Arthur C Clarke Predicts the Future from Futurama

Today on Far Future Horizons we take a look at the future from the perspective of the 1964 -1965 World’s Fair.

In 1964, Arthur C. Clarke made some very interesting predictions about the future world we are currently living in now from the 1964 New York World's Fair General Motors Futurama exhibit.

The City of the Future

Today’s video clip of Arthur C Clarke comes from the highly acclaimed BBC documentary series Horizon from the episode "The Knowledge Explosion" first broadcast on 21st September, 1964.

General Motors was a pioneer exhibitor and with the technical assistance of Walt Disney's Imagineers created Futurama.

Lunar Base

Futurama was a ride at the New York World's Fair in 1939 and was updated for the 1964 fair which offered its riders a glimpse into what life in the year 2024 would be like. 

The second video feature for today is promotional film by General Motors follows a young boy as he explores a lunar base of operation, an Antarctic weather forecasting center, undersea exploration and the typical positive 1960s thinking about the future of American design and living. 

South Polar City

The ride itself was one of the most popular attractions at the fair with over 25 million passengers during the 6 months it was open and the building which housed it was one of the largest buildings ever built for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Undersea Home

How ironic that this optimistic vision of tomorrow would be marred just a decade later by the energy crisis and mounting concerns over environmental degradation.

BBC Horizon - 1964 - Arthur C Clarke imagines life in the year 2000



1964-1965 New York World's Fair FUTURAMA Ride Video
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