I
suspect I am not alone is having spent the best part of October glued
to the telly watching the Rugby World Cup. Undoubtedly the best 2
teams did meet in the final (even if I do have a certain sympathy for
the Scots who were deprived of a historic semi-final place by a poor
refereeing decision against the Aussies). Whether the current All
Blacks side is the best ever, I am not so sure. They are a great team
to watch but so were the Welsh in the 1970s, and there have been a
few All Black and Wallaby teams that would also be staking a claim
for that accolade.
Given
that the final took place at Halloween I was disappointed that the
Aussies did not get into to the spirit, I was rather hoping that the
Kiwi Haka would be faced off by the Wallabies sporting werewolf
hands, neck bolts and vampire teeth.
Two
other events in October caught my eye, one being the Welsh soccer
team qualifying for a major championship for the first time since
1958 and the other being Back to the Future Day, which as any film
fan could tell you is 21st October 2015.
Sadly,
for the England rugby squad it was more back to the drawing board
than back to the future. Like their fellow cricketers and footballers
they flattered to deceive and suffered a humbling exit from their own
world cup due in part to poor discipline and some strange team
selections.
The
frailty of the cricket team was once more exposed with the lack of a
class spinner and inept batting performances taking their toll in
every form of the game.
Once
again the hype surrounding our footballers is on the rise; as if
nothing has been learned from the debacle that was their world cup
exit. So they may be top of their pool in the European championship
qualifiers and have the only 100% record, but this is hardly the most
challenging of groups. Based on present performances which of our
superstars, if anyone, could be considered for a place in a Best in
the World squad, let alone command a place in a World XI?
There
is a huge element of Groundhog Day to our sporting prowess and it
unlikely that much could be learned from a Back to the Future
experience if the achievements in each sport over the past 30 years
was to be honestly evaluated. The games themselves may have evolved
and there have been a few major successes during this period but
overall our performances at almost every level have failed to keep
pace with the changes while other countries have been quicker and
better at adapting to them.
Sport
aside, it was good to read some of the comments about Back to the
Future 2 which, for me, is as watchable today as it was when it was
first released. President Obama tweeted to wish everyone a Happy Back
to the Future Day and even David Cameron made a lame reference to the
film in a jibe at Jeremy Corbin during Prime Minister's Questions in
Parliament.
In
Houston, Texas, headquarters of the DeLorean Car company fans of the
film gathered to pay homage to the creators of the gull-winged car
that was adapted for the film.
The
film trilogy may have featured flying cars, hoverboards and self
tying shoe laces which may not yet be commercially viable but in may
other aspects some of the futuristic predictions are now readily
available. Video calls have been around for some time and wearable
eye glass screens, which have been used by the military for many
years are now slowly finding a use in the public marketplace. 3D
movies have been around for some time though opinion regarding their
effectiveness remains split and fingerprint technology is becoming
increasingly useful in many fields.
Flat
screen televisions are not disimilar to the roll-up flat screen TV in
the McFly living room. The film was spot on with the prediction that
these screen would be voice activated, which is now possible using
smart technologies. Computer-controlled door locks were also another
successful pointer to the future as was the depiction of drones.
A
version of the hoverboard is available though it is reliant on a
magnetic track to supply the lift. Nike have a patent for the
self-tying laces though these remain a distant objective.
In
the film Doc is seen throwing rubbish into the car's waste converter
to supply it with power. There are a few trials currently testing the
use of recycled food waste and sewage to power buses as well as plans
to use agricultural waste as a petrol supplement.
One
motoring prediction that did not hit the target was barcode
numberplates, which sounds like a good idea but is a bit problematic
for visual identification of a vehicle if you don't have a scanner to
hand.
Perhaps
closer to reality is the fact that the cars in the film made very
little noise, not unlike the hybrid and electric cars that are now
is use.
The
film suggested that faxing would play a significant role in our
futures. In itself this would seem to have been a strange choice
given that the concept of the fax machine had been around since
Napoleonic times. It should also be pointed out that the world wide
web was created in 1989, the same year that BTTF2 was released, and
it would be a further year until Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the
first web browser.
I love this
sign that appeared on the noticeboard at Waterloo Station.
Perhaps
less successful with their predictions were the ideas of smart
clothing, though this is an area that is currently receiving
increasing attention. The film makes use of LED displays on police
helmets, technically possible but yet to be adopted by any police
authority.
Despite
recent advances in weaving technology within different fabrics the
possibility of being blown dry by your clothing is likely to remain
a distant idyll.
Sadly,
many of the thoughts regarding rejuvenation are also likely to remain
a distant wish though doubtless millions will continue to search for
the holy grail of youthful looks using botox, cosmetic surgery,
potions and creams.
The
one area that was overlooked completely in the film were the stellar
changes to mobile phone technology. Mobile phones were still chunky
and expensive back in the 80's and anything but smart.
In
hindsight many of these advancements have been fueled by and geared
towards consumerism which simply reinforces the belief, if we did not
already know it, that progress is driven by the pursuit of money. How
many ideas do not make it off the drawing board because the concept
is financially unviable.
There
is probably more technology on the latest smartphone than there was
on the first Apollo spacecraft to land on the moon though for most of
us it is simply a toy to enable us to contact our friends and family
one way or other, search the internet or take photos.
It
is sometimes good to look forward and think of things that we would
like to see improved or invented, not everything will be achievable
or welcome but that is progress. Part of me wishes that the DeLorean
only had a reverse setting, to a time when life was simpler and more
fulfilling but there is also that part of me that will always want to
know what lies just around the corner, what the next great
breakthrough will be and what the future holds for us all.