Yes, Back to the Future Day’s arrived! What did it get right?
Yes, today REALLY IS ‘Back to the Future’ Day!
Finally we can say it instead of debunking it. Today – Wednesday 21st October 2015 – really is the future date in Back to the Future Part II. Yes, it has finally arrived!
Over the course of the last few years, we’ve debunked several rumours that have claimed that various past dates have been the day that Doc and Marty traveled to in the second installment of the Back to the Future trilogy, and they even came included with Photoshopped images of the iconic dashboard inside he DeLorean – these dates have included June 10th 2015 and June 27th 2012, as well as countless others.
It’s really not Photoshopped this time!
Well now there is no need to Photoshop anything. You can leave the DeLorean dashboard alone. Because the date really is today.
No doubt fans everywhere will be celebrating this much treasured day with some Back to the Future back-to-back marathons (probably coming to a TV channel near you.) We take a quick look at what the popular 1989 movie got right about 2015 and what it got wrong.
Robots
Perhaps inevitably, Back to the Future Part II predicted a dramatic rise in robotic automation, and they were spot on. In the film, USAToday releases a drone to take a photo of a breaking story when Griff gets arrested. Okay, so we’re not quite there yet, but drones are being used increasingly for non-military purposes.
The movie also predicts that TV screens would replace waiting staff in eateries. Okay, this hasn’t happened, but plenty of the retail sector has become automated, with the introduction of self-service checkouts in supermarkets and gas stations.
Sadly for all those dog owners out there, automated dog walkers are not a thing (yet) and nor are remote controlled bins.
Fashion
Sadly – or perhaps fortunately – Back to the Future Part II fails pretty miserably in the fashion department. The movies vision of what we’d be wearing in 2015 was thankfully completely and utterly wrong, which judging by the below image isn’t a particularly bad thing.
Self-drying and adjusting jackets aren’t a thing, nor is hanging the insides of your pockets out. Self-tying shoes almost made it, with Nike filing a patent for them and promising a release at some point, yet we’re still waiting for our pair.
Travel
Perhaps the biggest disappointment of all is that we’re not all racing up and down the street on hoverboards. It is perhaps the most coveted invention from the 80s trilogy, and those scientists have really tried, but none of the “solutions” really quite cut it. With the exception of an Internet hoax, hoverboards that have two wheels (thus NOT hoverboards) and a board that requires magnets from Lexus, there hasn’t really been anything else to speak of.
And that’s a real shame.
It’s also a shame that our cars aren’t flying around the place and we still have to use those roads. Sadly, in 2015, we do still need roads.
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Biometrics
Back to the Future Part II correctly predicted an increase in biometric technology. In the movie you see payments and entrance to buildings require just thumbprints. We may not do either of those specific things in the real 2015, but we certainly have the technology available. Right now thumbprints and other biometric data can be used for a number of things, namely being able to access your smartphone!
Entertainment
In the movie you see a 3D Jaws come right towards Marty. 3D technology in the entertainment industry has progressed nicely. We don’t have 3D characters jumping out at us from the movie complex, but 3D movies look really great and a new laser system being developed right now will allow better quality than ever! Though you still need to wear special glasses to take advantage.
Also, the film claims the Chicago Cubs win the 2015 World Series. However on October 21st the World Series has yet to begin. And if you’re thinking about putting your money on a Cubs victory, bear in mind they haven’t won the World Series since 1908!
Things that the movie said we wouldn’t have to deal with anymore
Lawyers and traffic.
The movie may have cursed our luck with those.
Some other stuff
Video calls – the movie got this one spot on. With the popularity of Skype and various smartphone technologies, video calls are a possibility for many.
Hydrating Pizzas? No, not a thing.
Fax? The movie predicts we’re still going to be using fax, which pretty much went out of style when email first hit. Email then went out when social media came about. And now it’s all about smartphone apps. Fax has been somewhat left in the dust.
Rejuvenation facelifts? Not quite as effective as the movie would have you think, but the increase in plastic surgery, botox and a lot of money spent on anti-aging creams means looking youthful is easier than ever.
Okay, so on the grand scheme of things, there were more misses than there were hits when it comes to predicting 2015. But the movie successfully anticipated some trends, including the continued popularity of artificial intelligence and the use of biometrics.