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1Hoverboards
Thanks to Back to the Future, children of the 80s all thought we’d be zipping around on skateboards which hover a few feet of the ground by now. Sadly technology hasn’t been able to make this dream a reality despite research and some very valiant attempts. Some years ago an engineer named William Beaty released designs for a sort of hovercraft/skateboard hybrid, which would hover a few inches above the ground, but this doesn’t really have the same impact as a hovering skateboard. The chances are if we did discover how to achieve this, it would be a) very expensive and b) very difficult to control.
2Vertical take-off planes
The ability to have an aeroplane take off from a vertical position and land back in the same way would have huge implications for airports and land planning, as it would take up considerably less space than the long runways currently needed. Recent super planes like the A380 have meant runways and airports have had to grow even bigger, while people in areas surrounding airports want their land preserved. For decades engineers, armed forces and aeroplane manufacturers have tried to crack the puzzle of the vertical take off plane without success. The propulsion needed to for flight and the angle and accuracy needed for landing seem to be insurmountable problems for commercial travel, with only the Harrier Jump Jet coming close.
3Flying cars
Another movie inspired concept. Rewind a few years and watch some depictions of the future – most people just seemed to assume that we’d have flying cars at some point, but as time ticks on it looks increasingly unlikely. We’re aware now of the immense amount of fuel and space that air travel takes, and replicating this in low flying cars just seems unnecessary now we’ve invested so much in our road networks. It’s also a lot less safe – planes are carefully monitored and given instructions by air traffic controllers, while cars have roads to follow and road rules to obey. Imagine the chaos of people zipping about in the air trying to avoid crashing without clear routes and road signs.
4Aquaskippers
This was a crazy idea to have people sort of skate across water without being attached to a boat or any sort of motor. If that sounds ridiculous, it is. It never caught on because it was very hard to do – you have to maintain a constant rhythm and there’s the danger of sinking if you slow down or stop.
5Teleportation
Scientists haven’t ruled out the possibility of teleportation becoming a reality, but probably not for human beings. IBM engineers declared in the 1990s that it is possible, but the original has to be destroyed and a replica created, making it unlikely that people would ever want to test it out. However scientists are experimenting with teleporting light and information.
6Pneumatic tunnels
Before our underground rail networks were built with tracks and trains, engineers experimented with other ways to move people through tunnels. It was thought that vacuums and air propulsion could be used to push tubes around, and the tubes would contain cars of people. The idea’s cropped up in science fiction since, but underground railways won out as a more practical solution.
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