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The Future Wasn't Meant to Be

Futuristic Technologies That Didn’t Become Popular

Many exciting inventions were once predicted to change the world, but they were never widely used. What stopped these technologies from becoming successful? Could they become popular in the future? Discuss with your team.

  • Rocket Mail (sending mail with rockets)

  • Flying Cars

  • Maglev (magnetic levitation trains)

  • Zeppelins (large airships)

  • Suspension Railways (trains hanging from tracks)

  • Ground-Effect Vehicles (planes flying close to the ground)

  • Supersonic Transport (very fast passenger planes)

  • Nuclear Propulsion (using nuclear energy for transport)

  • Hyperloop (high-speed transportation in vacuum tubes)

  • Hydrogen Vehicles (cars using hydrogen fuel)

  • Mecha (large robot suits)

  • Metaverse (virtual reality worlds)

The Optimism of the 1990s

The 1990s were a time of hope for many people. Some believed that democracy would spread everywhere, and conflicts between countries would end. This positive thinking also appeared in music and culture. Listen to the songs below, then discuss:

  • How did these songs show excitement for the future?

  • Do you think their hopes were realistic?

Songs to explore:

  • Scorpions – "Wind of Change" (1990)

  • Jesus Jones – "Right Here, Right Now" (1991)

  • Michael Jackson – "Heal the World" (1991)

  • Michael Crawford – "Counting Up to Twenty" (1995)

  • Will Smith – "Will 2K" (1999)

The New Age Movement

In the late 20th century, some people became interested in spirituality, personal growth, and peaceful living. This movement, called New Age, focused on ideas like harmony, healing, and transformation.

Listen to these pieces of music linked to the New Age movement. Then, discuss with your team:

  • Do these ideas still feel important today?

  • How do these songs make you feel?

Music to explore:

  • Alice Coltrane – "Journey In Satchidananda" (1971)

  • Vangelis – "To the Unknown Man" (1977)

  • Kitaro – "Theme From Silk Road" (1980)

  • Enya – "Caribbean Blue" (1991)

  • Enigma – "Return To Innocence" (1994)

  • Explore the following futuristic technologies that failed to be widely adopted. What prevented their success, and is there a situation in the future where they might find popularity?
    ■ rocket mail | flying car | maglev | zeppelin | suspension railway
    ■ ground-effect vehicle | supersonic transport | nuclear propulsion | hyperloop
    ■ hydrogen vehicle | mecha | metaverse

  • For many, the 1990s were an unabashedly optimistic time; the academic Francis Fukuyama infamously suggested we might have reached the end of history, or at least the end of conflicts between dictatorships and democracies. This optimism extended beyond political and academic circles into popular culture. Review the following artworks, then discuss with your team: what kind of excitement did they reflect for the upcoming century? Were they justified?

  • The New Age movement of the late 20th century represents a revival in the interest of occult and metaphysical ideas, with many of its practitioners very much into love, harmony, and personal transformation and healing. Explore the following works associated with the movement, and discuss with your team: do such messages still resonate today?

Futuristic Inventions That Did Not Succeed

Many people imagined new inventions that could change the world. But some of these ideas did not become popular. Why did they fail? Could they be useful in the future? Talk with your team about these inventions:

  • Rocket Mail (sending mail with rockets)

  • Flying Cars (cars that can fly)

  • Maglev (trains that float above tracks using magnets)

  • Zeppelins (big airships)

  • Suspension Railways (trains that hang from tracks)

  • Ground-Effect Vehicles (planes that fly very close to the ground)

  • Supersonic Transport (very fast airplanes)

  • Nuclear Propulsion (using nuclear energy to move vehicles)

  • Hyperloop (super-fast transport in a tube)

  • Hydrogen Vehicles (cars that use hydrogen fuel)

  • Mecha (giant robot suits)

  • Metaverse (virtual worlds where people can meet online)

The Hopeful Feelings of the 1990s

The 1990s was a time when many people felt hopeful about the future. Some believed wars and problems between countries would end. People also showed this hope in music and culture.

Listen to these songs and talk with your team:

  • What do these songs say about the future?

  • Do you think they were right?

Songs:

  • Scorpions – "Wind of Change" (1990)

  • Jesus Jones – "Right Here, Right Now" (1991)

  • Michael Jackson – "Heal the World" (1991)

  • Michael Crawford – "Counting Up to Twenty" (1995)

  • Will Smith – "Will 2K" (1999)

The New Age Movement

In the late 1900s, some people became interested in spirituality and peaceful living. They wanted a world full of love, kindness, and personal growth. This was called the New Age Movement.

Listen to these songs and talk with your team:

  • Do people still believe in these ideas today?

  • How do these songs make you feel?

Songs:

  • Alice Coltrane – "Journey In Satchidananda" (1971)

  • Vangelis – "To the Unknown Man" (1977)

  • Kitaro – "Theme From Silk Road" (1980)

  • Enya – "Caribbean Blue" (1991)

  • Enigma – "Return To Innocence" (1994)

探索以下未能被广泛采用的未来技术。是什么阻碍了它们的成功？在未来的某些情况下，它们是否可能重新流行？

■ 火箭邮件 | 飞行汽车 | 磁悬浮列车 | 齐柏林飞艇 | 悬挂式铁路
■ 地效飞行器 | 超音速运输 | 核动力推进 | 超级高铁
■ 氢能汽车 | 机甲 | 元宇宙

对许多人来说，1990 年代是一个充满乐观的时代。学者弗朗西斯·福山（Francis Fukuyama）甚至大胆提出，人类可能已经达到了历史的终点，或至少民主与专制之间的冲突已趋于结束。这种乐观情绪不仅存在于政治和学术界，也深深影响了流行文化。

请回顾以下艺术作品，并与您的团队讨论：它们对即将到来的 21 世纪表现出何种期待？这些期待是否合理？

  • 蝎子乐队 | 《变革之风》（1990）

  • 耶稣琼斯 | 《就在这里，就在现在》（1991）

  • 迈克尔·杰克逊 | 《拯救世界》（1991）

  • 迈克尔·克劳福德 | 《数到二十》（1995）

  • 威尔·史密斯 | 《Will 2K》（1999）

20 世纪末的新世纪运动（New Age）代表了对神秘主义和形而上学思想的复兴，许多追随者都推崇爱、和谐，以及个人成长与治愈。请探索以下与该运动相关的作品，并与您的团队讨论：这些信息在当今社会是否仍然具有共鸣？

  • 爱丽丝·科尔特兰 | 《萨奇达南达之旅》（1971）

  • 范吉利斯 | 《致未知之人》（1977）

  • 喜多郎 | 《丝绸之路主题曲》（1980）

  • 恩雅 | 《加勒比蓝》（1991）

  • 谜乐团（Enigma） | 《回归纯真》（1994）

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