8 Science Fiction Predictions That Should Have Happened by Now

We Should All Have Robot Servants • Alien Invasions • Flying Cars • Intelligent Houses • Time Travel • More ...

We’ve officially passed many of the milestone years once considered "the far future" in classic sci-fi. Looking back, it’s fascinating (and sometimes hilarious) to see how wrong science fiction got its predictions. While some books and movies were eerily accurate, others were way off—although I suppose that’s why it’s called fiction.

From the lack of flying cars in our driveways to the fact that we still have to do our own laundry, the future hasn't quite arrived as promised. Here are some of the most famous predictions that haven't come true yet.

1. We Should All Have Robot Servants

We Should All Have Robot Servants I wish! I would much rather a robot handle the more unpleasant household tasks like cleaning out the cats’ litter tray. Companies like Boston Dynamics are making progress, but we're still a long way from a Rosie the Robot in every home. As long as the odor didn’t mess up their wiring, I’d be first in line.

Photo Credit: Dan Coulter

2. Alien Invasions

Alien Invasions Quite why any intelligent species capable of voyaging across the stars would want to invade us is beyond me. I did once have a dream that aliens blew up my home town. They would be doing us a favor... yes, it is that awful. While organizations like NASA continue to search for signs of life, we haven't seen any UFOs over our cities just yet.

Photo Credit: ~*Denise*~

3. Flying Cars

Flying Cars This is quite a scary thought, given the current standards of driving. Fortunately, it hasn’t happened, and cars remain firmly on terra firma. We might have autonomous vehicles from companies like Waymo, but they still have wheels on the ground. I'd much rather have an intelligent house than a car that could fall out of the sky.

Photo Credit: amphalon

Here are a few sci-fi movies that actually got some tech right:

2001: A Space Odyssey - Predicted tablets and video calls.
Blade Runner - Predicted massive digital billboards.
Total Recall - Predicted self-driving cars.
Minority Report - Predicted gesture-based interfaces.

4. Intelligent Houses

Intelligent Houses Actually, I’m not sure I like the idea of my house being more intelligent than me. What if it breaks down and traps me inside like in that animated scary movie? The cats might eat me eventually... even with our modern smart home tech, there's always a fear of a glitch. It's almost as creepy as having robot servants walking around.

Photo Credit: yusheng

5. Time Travel

HG Wells sent a 19th-century time traveler to the far future, but that technology is nowhere in sight, assuming it can ever be possible. Although... would we know if it had happened? We might be living in an alternate timeline right now!

Photo Credit: AreKev

6. Global Destruction

Global Destruction Fictional Armageddon has come upon us in so many ways—asteroids, Earth’s axis moving, meteorological disasters. However, in spite of various actual disasters, humanity hasn’t been finished off yet. We are resilient if nothing else.

Photo Credit: White_Guardian_Angel

7. Zombie Attacks

Zombie Attacks Fortunately, the living dead haven’t paid us a visit yet. I’ve done my research though, and I’m ready for those horrible zombies if it ever happens. Axe, flamethrower, uzi... or anything at hand. Just in case, you might want to keep a survival kit ready.

Photo Credit: Eduardo!

8. Virus Outbreaks

Virus Outbreaks A popular theme among TV series, we should have been annihilated hundreds of times over by now. It’s usually a secret government lab behind it in the movies. Who knows what those mad scientists are up to as you read this... fortunately, our real-world medical science is catching up to the fictional threats, much like our preparation for zombie attacks.