Going Back to “Back to the Future”

In Back to the Future 2, there was a food hydrator that changed a mini-pizza to a steaming full sized pizza, and while we could all fantasize about something like that existing, sadly, no food hydrators exist.

Priscilla Pan

In Back to the Future 2, there was a food hydrator that changed a mini-pizza to a steaming full sized pizza, and while we could all fantasize about something like that existing, sadly, no food hydrators exist.

Hoverboards gliding down the sidewalk and shoes that instantly tie themselves were once merely stereotypes of the far-off future, but the human race may be a lot closer to these sci-fi fantasies than anyone could have ever imagined.

“Back to the Future 2” was a popular movie that was set in 2015, but was made in 1989. The movie showcased many guesses on what arrays of technology would be available in the future. Here are some of predictions that the producers got right (and wrong)!

Video Calling – In the movie, Future Marty McFly is fired through a Video Conference with his boss. This sort of technology is now widely available through services such as Skype, Oovoo, and Facetime.

Hoverboards – Marty McFly made the hoverboard famous with the movie, and a group of people have made a prototype already functional. Hendo Hoverboards plans on releasing their first batch of hoverboards in October this year.

Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 3.09.35 PM

Self tying shoes – Marty wore Nike MAGS in his trip to the future, and now Nike is confirming the release of these shoes, along with the self tying sensor technology. Only 1,500 pairs are being released, and all the proceeds will go to Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 3.09.18 PM

Tablet – Tablets are used throughout the movie, however, the producers may have not anticipated just how big the tablet market would be in 2015. The tablets of today are much sleeker and advanced than the bulky computer tablets that Marty uses to save the clock tower.

Biometric Identification – Apple has released their iPhone 6 Plus with Biometric Identification, which allows people to unlock their phone with their fingerprints. However, technology coming out soon will allow a person to start their car or pay for services with bands tied to their heartbeat, very similar to the technology offered in Back to the Future 2.

Here’s what the producers got wrong:

Food hydrator – In Back to the Future 2, there was a food hydrator that changed a mini-pizza to a steaming full sized pizza, and while we could all fantasize about something like that existing, sadly, no food hydrators exist.

Auto Dog walker – In Back to the Future, drones would walk the owner’s dogs, which is a meaningless convenience, because what is the point of having a dog if you’re not going to walk it? This technology, however, does not exist.

Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 3.09.03 PM

Self-drying jackets – Self-drying jackets would definitely be advantageous, as humans would not have to dry their jackets off after a big rainstorm, and they would be ready for storage right after being used. However, this technology also does not exist.

Phone Booth – The producers of the movie never could have guessed the explosion of the use of cell phone in 1989, so they put phone booths into the movie. However, since cell phone technology has since become very popular, phone booths have become obsolete, so the producers got this aspect of technology wrong in their movie.

Jaws 19 – Jaws is an iconic four-part horror movie; however, it did not deserve 15 more after Jaws 4.

Flying Cars – This has been long anticipated, however, sadly, the technology for flying cars is still not yet available (and will probably not be for a while).