The 1989 film “Back to the Future Part II” made some bold , but even its fanciful fiction couldn’t foresee the remarkable advances over the past 30 years.
The film predicted we’d have flat-screen TVs (check), biometric technology like iris scanners (check), wearable communication devices (check) and Skype-like communication (check).
So far no flying cars, though, or self-tying shoes or a 19th installment of “Jaws.”
Nevertheless, the last three decades have been a march into the spectacular, where the advancement of technology and the Internet have been as impactful, arguably, as the Industrial Revolution.
While in the moment, it is easy to forget the incredible spoils we have today.
And it is difficult to argue we aren’t better off today than we were in the 1980s with the ease of accessing information, the better ways to communicate and the simplicity of doing so many tasks.
Even Marty McFly’s version of 2015 still had us using phone booths and fax machines, which are nearly obsolete today.
Now, if only someone would invent those self-tying shoes.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit or check out our for how to submit by e-mail or mail.
