# Futurama 1939 - How the world of 1960 was expected to be.



## Bond James Bond (Aug 23, 2002)

nabob said:


> There's nothing accurate about it. This video is only saying hallelujah while the Second World War is about to start. So...
> *YOU CAN"T PREDICT THE FUTURE!!!*


Well it's certainly more accurate than a lot of other "predictions."

Sure, some details were off, like the radio-controlled cars. But the overall theme of auto-dominated cities with large freeways, clusters of skyscrapers, etc. was pretty accurate.


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## Rahmani (Jun 14, 2006)

Any newer world fair predicting anything beyond 2000?


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## brunob (Sep 11, 2002)

An old infomercial from GM masquerading as a documentary. They sure got what they wanted.


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## Metropolitan (Sep 21, 2004)

Bond James Bond said:


> Well it's certainly more accurate than a lot of other "predictions."
> 
> Sure, some details were off, like the radio-controlled cars. But the overall theme of auto-dominated cities with large freeways, clusters of skyscrapers, etc. was pretty accurate.


Exactly. This video dates back to 1939, meaning before WW2, and the most fundamental evolutions of the world up to the 60's aren' that off. The thing is that the speaker picture them as something probably more extravagant than we consider them.

These Motorways interchanges did become real, the architecture evolution initiated by concrete did happen, chemistry and biology had actually taken a larger part in the agricultural process, the new spatial organization of US cities did also happen (with the separation of residential, commercial and industrial acivities), and same goes about extensive suburbanization which indeed become a reality, the airports did become major transportation hubs, large parks nearby city centers have actually been created, the consumption revolution did also happen, even the cars and buses as pictured in the movie wasn't that far from what were the cars during the 60's (compared to pre-ww2 cars).

Of course, when we hear that kind of videos, we imagine that the whole world is supposed to become as the things presented, but that's not the point. Actually, the reason why I consider this exhibition as impressively accurate is simply that the direction towards which the world was supposed to evolve wasn't that off. It's just the whole mass consumption revolution of the 50's/60's which was actually predicted. And of course, also the "all-car" society where everything is made to be car-friendly.


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