Open Thread: Are We the Jetsons?

On September 23, 1962, the Jetsons premiered on TV.  The wacky, cartoony vision of the future (it was set in 2062!) was trend-setting far ahead of its time.

It was one of the first to be broadcast in (OMG!!) color!

It was also pretty good with predictions of life in the future:  supersized TV screens, communicating with others via flat screens, home treadmills and those reclining massage chairs so loved by George Jetson.

Life in the Future….today

We haven’t quite gotten to robot maids like Rosie, but we do have Roombas to clean floors and Alexa to manage home electronics….and touch screen technology (rather than push buttons) to order fast food or make your coffee. We might even be a step ahead with self-driving cars in the near future. (George Jetson still had to drive his spaceship to work).  And the Jetsons are still using….cash??

Whether you’re a fan of the show or not, there must be some gadgets, gizmos, widgets and doohickeys you’d like to see developed in the future.

My top three on the wish list?

Self-cleaning windows

A universal remote silencer so I don’t have to listen to inconsiderate people blasting their crappy music in public.

A transporter (like in Star Trek) so I can avoid schlepping my packages (or myself) from place to place.

What are the inventions you’d like to see? Let us know in the comments!!

Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send your suggestions for Open Threads to her at editor@seniorplanet.org.