In a very colourfull contribution, “paleofuturist” Matt Novak discusses in his blog how early futuristic cartoons in the late fifties, shortly after the Sputnik launch, envisioned the future.

Pairing stunningly accrate visions of future education implying what we now call ODL technologies with overly optimistic confidence in technological benefits, these cartoons are an amazing mirror of what we developed into. Whether depicting robot ants or mechanized agriculture, it shows how imagination is closely intertwined with reality constraints and human aspirations. Interestingly, while these cartoon ssupposedly depict life and lifestyle in a far away future, they have this distinctively “fifties” feel over them 🙂