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French artists in 1899 envisioned what life would look like in the year 2000

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Re: French artists in 1899 envisioned what life would look like in the year 2000

#51

Post by pram »

unsupp0rted wrote: post #32
GuB-42 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't realize that the underwater thing was so important back then. We are all thinking about flying cars, and these drawings don't disappoint, but there is as much happening underwater as it is happening in the sky. Now, we are still fascinated with flying, machines, etc... but going underwater is boring by comparison. We have submarines, mostly for the military, a bit of scientific exploration, etc... but beside…

What would be the benefit of large scale underwater transportation and living? I suppose if the surface became uninhabitable, or if we wanted to hide from space-based surveillance.

Perfect place to build your anarcho-capitalist utopian city without government interference.

Re: French artists in 1899 envisioned what life would look like in the year 2000

#52

Post by orwin »

thih9 wrote: post #16
simonsarris wrote: post #9

One of the interesting things about these photos is that, aside from all the under-water ones, many of the contraptions exist. We just call them Roomba, Kubota tractor, Audible, Philips All-In-One Trimmer, etc. One consistent facet is that many of our modern technologies are a lot more complex on the inside, but simpler in appearance. There really is one guy pushing buttons to harvest thousands of acres. There's a co…

What contributes to accuracy is what’s not there. To me especially the biology and medical advancements are missing. While we’re way better at maintaining our bodies than 100 years ago, we’re still mostly focused on improving our environment, just like 100 years ago. In 2124 I’d like no illnesses, regrowing limbs, perfectly balanced nutrition that is universally available, safe and accessible bio tech, and I could go…

> regrowing limbs

I can see that, in limited capacities, in less than 10 years for animals, and 20 for humans. Regrowing bones from genetic/growth defects for children at least, maybe minor bone reconstruction too.

Re: French artists in 1899 envisioned what life would look like in the year 2000

#53

Post by drewcoo »

unsupp0rted wrote: post #32
GuB-42 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't realize that the underwater thing was so important back then. We are all thinking about flying cars, and these drawings don't disappoint, but there is as much happening underwater as it is happening in the sky. Now, we are still fascinated with flying, machines, etc... but going underwater is boring by comparison. We have submarines, mostly for the military, a bit of scientific exploration, etc... but beside…

What would be the benefit of large scale underwater transportation and living? I suppose if the surface became uninhabitable, or if we wanted to hide from space-based surveillance.

Most of our planet is underwater and barely explored. And most of the region isn't really claimed. By countries or individuals in those countries.

The long-term benefits of exploration are often in the tools to solve the problems with the exploring. Tang and Velcro and microwave ovens are minor examples - I bet you can think of better things the space program gave us! Overall, it's s greater good for society and it spawns lots of specialized businesses and innovation. It's not the destination; it's the journey.

The ocean may not be "the final frontier" (nods to Roddenberry), but that seems like an appropriate "next frontier."

Re: French artists in 1899 envisioned what life would look like in the year 2000

#54

Post by datameta »

pram wrote: post #51
unsupp0rted wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What would be the benefit of large scale underwater transportation and living? I suppose if the surface became uninhabitable, or if we wanted to hide from space-based surveillance.

Perfect place to build your anarcho-capitalist utopian city without government interference.

That would be quite a shock to biology

Re: French artists in 1899 envisioned what life would look like in the year 2000

#55

Post by redeeman »

redeeman wrote: post #33
mseepgood wrote: post #3

It's also interesting to see what they could not envision. For example, they obviously could not imagine that women could wear anything other than a dress.

WOULD, not "could"

to downvoters: are you suggesting it was illegal for women to wear pants back then?

(and no, the paris decree does not count). There were female marketed "trousers" appearing in the 1850s, so it is clearly completely retarded to suggest that the french artists "couldnt envision women wearing pants".

But carry on with the official party line, but do so knowingly that it is fake.

Re: French artists in 1899 envisioned what life would look like in the year 2000

#57

Post by datameta »

redbell wrote: post #46

In the midst of rapid technological progress, encompassing breakthroughs in AI, chips/semiconductors, alongside the unsettling surge in global geopolitical tensions and the transformative impact of certain social media, particularly affecting Gen Z & Alpha, I find myself constantly pondering the trajectory of our future. The relentless pace of change prompts me to question what life may entail in the next 10, 40 year…

I have similarly found a shorter time horizon in my imagining of the future, which I find less need to do because the present is so advanced in comparison to even my predictions in 2010. With an accelerating pace of change, thinking linearly as before makes less and less sense. I find myself trying to stay abreast of current developments of which there are so many.

Re: French artists in 1899 envisioned what life would look like in the year 2000

#58

Post by mncharity »

type0 wrote: post #31
pmontra wrote: post #17

One of the most difficult things seems to be forecast fashion but probably the artist didn't even attempt to envision future clothing, except for technical ones. That would distract from the main point. There is even a gown in the underwater game of croquet.

They envisioned robotic tailors and even today we are far away from that it's last one this slide https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/a-19th-century-vis...

> They envisioned robotic tailors and even today we are far away from that

There was a startup 3 decades ago, where you ordered custom khakis on the web. As a first step towards broader custom clothes. Entering assorted measurements, or modifying the dimensions of a previous purchase, a custom pattern was quickly laser cut, manually stitched in one of the last garment factories in the US, and overnighted. Patented, sold, bungled, abandoned. Stitching automation continues to improve, but full automation isn't quite there yet? Body scanning seems close. So near-term next-day almost-automated tailoring from Mexico?

Re: French artists in 1899 envisioned what life would look like in the year 2000

#60

Post by layer8 »

geor9e wrote: post #45
bombcar wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chemical may be also translated something like medicinal - note the butler has tiny pills on his plate; it’s the “meal in a pill” that comes up now and then (famously in Willy Wonka).

That makes much more sense. Now I see that it's a plate of pills, with a woman's hair behind it. I thought it was a cupcake.

Here is a higher-resolution picture: https://c7.alamy.com/comp/A675JC/chemical-dinner-party-A675J... You can see they have all plates of pills.
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