Open Thread Update: Are We the Jetsons?
On September 23, 1962, the Jetsons premiered on TV. The wacky, cartoony vision of the future (it was set in 2062!) was trend-setting far ahead of its time.
It was one of the first to be broadcast in (OMG!!) color!
It was also pretty good with predictions of life in the future: supersized TV screens, communicating with others via flat screens, home treadmills and those reclining massage chairs so loved by George Jetson.
Life in the Future….today
We haven’t quite gotten to robot maids like Rosie, but we do have Roombas to clean floors and Alexa to manage home electronics….and touch screen technology (rather than push buttons) to order fast food or make your coffee. We might even be a step ahead with self-driving cars in the near future. (George Jetson still had to drive his spaceship to work). And the Jetsons are still using….cash??
Whether you’re a fan of the show or not, there must be some gadgets, gizmos, widgets and doohickeys you’d like to see developed in the future.
My top three on the wish list?
Self-cleaning windows
A universal remote silencer so I don’t have to listen to inconsiderate people blasting their crappy music in public.
A transporter (like in Star Trek) so I can avoid schlepping my packages (or myself) from place to place.
Readers’ Ideas
Our readers chimed in with their own ideas, and they’re pretty good:
“I want the device to put on your makeup like Jane Jetson…”
-Doris
You said it, Doris!
It’s easy to get really attached to electronic devices…for instance, reader Joanne has a Roomba and “talks to it like it was a puppy…”
..and check out Michelle V.’s notions for a dog-walking robot and a solution for pesky robocallers, plus Geneva’s worthy answer to water issues.
We’ll keep the comments open for a while so there will be plenty of time to send in your futuristic wishes.
Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send your suggestions for Open Threads to her at editor@seniorplanet.org.
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Comments
I would love a robot to walk my dog for me, and an answering machine with AI that can give snarky answers to telemarketing and robocallers.
I want the device to put on your makeup like Jane Jetson had where she placed her face in a disk & all the makeup was applied perfectly….maybe even her hair was perfect too!
I would love to see an invention that will allow scientists/engrs to encapture some of the rain from rainy areas, encapsulate it, and then release it lowly (no flooding) in those drought and fire areas. And visa versa.
I would love something to automatically peel and chop fruit and vegetables for meal prep. I have a Room and but it gets stuck under the furniture and I find myself talking to it as if it were a puppy.
Thanks for sharing this amazing article.
Roomba