Top 10 Back to the Future Predictions That Came TRUE
10 Back to the Future Predictions That Came True
Welcome to MsMojo, and today were looking at things that Back to the Future got right about the future.
Voice-Activated Lights
You know those smart home devices that allow you to turn off the lights by simply using your voice? Well, Back to the Future saw this coming. In a scene during the second film, when the police bring Jennifer to her future 2015 home, the lights turn on at the sound of her voice. For a film that came out in the late 1980s, talk about a bright vision of technological advancement! Amazon Alexa, the now-famous voice-controlled smart assistant, debuted in 2014 and transformed the way many people interact with their homes. Looking back, the timing is uncannyit makes perfect sense that Marty and Jennifers 2015 house would have voice-activated lights.
Hands-Free Gaming
Playing a video game without touching a controller of some sort may have seemed far-fetched in 1989but in 2015 not so much. When Marty walks into Cafe 80s in Back to the Future Part II, two kids express their disapproval of using hands for gaming. Do they not realize theyre in a place called Cafe 80s? It should be nostalgic! Times were different then, kids! But lo and behold, by 2015 hands-free gaming actually became a real thing with devices like the Kinect. So, while traditional gaming with a handheld controller doesnt carry the baby toy label expressed in the movie, those kids still gave a sneak preview of a revolutionary gaming experience.
Multi-Screen Experience
Watching Marty Jr. watch six channels at once mightve seemed sillyor totally implausibleat the time. And even now, if you watch Back to the Future Part II, you can still get that futuristic feel, especially when you remember it came out in 1989. Back then, wall-mounted flat-screen TVs hadnt yet become the norm in homes either. By the 2010s, though, that multi-screen viewing experience actually became pretty normal. It just makes a bit more sense when youre trying to keep up with a bunch of sports games, compared to the random mix of channels Marty Jr. had on.
Smartwatches
If youre a Back to the Future fan, you know that Doc Brown is ahead of his time. But if you watched Part II around the time it came out, the way he uses a device on his wrist wouldve seemed outlandishcool, sure, but still outlandish. During this scene, the scientist and inventor looks at his wrist to check the weather forecast. Sure enough, the rain stops in five seconds. Yeah, right! Well, looking back, we can identify what Doc was wearing as a smartwatchbecause, well, they exist now; as does the ability to check the weather on them. The franchise also predicted the development of electronic tablets. But the smartwatch prediction is a little more apparent and was more far-fetched at the time.
Augmented Reality
Marty Jr.'s living in his own world at timesjust check out the wearable tech hes rocking in this scene. His sister's got a pair too! Those look like smart glasses, something that wasn't real at the timebut keyword: yet. These devices offer immersive, tech-driven experiencesà la augmented reality. We also see a similar concept with the shark hologram that startles Marty. While the augmented reality in Back to the Future Part II isn't exactly the same as how we use it today, it definitely gave us a sneak peek of what was to come.
Digital Currency & Mobile Payment
Contactless payment and transferring money wirelessly have become everyday parts of modern life. Back to the Future Part II told us this was comingor, well, they showed us! We see this technologically advanced payment method when Martys asked to make a donation for the clock tower, as well as when Biff pays for his taxi ride with a thumbprint. Okay, so it may not be exactly how we do it now, but the classic film franchise was definitely onto something. Fast forward to the 21st century, and the number of ways to pay has expanded and become more digitized.
Drones
Whether its news drones or a dog-walking drone, Back to the Future Part II portrays a future of what was once considered unusual aerial activity. While the USA TODAY news drone in the film doesnt look like the actual non-military drones that eventually flew into our society, the concept is the same: journalistic drones, many of which have cameras. And of course drones for business, research, and personal use have come into play as well. Director Robert Zemeckis came up with the drone idea for the movie during a spitballing session. Who knew his spitball idea for a movie would actually become a part of reality?
Fingerprint ID Scanners
While fingerprint recognition and biometric devices had existed in some form before Back to the Future, the film franchise imagined them becoming even more technologically advanced by 2015. And they were right. Whether youve used your touch ID to unlock your phone or your laptop, or to fill in your password, youve likely used this technology in some form. In Back to the Future Part II, Jennifer uses thumbprint recognition to open her front door. At the time the movie came out, this seemed super futuristiclike seriously, no more keys? Fast forward to the 21st century, and, while house keys still exist, some people really do only need their finger!
The Cubs Ending Their World Series Drought
By the time Back to the Future Part II was released, over 80 years had passed since the Chicago Cubs last won the World Series. But screenwriter Bob Gale, a St. Louis Cardinals fan, envisioned a 2015 where the Cubs finally would end the historic drought. And, wow, was he close. What many called a curse was finally broken when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016. Even though the movies prediction was one year off, were considering it an amazing prediction, because of just how long the drought wasand how unfamiliar it became for the Cubs to be on top of the baseball world. Martys reaction says it all. Oh yeah, and they also predicted thered be an MLB franchise in Miamiimpressive indeed.
Video Calls
Talking to someone in another place while seeing their face live on a screen once seemed totally futuristic. Technically, video telephones had been invented before Back to the Future, but they werent widely used at all. The film franchise took the technology a step further in its envisioned 2015 society. During a scene in Back to the Future Part II, Marty answers a video call from his coworker, who pops up on a big screen. This surely left many viewers thinking, how cool would that be? Well, fast forward to the 21st century, and video calling has become second nature with platforms like Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, and more.
What Back to the Future prediction stood out to you most? Let us know in the comments!
