By Chris Cosci

Our visions of the future have typically been visualized as an ultra-modern world of incredible innovations and sophisticated technology. It's a world where people drive flying cars or have cars that are driven by computers along specially designed highways. Society is populated with androids and artificially intelligent robots that walk, talk and look just like human beings, but are merely plastic shells with complex wiring. And we have fast, convenient travel to and from Mars or the moon, where people live in special houses that allow us to survive despite unsupportive external conditions.

Funny thing, though - these aren't exactly modern-day predictions. These futuristic concepts have practically been the staple of science fiction for decades. Yet here we are in the 21st century, and our world seems relatively low-tech in comparison to these revolutionary forecasts. Sure, we've seen some impressive technology over the past few years. Computers have become increasingly sophisticated, allowing for instant commerce and communication around the world. Cell phones have become more functional than some desktop computers were just ten years ago. And we are seeing televisions with flat screens and high-definition picture quality.

But despite all of this technology, our cities and our homes are not quite the technological wonderlands we'd come to expect. We still have normal highways, complete with traffic jams and potholes. We don't leave our homes and return to find them cleaned by robot servants. And not every building is equipped with fingerprint and retinal scans for instant identification.

So where did all of these ideas come from? A lot of these fantastical ideas were first demonstrated at various World's Fairs. For example, in 1939, New York held a World's Fair that showed a future filled with talking kitchen appliances and spacious, seven-lane, radio-controlled highways. In 1964, New York really went over the top, displaying a model of an underwater city where people traveled in atomic submarines and mined for minerals in aquacopters.

On the other side of the country, Seattle's World's Fair in 1962 treated visitors to models of future cities covered in giant domes that would provide climate control. There was also the promise of modern-day conveniences such as rocket belts and automated kitchens that could be operated using push buttons.

To be fair, these events did provide people with their first view of new items that have become very popular. Personal computers, cordless phones and microwave ovens all made their debut at World's Fairs. But while many of these fantasies have become reality, the Jetsons-like vision of our future is still well out of reach.

I think that some people may be a little too optimistic and forget to ground their ideas in reality. For example, I think we can stop dreaming of a world filled with flying cars. We have enough problems getting people to drive properly on the ground. Do we really want to start putting drivers in the air?

And artificial intelligence is still a rather problematic technology. While many companies have made serious advancements in this field, most robots still seem to be impressive only when you ask it the right questions. I was "talking" with one AI machine recently, and it asked me what kind of computer I was using. After I answered, the machine answered, "I prefer Macintosh." I asked, "Why?" And it replied, "Because people always talk through the movie."

Still, technology does have a way of sneaking up on people. Only a couple of years before the famous flight at Kitty Hawk, Wilbur Wright said that man would not fly for 50 years. In 1948, Science Digest said that landing on the moon was so problematic, that it would take about 200 years to accomplish. And in 1966, a Wall Street Journal reporter wrote that it was unlikely for everyone to have their own personal computer anytime soon.

So who knows? Maybe I'm wrong about the future. Only time will tell. But if you're going to prove me wrong, could you do it by inventing a transporter?