The Long History of the Future: Why tomorrow's technology still isn't here

by Nicole Kobie

Overview

We love to imagine the future. But why are groundbreaking future technologies always just around the corner, and never a reality?

For decades we've delighted in dreaming about a sci-fi utopia, from flying cars and bionic humans to hyperloops and smart cities. And why not? Building a better world - be it a free-flying commute or an automated urban lifestyle - is a worthy dream. Given the pace of technological change, nothing seems impossible anymore. But why are these innovations always out of reach?

Delving into the remarkable history of technology, The Long History of the Future introduces us to the clever scientists, genius engineers and eccentric innovators who first brought these ideas to life and have struggled to make them work since. These stories reveal a more realistic picture of how these technologies may evolve - and how we'll eventually get to use them. You may never be able to buy a fully driverless car, but automated braking and steering could slash collision rates. Smart cities won't perfect city life, but they could help empty bins on time. Hyperloops may never arrive, but superfast trains are already here.

We always believe current technology is the best it could be. By looking to the past and the future, Nicole Kobie shows how history always proves us wrong and how what lies ahead may not be what we imagine, but so much better.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781399403108
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	09/24/2024
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Nicole Kobie is a London-based technology and science journalist. Her bylines appear in Wired, where she is a contributing editor, PC Pro, where she's the futures editor, and publications as wide ranging as Teen Vogue, New Scientist and GQ.

Nicole specialises in debunking government and startup PR around future technologies. Over the years she has reported on the limitations of flying cars and the slow research into computer-brain interfaces for Wired, the slow pace of self-driving cars for PC Pro/Alphr, and the reality of quantum computing for IT PRO.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Driverless Cars

Artificial Intelligence

Robots

Augmented Reality

Cyborgs

Flying Cars

Hyperloop

Smart Cities

How to Build the Future

Editorial Reviews

Kobie does a wonderful job, weaving together a compelling history of long-awaited technologies.” —New Scientist

“An enriching and largely celebratory jaunt through a century of big ideas and consequent technologies ... The book's most refreshing quality is its optimism. Unlike many technology writers of late, Kobie revels in the gusto, creativity and eccentricities of the pioneers she writes about.” —Wall Street Journal

“Rich in storytelling… Kobies goes deep into the history of technology.” —The Economist

“The Long History of the Future is an excellent book. Not only does it give us a fascinating, sometimes very funny, account of attempts to turn technological dreams into reality, it also introduces a welcome blast of common sense into the often fevered world of speculation about the future.” —Daily Mail

“An enjoyable, interesting book ... exploring high-tech ideas that have fallen flat with expertise and humor.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2024-05-10
A science journalist investigates flying cars and other extravagant technological promises that have failed to get off the ground.

It was sci-fi writer William Gibson who said that the future is already here; it’s just very unevenly distributed. Kobie, a contributing editor atWired and the futures editor atPC Pro, would probably agree, as she romps through a series of gee-whiz ideas for machines that have failed to fulfill their much-hyped promise. The author examines AI, robots, hyperloop transport, brain-computer interfaces, and smart cities, among other concepts, with her eyes open and tongue in her cheek. She chronicles her attendance at trade shows featuring slightly creepy robots and interviews with optimistic inventors, and she tracks through the relevant history, noting that the first regulatory approval for a flying car in the U.S. was in 1956. She even rode in a driverless car, after which she concluded that there is not much need for one. Some of these ideas sounded good on paper or in the lab but ran aground due to persistent technical problems, such as power requirements. For others, there is simply not enough demand for large-scale production. AI systems are progressing, but they remain a long way from the predicted models. Corporations and governments have invested billions into these projects, and there seems to be no end to the stream of venture capital. Kobie is not against scientific inquiry for its own sake, but she believes that the money and brainpower involved could be more effectively used to provide practical solutions for daily problems. “We don’t need smart cities,” she writes. “We need good ones. Liveable ones. We need sustainable ones.” It is an important idea, rounding out an enjoyable, interesting book.

Kobie has a great time exploring high-tech ideas that have fallen flat, writing with expertise and humor.

Kirkus Reviews