3 things Hollywood can tell us about the future

La La Land's futurists sometimes do get it right

Star Trek
(Image credit: Facebook.com/Star Trek)

When Aaron Marcus watches science-fiction movies, he looks for the stuff other viewers see as background: the slick computer screens, the gadgets they plug into, the machines they use or that use them.

Marcus is a graphic and user experience designer who was one of the first in his field to use a computer, so he has a particular appreciation for the tipping points of technology. Hollywood's visions for 2050 and beyond, he said in an interview with The Week, can often seem like "advanced product placement" for technology that hasn't been invented yet.

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Matt Hansen has written and edited for a series of online magazines, newspapers, and major marketing campaigns. He is currently active in press freedom and safety research with Global Journalist Security.