David Emery OnlineRobots and Space Ships
24 April 2007
I was thinking today about “the future”.
A little background first; I – as you may be able to guess, even if you haven’t met me – was a pretty geeky child. I liked the traditional things that a small boy likes: cars, space ships, gadgets and robots. At one time I thought I was a robot, due to the lack of ever breaking a bone.
I still remain to be completely convinced otherwise.
One of the things I distinctly remember being fascinated by was Dick Tracy, the great retro-futuristic detective who – sadly – I probably only know about because of the film starring Warren Beatty. I do however, remember it in halftone, even though I probably never owned it in comic form – the wonders and tricks memory can play are really quite wonderful when you think about it.
The thing above all else that really captivated me was Dick Tracy’s watch, which functioned as a walky-talky. I used to run about shouting frantically at my watch, solving crimes with reckless abandon.
Thinking back, this may have seemed a little odd to an onlooker.
Fast forward 15 and a bit years and it’s really staggering how many things have changed, and how daily life has been effected. Obviously, the watch-radio concept has been completely surpassed by the modern mobile phone which packs in such immense power into such a small package (a camera! video calling!! the internet!!!).
It doesn’t end there, though; there’s so much technology that once would be seen as amazing: huge flatscreen TVs, the little walking Honda robots, robot vacumn cleaners, video on the internet…
I’d truly love to be able to see the look on my 8 year old self if I gave him a quick tour around the shops on Tottenham Court Rd now.
He would be amazed.
I wonder what the 8 year old boys think about now… I wonder what their future is? Do they still think about robots and space ships?