That's ridiculous. A smart person from the 1980s wouldn't understand your list because it's all brand names and neologisms. If you actually defined the words you're using, they'd have no problem understanding the ideas of a BBS, recording a video of yourself that other people can watch, sending people text messages, GPS, etc. etc.
I agree with you in one regard, but I was extending the GP poster's observation:
The point he's making is about how fast the world is changing along with our perceptions of what's normal and what's impossible.
You could describe to Mr 1980 that there's an international, permanently running computer system that a quarter of the world uses each day and that you can upload videos to (and get feedback on) using a tiny credit card sized device with no wires at all.. but I'd suggest Mr 1980 would find this as far-fetched and unbelievable as I'd find someone talking about playing racket sports in the atmosphere of Jupiter. (Now I know better than to write this off as impossible by 2040..)
I think there are two levels of understanding. As you suggest, there's understanding the terminology, and you're right that there are a lot of neologisms in there. But I'm more impressed by the understanding and acceptance of the concepts involved. Even if you turn all of those terms into something Mr 1980 will understand, would he get it?
I was old enough then, of course almost everybody would get it then, easily! Even my granddad wouldn't have problems imagining. Think: since 1866 (it was 144 years ago!) there's uninterrupted communication using binary electric signals between US and Europe:
Comments
That's ridiculous. A smart person from the 1980s wouldn't understand your list because it's all brand names and neologisms. If you actually defined the words you're using, they'd have no problem understanding the ideas of a BBS, recording a video of yourself that other people can watch, sending people text messages, GPS, etc. etc.
I agree with you in one regard, but I was extending the GP poster's observation:
The point he's making is about how fast the world is changing along with our perceptions of what's normal and what's impossible.
You could describe to Mr 1980 that there's an international, permanently running computer system that a quarter of the world uses each day and that you can upload videos to (and get feedback on) using a tiny credit card sized device with no wires at all.. but I'd suggest Mr 1980 would find this as far-fetched and unbelievable as I'd find someone talking about playing racket sports in the atmosphere of Jupiter. (Now I know better than to write this off as impossible by 2040..)
I think there are two levels of understanding. As you suggest, there's understanding the terminology, and you're right that there are a lot of neologisms in there. But I'm more impressed by the understanding and acceptance of the concepts involved. Even if you turn all of those terms into something Mr 1980 will understand, would he get it?
I was old enough then, of course almost everybody would get it then, easily! Even my granddad wouldn't have problems imagining. Think: since 1866 (it was 144 years ago!) there's uninterrupted communication using binary electric signals between US and Europe:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transatlantic_telegraph_cable
And it would take half an hour to explain it, not a minute.