Skip to main contentSkip to navigation
Print subscriptions
Sign in
Search jobs
Search
The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian

They promised us …

An exploration of the tech we once thought was the future – and still could be.

3 July 2018

  • Marty McFly with his hoverboard

    Hoverboards: why they haven't got off to a McFlying start

    The gadgets inspired by Back to the Future Part II’s floating skateboards have failed to deliver

26 June 2018

  • ray gun toy

    Ray guns: will they ever be more than cool toys?

    Humans have dreamed of weaponised lasers since HG Wells first mooted them. Should we be careful what we wish for?

19 June 2018

  • Aerocar I Flying Auto in Flight<br>The Aerocar I flying auto was designed by Molt Taylor and built in Longview, Washington in the late 1940’s. (Photo by © Museum of Flight/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

    Flying cars: why haven't they taken off yet?

    Despite their potential, no one has managed to take them from flight of fancy to everyday reality

12 June 2018

  • William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek

    Teleportation: will it ever be a possibility?

    Instant travel seems further away than when Captain Kirk first reanimated, but scientists are fighting to make it happen

5 June 2018

  • A BRITISH AIRWAYS CONCORDE TAKES OFF FROM HEATHROW AIRPORT ON JULY 24<br>Vapour trails appear on the wings of a British Airways Concorde supersonic aircraft as it takes off from London's Heathrow airport on July 24, 2000. British Airways said it had suspended its Concorde flights with immediate effect on August 15. The airline said it took the step after being told the aircraft's certificate of airworthiness was about to be withdrawn. REUTERS/Ian Waldie

    Supersonic flight: will it ever rise out of the ashes of Concorde?

    Flying at twice the speed of sound was the preserve of the rich. If supersonic flight roars back to the skies, could it be more affordable?

29 May 2018

  • TO MATCH FEATURE STORY TRANSPORT-JAPAN-MAGLEV<br>Central Japan Railway Co.'s Maglev train, which is levitated and propelled by magnetic forces, is seen at an 18.4 kilometre test track in Tsuru, west of Tokyo, June 10, 2004. Central Japan Railway is pushing for a commercial line between Tokyo and the western city of Osaka, a distance that is about the same as going from Washington to New York. However, there are no current plans for building a Maglev line despite neary four decades of research, 15 years of testing and more than $2 billion invested, including government subsidies. Picture taken June 10, 2004. TO MATCH FEATURE STORY TRANSPORT-JAPAN-MAGLEV REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao

    Maglev trains: why aren't we gliding home on hovering carriages?

    It is lightning quick, clean, green – and expensive. But shouldn’t we think again about magnetic levitation?

22 May 2018

  • Princess Leia hologram from Star Wars.

    Holograms: are they still the preserve of science fiction?

    A projected Princess Leia in Star Wars suggested a 3D future, but we’ll have to wait a while before we are playing holochess

15 May 2018

  • Rocket man … Bill Suitor demonstrates his jet pack at the 1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles.

    Jetpacks: why aren't we all flying to work?

    It’s not as if the tech hasn’t shown promise, but jet propulsion has never become part of our daily lives. Here’s why
Explore more on these topics
  翻译：