A science-fiction writer who predicted many discoveries and inventions of the twentieth century.
September 21 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Hg wells. Only a century later, it became clear, how penetrating was a famous science fiction writer. 80% of his predictions at the time seemed crazy assumptions in the future become a reality. In his science fiction novels wells foresaw the coming of the buses, escalators, answering machines, Central heating, automatic doors and many other useful inventions of the twentieth century.
In 1897, wells published a novel “the invisible Man”, the idea which subsequently became the subject of disputes of scientists. Today, stealth aircraft invisible to radar, and invented metaideology camouflage, creating an illusion of invisibility. In the 1898 novel “war of the worlds” wells described the takeover of Earth by the Martians to destroy which people managed with simple bacteria. In the twentieth century, the search for extraterrestrial civilizations really took the world scale, and on the development of biological weapons, was actively working scientists and the military. In “War of the worlds” the author also writes about the gas attacks and “heat rays”, which the aliens destroyed their opponents – that he anticipated the emergence of laser weapons. Another idea wells, a realized in the near future is the introduction of blood nutrients”.
Even before the world wars fiction described their disastrous effects: inflation and other economic problems, unemployment, famine and political crises. Aircraft heavier than air was planned, and the Martians of wells have already built their aircraft. In the novel “Liberated world” (1914), the writer talked about the possibility of splitting the atom and creating the atomic bomb. And these ideas are also, unfortunately, found its embodiment in real life.
In 1901, wells published his book “On the impact of the progress of mechanics and science on human life and thought”, which included many remarkably accurate forecasts. The writer anticipated that rail transport will soon give way to a leading position in the road and speculated about its evolution: “Countless experiences with cars, currently produced, so excites the imagination and so many people are working on their improvement bears to the inconvenience of these crews – their tremors, clumsiness, reserve unpleasant smell could not be eliminated”. The author rightly assumed that the railroad will soon be used only for transporting heavy goods and mass transportation of people.
But the prospects of air transport, the writer wondered: “Ballooning is unlikely to make significant changes in the transport system,” he wrote. – Man is not an Albatross, and terrestrial bipeds, it is highly prone to tired and getting dizzy from too rapid movement.”
On the phone, wells placed his hopes, and later implemented Internet connection: “just think about what will be done with a phone when he comes into common use. Work reel shops will almost disappear: you’ll order by phone and get at least a hundred miles from London you will receive any merchandise; in one day all ordered will be delivered to your home, inspected and, if unfit sent back. The mistress of the house, armed with a phone and not budging, will have at its disposal local suppliers and all the major London stores, box office, post office, livery exchange, doctor…”.
Some predictions of wells is not realized: thus, he suggested that in big cities people will move with the moving sidewalks, conveyors. Underestimated the author and the role of tanks and submarines in military operations. Fiction was wrong in forecasts regarding the establishment of a single world state and maintaining the essential role of women as Housewives.
