Private Structures
$18 for a Dozen Eggs by 2010? Inflation Fears in 1982
The Omni Future Almanac predicted that a gallon of gas would be cheaper than a quart of milk
May 10, 2013 |
By Matt Novak
3D-TV, Automated Cooking and Robot Housemaids: Walter Cronkite Tours the Home of 2001
In 1967, the most trusted man in America investigated the home of the 21st century
January 29, 2013 |
By Matt Novak
The Gadgets of the Future From the Electrical Shows of Yesterday
Decades before the debut of the Consumer Electronics Show, early adopters flocked to extravagant high-tech fairs in New York and Chicago
January 10, 2013 |
By Matt Novak
Recapping ‘The Jetsons’: Episode 08 – Rosey’s Boyfriend
The personal humanoid robotic assistant easily makes the short list of retro-futuristic dreams still unfulfilled
November 13, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Recapping “The Jetsons”: Episode 01 – Rosey the Robot
Meet George Jetson! The first installment of our 24-part series on the show that would forever change how we view the future
September 24, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
50 Years of the Jetsons: Why The Show Still Matters
Although it was on the air for only one season, The Jetsons remains our most popular point of reference when discussing the future.
September 19, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
My Robot Helper of Tomorrow
Forget flying cars and jetbacks, whatever happened to my cereal-serving robot?
August 31, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
The New Hot Item on the Housing Market: Bomb Shelters
The cold war may be over, but sales of a new breed of bomb shelter are on the rise. Prepare to survive Armageddon in style
June 2012 |
By Abigail Tucker
Document Deep Dive: How the Homestead Act Transformed America
Compare documents filed by the first and last homesteaders in the United States
May 2012 |
By T.A. Frail and Megan Gambino
A By-The-Numbers Look at American Real Estate
An index to houses great and small over the centuries
May 2012 |
By T.A. Frail
Print the News, Right In Your Home!
Decades before the Internet, radio-delivered newspaper machines pioneered the business of electronic publishing.
April 17, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Livin' on the Dock of the Bay
From the Beats to CEOs, the residents of Sausalito’s houseboat community cherish their history and their neighbors
April 04, 2012 |
By Jeff Greenwald
The World Will Be Wonderful In The Year 2000!
The secret formula for predicting a fantastical yet credible future
February 29, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
1970s Children Draw Robot Presidents and Nuclear Apocalypse
Kids predict the darndest things
February 23, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
One Library for the Entire World
In the years preceding the Internet, futurist books hinted at the massive information infrastructure that was to come.
February 21, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Santa’s Trusty Robot Reindeer
A special visit from the Ghost of Christmas Retro-Future
December 23, 2011 |
By Matt Novak
Artisanal Wheat On the Rise
Giving factory flour the heave-ho, small farmers from New England to the Northwest are growing long-forgotten varieties of wheat
December 2011 |
By Jerry Adler
A Thanksgiving Meal (in-a-pill)
The future of food was envisioned by many prognosticators as entirely meatless and often synthetic.
November 23, 2011 |
By Matt Novak
A Whole Town Under One Roof
We're moving on up—visions of a self-contained community within a 1,000-foot tall skyscraper
November 18, 2011 |
By Matt Novak
Thomas Edison’s Brief Stint As A Homemaker
The famous inventor envisioned a future of inexpensive, prefabricated concrete homes.
October 21, 2011 |
By Matt Novak
