Beyond 2000 made some outrageous claims about the future. How many did they get right?

Umm, so I have a question – where’s my hover car? Because according to Beyond 2000, I should be flying around in one right now while planning my next holiday to Mars.

For those not familiar with the show, Beyond 2000 was an Australian TV program in the mid ’80s that ran through until the late ’90s that predicted the technical advances we would see in a world beyond the year 2,000.

To put the show into context though, it WAS produced in a time when West Germany still existed, a Computer was considered to be “super’ if it had 2GBs of Ram and Amanda Keller, one of the presenters, wore outfits like this:

So, has the future been disappointed so far? Well, as it turns out, yes and no. And whilst we most certainly won't be holidaying on Mars anytime soon, we have made inroads to getting there. Plus, some of the inventions that looked positively futuristic in 1986, are very much a reality today.

So how many of their (sometimes outrageous) predictions actually came true? Let's take a look:

What they got wrong:

Cars would not require doors. By 1995, Beyond 2000 told us our cars would no longer require doors because apparently they were going to look like this. Well let me tell you, the year is 2015 and I still had to open the car door of my Honda Jazz to exit it this morning.

Every surfer would wear one of these:

In 1993, Beyond 2000 told us that EVERY surfer would be wearing one of these. The 'Waterproof communication device' which doubled as an FM radio was going to be as natural to wear as boardshorts apparently. This didn't not come to fruition because it was technically impossible but because as far as I understand, people go surfing to get away from communication so no one bought one.

Hover Cars

The Jetsons really gave us rather high expectations didn't they? Apparently so as according to Beyond 2000 we should be overcoming traffic jams right now by FLYING OUR CARS IN THE SKY.

Life on Mars

As it stands today, this is still not a reality although their wild speculation that one day we'd inhabit Mars, might still be possible. Maybe. We're working on it.

What they got right:

Wearable computers.

Okay, so they didn't exactly get the design right, but let's face it, we can now wear a device on our wrist that is a both a computer and a phone. So even though their prediction of wearing a computer around our waist like a bum bag never eventuated (thank god), they were awfully close.

In car Navigation systems

Check out this GPS from 1986. Beyond 2000 were correct in predicting that in the future we would be able to access an affordable GPS in our cars but thankfully, they've been downsized..

MRI machines

In 1992, when this episode of Beyond 2000 was filmed, leukaemia patients had to undergo painful bone marrow biopsies in which their physician would painfully draw a sample out of their breastbone every 6 weeks, to analyse their progress. The MRI changed all this. It was only in its infancy back in 1992 but it was fast becoming a hospital staple. The prediction made by Beyond 2000, that you would be able to pop into your local GP after the year 2000 and get an MRI was perhaps a little optimistic. but I think we can all agree, we've come a long way.

If you want to head on back to the future or actually, just back in time, here's a great clip promoting Beyond 2000 we found from 1985. Enjoy.

We hope you've enjoy this little throwback in time. Perhaps they didn't always get it right but in most ways, as can be confirmed by the device you're reading this on right now, technology has come a long way baby. 

If you enjoyed reading this, you might like these also

When your elderly parents join Facebook

The hidden health cost of reading a screen in bed

When kids go to Uni, we all benefit