As We May Think: Dreaming Up the Future
Imagination is a fascinating part of what makes us human. The ability to wonder and conceive new ideas shows just how complex our thought processes are. Imagination is not limited to fairy tales or daydreams. It can be applied to the world around us to predict changes in civilization over time. One area in which we may imagine these changes is the area of technology. In the article, As We May Think, Vannevar Bush uses human imagination to explore ideas of futuristic technology, inspiring readers to wonder about possibilities to come.
The devices mentioned in the article are not direct equivalents to what we find in today’s society. However certain ones do possess some similarities to our modern technology. For example, one of the devices Bush mentions is called the “memex.” This device would perform many functions, one of which is reminiscent of the modern scanner built into printers. With the memex, one would place a document on the surface and it would be “photographed onto the next blank space in a section of the memex film, [employing] dry photography.” This is very similar to the modern scanner, which uploads a picture from a surface to a digital format. This function is not all the memex was imagined to do, but it is noteworthy because it comes so close to a device that was created.
Another gadget Bush mentions is the Cyclops Camera, which would be worn around the head much like a light on a miner’s helmet. It would need to be operated by a “cord which trips its shutter [that reaches] down a man’s sleeve within easy reach of his fingers.” To fit on the forehead, it would have to be a very small sized camera. While we do not commonly wear cameras on our foreheads, the idea of small camera has transformed into a reality. Now, we have cameras so small they’re able to be a part of our phones. The author also mentioned the device not making a shuttering sound when a photo was taken. That is a common feature of modern cameras.
I find these device plans fascinating because of the amount thought that was put into each. When describing the memex, Bush does not simply say what it will do. He also offers an explanation as to how the information would be stored on the device. In the article, he says that it would be translated onto microfilm and projected larger when needed. He had clearly put in a lot of thought in terms of function and accessibility of the device. In some ways, his plans for the memex relate to the modern tablet. He says that the user would able to draw notes in with a stylus. This is a function certain touch screen devices utilize for writing or artistic purposes.
Bush is not the first to speculate about future technology, nor was he last. A more recent example was in the 1980s, when the film Back to the Future II was released. In it the protagonist, Marty McFly, goes forward in time to the year 2015. The film’s creators had to speculate about what technology would be like in that time period. As 2015 has just come to an end, we can now look back at their choices and determine where their predictions were correct and where they were less successful. I consulted an article from CNN, which noted some of the major predictions within the film and whether or not they became a reality.
One thing that Back to the Future got right was the use of video conferencing. In the film, Marty sees his future-self speaking with a coworker over a large video screen. In modern society we use Skype and other programs to video chat with people we know. It is widespread and some programs are free to use. This technology is something we may take for granted nowadays, but back in the 80s, having easily accessible video communication was an idea yet to be put into practice.
The screen the film used was imaginative in itself as, “most TVs of the 1980s were heavy, square appliances with bulky picture tubes.” The screen in the movie was large and could show several programs at once. Large TVs are common in 2016, and there are modern TVs that can perform the split screen function. Modern TVs are thin and widely available. Flat screen TVs are quite popular and can mounted on walls without taking up much space.
Another thing the film predicted was the commonplace use of hover boards. Marty McFly uses a pink hover board he borrows in the town square to escape from a group of bullies. It is the futuristic equivalent of a skateboard, which the character is depicted using multiple times in the 1980s. The filmmakers dreamed up a higher tech model of an existing device. While you are unlikely to see anyone on a fluorescent pink hover board casually hanging out in public, there has been progress made on the basic technology itself.
The company Lexus has invented their own take on the hover board. This device uses the force created between magnets and “superconducting blocks” in order to levitate above the ground. This new device is the result of real ingenuity and imagination. As something that was once just an intriguing idea, it is interesting to see it progress into a reality. The technology is not readily available to every citizen, but in developing the initial model perhaps one day some version will be. The more exclusive models today may lay the groundwork for a model suitable for mass distribution later.
In the article, As We May Think, the inventions that Bush proposes would generally be used in order to make life easier for the working individual. Unlike the some of the gadgets shown in Back to the Future, the inventions Bush talks about would not be used for recreational purposes with the exception of camera (though arguably it could be used for professional purposes). Most of the devices he mentions have some similar counterpart found in the typical modern day office building.
One thing that really got my attention with Bush’s article was the continued references to projection. He speaks several times about condensing material into small formats and then later projecting them larger for reference purposes. Traditional projectors have been fazed out of popular use over the years. I can remember in elementary school when the teacher would use a projector to go over language exercises. However, once smart technology and digital platforms became more accessible to my school, our traditional projector was completely abandoned.
I find this interesting because it makes me wonder what current technology will be obsolete in the near future. I remember growing up when desktop computers were more prevalent than laptops, and that wasn’t that long ago. Now, my own family does not even have a desktop computer. The quality and memory capacity of the computer has grown so much in just last ten years; it really makes me wonder where computers will be in another ten. Will they look the same? Will they disappear entirely in favor of more tablet based designs? Only time can really tell, and if the past is any indication we may not be waiting long for the next innovation in the field.
An even more intriguing idea to consider is what new gadget or program is being dreamed up somewhere right now. At this very moment, someone could be putting together the plan for a new technology that will infiltrate all of our lives and we do not even know about it yet. It could be a project being developed in a lap or just an idea floating around in someone’s head. One day we could be thinking back on this moment before it existed. It is a strange possibility to consider.
Technology will always grow and change. We, as a society, are interested in new devices and new solutions. We always want the newer model or the latest upgrade. In order that to be a reality; we need people to think up these upgrades. Someone needs to be able to imagine a world where the device exists and prospers. That is the magic of people like Bush and the creators of Back to the Future. They are able to see past the world of today into the world of what could be. I like to believe that we will always wonder about the future and look forward to seeing what is dreamed up next.
Works Cited
Bush, Vannevar. “As We May Think.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
Leopold, Todd, and Frank Pallotta. “’Back to the Future II’: What Did the Movie Get Right? — CNN.com.” CNN. Cable News Network, 21 Oct. 2015. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
“Slide — Amazing in Motion — Lexus International.” Lexus-int.com. Lexus, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
