Synopses & Reviews
Between 1903 and 1969, scientists and other experts made hundreds of predictions in
Popular Mechanics magazine about what the future would hold. Their forecasts ranged from ruefully funny to eerily prescient and optimistically utopian. Here are the very best of them, culled from hundreds of articles, complete with the original, visually stunning retro art. They will capture the imagination of futurists in the same way Jules Verne's writing did a century earlier. Every chapter features an introduction by astrophysics professor, science-fiction author, and former NASA advisor Gregory Benford.
PAST PREDICTIONS OF OUR FUTURE INCLUDE:
Skyscrapers so tall they'll have their own climateand#160; oand#160; Underground pneumatic tubes to replace garbage trucksand#160; oand#160; Rooftop lakes that serve as air conditioning systemsand#160; oand#160; Clothes made from asbestos and aluminumand#160; oand#160; Mail sorted by robots and delivered by parachutes
Synopsis
Between 1903 and 1969, scientists and other experts made hundreds of predictions in Popular Mechanics about what the future would hold. Here are the very best of them, complete with the original, visually stunning retro art plus chapter introductions by astrophysics professor, science-fiction author, and former NASA advisor Gregory Benford.and#160; and#8220;Endlessly fascinating.and#8221;--Booklist.and#160; and#8220;A wonderful coffee-table book that you will also want to read page-by-page.and#8221;--Joe Haldeman, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of The Forever War.and#160;and#160;and#8220;All these fantastically fabulous futures, and I get to live in none of them--and no, having an iPod Touch does not make up for it--but at least I have this book, which almost does.and#8221;--John Scalzi, bestselling author of Old Man's War
Synopsis
Robots and AI have long intrigued humansandmdash;and the fascination continues in this fantastic collection of all Popular Mechanicsand#39; robotic coverage from 2010 to the present. Exploring machines that can recognize our faces, diagnose illnesses, drive our cars, and go into space, author David H. Wilson shows how robots are an integral part of a wonderful new world.
Synopsis
Thanks to film and literature, the idea of robots and artificial intelligence has long intrigued us. The fascination continues with Popular MechanicsRobots, which gathers the very best of the magazineand#39;s fantastic robotic coverage and examines the way we live with these machines todayandmdash;and how we will continue to exist with other advanced technologies in the future. Readers can now discover all varieties of robot, including ones that recognize our faces, gestures, and emotions; drive our cars; serve as highly intelligent personal assistants and medical diagnosticians; go into space; and even become embedded in our architecture and homes. Although robots can inspire both fear and wonder, author David H. Wilson shows how theyand#39;re an integral part of a wonderful new world.
About the Author
Gregory Benford is a two-time winner of the Nebula Award and a professor of physics at the University of California. He is the author of more than 20 novels, including
Jupiter Project,
Artifact,
Against Infinity,
Eater, and
Timescape. Benford has won the John W. Campbell Award, the Australian Ditmar Award, the 1995 Lord Foundation Award for achievement in the sciences, and the 1990 United Nations Medal in Literature.and#160;
Popular Mechanics inspires, instructs, and influences 9 million curious minds that read the magazine every month. The magazine features breakthroughs in the latest innovations in science and technology.