:26:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Now, the personal airstrip thing…that’s another story. The town of [Cameron Park, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameron_Park,_California) has a development called Cameron Airpark Estates, with extra-wide streets and airplane parking hangars. The property owners keep their airplanes in the private hangars and use the streets as taxiways to the nearby airport. ---
**Author:** ![lucid-nonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2acd7d/32.png) [@lucid-nonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucid-nonsense)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/23 "2015-01-23T21:05:46Z")
Helicopters kind of are flying cars. You just can’t afford one. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/24 "2015-01-23T22:22:01Z")
> [@lucid-nonsense](#): > > Helicopters kind of are flying cars. You just can’t afford one. [Why not](http://www.gizmag.com/go/4628/)? ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/25 "2015-01-23T23:39:29Z")
Is it absolutely necessary to fly it with no trousers on? ---
**Author:** ![lucid-nonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2acd7d/32.png) [@lucid-nonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucid-nonsense)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/26 "2015-01-23T23:45:32Z")
> [@XT](#): > > [Why not](http://www.gizmag.com/go/4628/)? I have a way out of this one: you can’t fly it. 🙂 > [@eburacum45](#): > > Is it absolutely necessary to fly it with no trousers on? That thing looks like it would have some _serious_ weight restrictions. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/27 "2015-01-25T13:40:02Z")
> [@eburacum45](#): > > Is it absolutely necessary to fly it with no trousers on? Must’ve read too many Wonder Woman comics as a kid. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/28 "2015-01-27T20:52:33Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Must’ve read too many Wonder Woman comics as a kid. Wonder Woman had the legs for her outfit, GyroCaptainWannabe doesn’t. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![waddlingeagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@waddlingeagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddlingeagle)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/29 "2015-01-28T15:22:25Z")
> [@HakunaK](#): > > Cecil, > > Now, the personal airstrip thing…that’s another story. > > What are your thoughts on that, folks? Personal airstrips and private community airstrips are common. Many are grass strips or sections of road also used by cars. ---
**Author:** ![waddlingeagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@waddlingeagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddlingeagle)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/30 "2015-01-28T15:31:25Z")
> [@XT](#): > > [Why not](http://www.gizmag.com/go/4628/)? One of the real obstacles to flying cars is the requirements for a pilot’s certificate. It will cost about $20,000 these days to get one. Helicopter certificates tend to be more expensive. Then there is the required medical certificate which you must carry whenever you fly. It is only a couple hundred dollars, but the color blind, diabetics, the depressed, or those suffering from many other common medical problems need not apply. The medical certificate is no longer required for aircraft classed as “light sport” with only one or two seats, but you still have the training cost and you will not be able to fly at night or in bad weather. There are ultralights out there that are cheaper to fly; the helicopter in the image may be one of them. But “cheaper” is not the same as “cheap.” ---
**Author:** ![waddlingeagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@waddlingeagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddlingeagle)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/31 "2015-01-28T15:33:53Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Wonder Woman had the legs for her outfit, GyroCaptainWannabe doesn’t. 🙂 Wonder Woman’s biggest problem is finding her invisible plane when it is parked on the ramp. Plus, other planes and vehicles keep running into it. Using the lavatory is not a problem; her plane doesn’t have one. Lavatories are located at each end of the flight. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/32 "2015-01-28T17:48:24Z")
“Take today’s technology and extrapolate” often using incorrect assumptions and/or based on limited or seriously flawed engineering knowledge. I think that pretty much sums it up. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/33 "2015-01-29T01:09:28Z")
**Exapno Mapcase** does have a good point - there were futurists and then there were futurists. Among people writing about the “World of Tomorrow” there were some who were on the ball, and some who were, as he said, putting out browsebait to lure readers; add to them those who were shills for one or another industry or tech sector (_“In less than 20 years, by the late 1960s, you will enjoy the benefits of atomic cars, atomic ocean liners, atomic airplanes, atomic coffeepots, atomic toothbrushes…”_:p) or academic discipline or ideological line, seeking to see if they could stir up demand; and then others who were really just fantasists writing scenarios because they were a damn good read and _“hey, who knows, maybe we’ll stir in some kid the idea to figure how to actually make this happen, because I sure don’t”_. > [@Chimera](#): > > “Take today’s technology and extrapolate” often using incorrect assumptions and/or based on limited or seriously flawed engineering knowledge. And of economic viability, don’t forget that. Which reminds me, one common old extrapolation was that people would end up having much shorter workdays and a stupendous amount of luxurious free time. A few do. Most of us don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/34 "2015-01-29T20:14:46Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > And of economic viability, don’t forget that. Which reminds me, one common old extrapolation was that people would end up having much shorter workdays and a stupendous amount of luxurious free time. A few do. Most of us don’t. Good point. I was a consultant at a company in the mid 90’s where they had Futurist magazines laying about. In one of them, the cover story was someone predicting that by the year 2000, all heavy industry would be moved to Earth Orbit. Technologically infeasible, Economically ludicrous. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/35 "2015-01-29T22:41:11Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > And of economic viability, don’t forget that. Which reminds me, one common old extrapolation was that people would end up having much shorter workdays and a stupendous amount of luxurious free time. A few do. Most of us don’t. Work expands to the time allotted. It’s not just about you slowing down when you know you have lots of time. Our standards of cleanliness have even gone up. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675/36 "2015-01-30T03:38:48Z")
Time travel didn’t get invented until today. Feb. 2nd column 5 days early. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-midcentury-futurist-predictions-like-flying-cars-so-wrong/705675.md?page=1)