Predictions that were considered weird

Who did not read science fiction. I do not know what is written in this genre. Although at one time "sitting" on the subject pretty tight. Any technical predictions in this kind of literature is always in abundance. Laws of the genre oblige. So, some predictions have already come true in this relatively short period of time. With him and begin.

1. iPad: 1968
Many giggled when Apple announced the iPad. Someone talked about his excessive femininity. However, Arthur C. Clarke, had the same view as that of the future development when inventing «Newspad».

2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke:

Charter to read the official reports, memoranda and protocols, Floyd turned on my tablet newspaper in the information network of the ship and looked through one of the other major electronic newspapers around the world. Their code signals he knew by heart, and he did not even need to look on the back wall of the tablet, where was published a list of them.

Including short-term memory device of the tablet, it delays the next page image on the screen, quickly ran headlines and noted the items that interested him. Each article had its two-digit code number - had only to dial it on the keyboard of the tablet as a tiny pryamougolnichek article instantly increased to fit the screen size of a sheet of typing paper, providing a complete reading experience. After reading one article, Floyd again included a full-page and choose another.

2. Tanks

The first tank appeared in 1916, but for thirteen years before HG Wells, perhaps inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, describes the scene of battle that way.

Earth battleships, HG Wells (in the only available translation is called "The land battleships" - approx. Per.):

"Vit-twist-twist" - whistled over our heads; artist rushed to seek asylum, the reporter - for him. Struck by shrapnel - very close, almost none at arm's length; men have fallen in some recess and pressed himself into the ground. Then the lights and the noise went away, and the hill was in a dark, mysterious night.

Correspondent sat up and barked a curse.

- What the hell brings down our soldiers?

- It is black - said the artist - and similar to the fort. Two hundred yards from our front line.

He looked for comparisons.

- Something like a large blockhouse or a giant, inverted bowl.

- And it moved! - Cried the war correspondent.

- You imagined that moves - the illusion of lights, sneaking nightmare.

They crawled to the edge of the recess and were now among the immense darkness. Some time absolutely nothing to be seen, then the searchlight beams on both sides back together in a strange object.

Pale light discovered something like a huge, clumsy insect - beetle, the size of the armored cruiser; it crawled right on the first line of trenches and beat the fire through the side gun ports. Bullets drummed on his armor like a furious hail the tin roof.

3. Games in virtual reality: 1956

The first video game appeared in 1958, and still the same Arthur C. Clarke describes a virtual reality two years earlier.

City and stars, Arthur C. Clarke:

Among the thousands of forms of entertainment that existed in the city, the saga were especially popular. Entrance to the saga did from his passive observer, as in former times imperfect action which sometimes looked Alvin. He was an active participant, having - at least so it seemed - the freedom of choice.

Events and scenes serve as a starting material for the adventure, could be prepared in advance long-forgotten artists, but turned out to be flexible enough to allow all sorts of changes.

These ghostly worlds in search of the missing in Diaspare adventure could go, and with their friends. And while the dream lasted, it was impossible to distinguish from reality.

4. The atomic bomb: 1914

Although the term "atomic bomb", at time of writing Wells novel "World Liberation" already existed, there is a strong likelihood that he reached it himself, and later popularized by describing the mechanism of action long before the appearance of the actual bomb.

Leo Szilard (Leo Szilard), member of the "Manhattan Project": "It is noteworthy that Wells wrote these lines in 1914. Forecasts writers can sometimes be more accurate than the predictions of scientists ».

5. cubicle 1909

While we recognize that the majority of jobs are not a hexagonal shape and a built-chairs do not have, but the hive is a hive in which we spend our days, illuminated with fluorescent lamps.

The machine stops, Edward Forster:

Try to imagine a small room octagonal shape, resembling a honeycomb cell. It is no light, no windows, but all of it is filled with a soft glow. Holes for ventilation either, but the air is fresh and clean. And, although not seen any musical instrument, at that moment, when I mentally introduce you here to meet us pour gentle and melodic sounds.

In the middle of the room stands a chair, next to nimpyupitr, that was all. In the chair some shapeless, swaddled carcass - woman rising no more than five feet tall, with gray, like a mold face. This mistress of the room. Bell rings. A woman pushes a button and the music ceases. "Nothing can be done, will have to see who was there," - thinks the woman and the other by clicking on the button moves the chair. It slides to the opposite wall, where still heard the insistent call.

- Who's that? - Screaming woman.

Her voice sounded irritated ... that's the umpteenth time it interfere with listening to music. She has thousands of friends - in a sense, communication between people is incredibly increased. But, when we heard the answer, her sallow face breaks into a smile wrinkled. - Okay. Let's talk - she agrees. - I have now switched off. I hope that in five minutes there will be nothing significant. I'll give you a full five minutes, Kuno, and then I have to give a lecture about the music in the Australian period.

6. In-ear-plugs: 1950

In 1950 Bradbury described headphones.

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury:

In her ears firmly inserted miniature "Shells", tiny, thimble, radio-sleeve, and an electronic ocean of sound - music and voices, music and voice - waves washes the shores of her waking brain. No, the room was empty. Every night here broke ocean sounds and Mildred picked up on his broad wings, rocking and shaking, carries her lying with his eyes open, toward morning.

7. Video chat: 1911

AT & T in 1964 at the World's Fair in New York, demonstrates his «picturephone». The very first webcam shows coffeepot at Cambridge University. Skype appeared in the year 2003.

Ralph 124C 41+, Hugo Gernsback:

Ralph came to the fortified wall telephoto, click a few buttons, and after a while the screen is illuminated. On it appeared clean-shaven and rather attractive face of a man of thirty.

Having learned in his telephoto Ralph, he greeted with a smile:

- Hey, Ralph!

- Hello, Edward. Come tomorrow morning in my laboratory. I'll show you something very interesting. And yet, look'd better now!

Ralph stepped aside to his friend could see the device on the table. The device that was about ten feet from the screen telephoto.

8. Automatic doors 1899

Depending on whom you ask about the invention of automatic doors, you call or Heron of Alexandria (the era) or Dee Horton and Lew Hewitt, 1960 Year

When the Sleeper awakes, HG Wells:

Two strangers obeyed and looked for the last time on Graham,

turned to leave, but instead to go under the arch, went to the opposite wall. Then something strange happened: some, apparently, completely blank wall with a bang and parted, coiling like shutters, climbed up and sat down for the departed. Graham was left alone with the new arrivals and rusoborodym man in a purple robe.

9. Escalators: 1940

While this example is often cited, it is not quite correct, since the patent on the similarity of the escalator was filed in 1892 and shown at the International protip Columbian Exposition in 1893.

Roads must roll, Robert Heinlein:

They went down the electric stairs and reached the walkway, which limited the strip running north at a speed of five miles per hour. Skirting the entrance to the tunnel with the index "took place on the southern road", they stopped at the edge of the first strip.

- You had to ride on a conveyor? - Asked Gaines. - It's very simple. Step band face opposite to the motion.

Going from tape to tape, they began to wade through the throng of hurrying people. In the midst of dvadtsatimilnoy band got them transparent partition, almost reaching the roof. Blekinsop raised his eyebrows questioningly.

- This windbreaks, - answered the unspoken question Gaines and rolled toward the door, inviting his companion to pass on. - If we had no way of separating the air at the bands with different speeds, at the hundred-mile strip, the wind tore all the clothes you have.

During a call, Gaines constantly had to bend to Blekinsopu to drown the wind whistling, crowd noise and muffled roar of machinery hidden beneath the stripe at the bottom. As we approach the middle of the road a combination of the noise made conversation impossible.

They passed three windbreak located on forty,, sixty - and vosmidesyatimilnyh bands, and finally got to the fastest, hundred-mile strip that ran from San Diego to Reno and back twelve hours.

10. Submarines 1869

Another fact, similar to the escalators - Verne described his Nautilus, according Rabkin actually based on data on the boat, have been successfully used for military purposes by the Confederation in the five years before the writing of the novel.

But even given this, Verne still predicted what place such vessels occupied in our world, as their political importance, as well as psychological aspects of staying on a boat.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne:

The fact is that for some time many ships in the sea began to meet some long, phosphorescent, spindly thing, far surpassing China as the size and speed of movement. Entries made in the logbook different ships are remarkably similar in the description of the appearance of a mysterious creature or object unprecedented speed and force of his movements, as well as features of its behavior.

If it was a cetacean, judging by the description, it exceeds the value of all hitherto known in the art representatives of this order. Neither Cuvier nor Laseped nor Dyumeril nor Quatrefages would not believe in the existence of such a phenomenon, not seeing it with my own eyes, or rather the eyes of scientists.

Leaving aside overly conservative estimates, which in the notorious creature was no more than two hundred feet long, rejecting the obvious exaggeration, on which it was drawn by some giant - one mile wide, three miles long! - Yet it was necessary to prevent adhering to the golden mean that strange beasts, if he exists, is vastly superior to the size specified in modern zoology.