See the 2015 tech that 'Back to the Future Part II' predicted, and what it missed
Automated homes? Flatscreen TVs? The iconic 1989 movie made some astonishingly accurate predictions about tech in 2015 -- but there are some modern marvels we never saw coming.
Great Scott! We're mere days away from 21 October 2015, the date that Doc Brown and Marty McFly visited in the iconic movie "Back to the Future Part II."
The time-bending sequel, released in 1989, made some astonishingly accurate predictions about the state of modern technology, but in other ways, the gadgets and services we rely on today were beyond anything imagined back in the '80s. Hit play on the video above as we investigate the tech that Back to the Future predicted, and what it just plain missed.
From TV tech to smart homes rammed to the gunwales with high-tech accessories, modern life reflects the Hill Valley of 2015 in plenty of delightful ways. And even where the movie didn't get it quite right (hey scientists, where are our flying cars, eh?), you'll be surprised at how close it came. Except about the prevalence of fax machines, obviously.
Best tech predictions of 'Back to the Future Part II' and its biggest misses (pictures)
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In the spirit of all things paradoxical and time-twisting, here's a question to keep you up at night: Is it possible that the tech Back to the Future predicted may exist today precisely because it was in the movie?
What if inventors have spent the last quarter-century subconsciously reaching for a version of 2015 that's grounded in the tech they saw on screen back in 1989? If "Back to the Future Part II" never existed, would modern tech be radically different?
When you've unravelled that existential puzzler, drop your solutions in the comments, along with any suggestions for tech predictions in the movie we might have missed in the video above. Done that? All right, now why don't you make like a tree and get outta here.
The "Back to the Future" DeLorean used in this video feature comes courtesy of Steven Wickenden of Bttfcar.co.uk.