Something You Should Know · Podcast summary
The Tech of Tomorrow That Never Arrived & The Remarkable History of Teeth - SYSK Choice
Nicole Coby and Bill Schutt explore why some anticipated technologies like flying cars remain elusive and reveal the fascinating evolutionary history and social significance of human teeth.
Listen on the show ↗Key takeaways
- 🛸Flying cars have existed since 1956 but were impractical and expensive, explaining their lack of adoption.7:53
- 🚗Driverless cars operate in limited areas but full autonomy requires all vehicles to communicate, a challenge still unresolved.10:02
- 📚Technologies often arrive incrementally and imperfectly, requiring realistic expectations about their adoption timelines.11:39
- 🤖Robots capable of human-like tasks remain distant; current robots require extensive programming and lack true autonomy.22:06
- 🏙️Smart city concepts often fail due to human unpredictability, but small tech like sensor-equipped bins improve urban management.25:41
- 🦷Human teeth require high maintenance due to sugar consumption, which feeds bacteria that erode enamel.32:54
Chapters
- 4:34🛒 Saving Money at the Grocery Store
- 6:40🚗 Why Flying Cars Aren't Common
- 10:02🤖 The Reality of Driverless Cars and Robots
- 18:07🧠 Artificial Intelligence Today and Tomorrow
- 30:09🦷 The Fascinating History of Teeth
- 39:06🧓 George Washington's Teeth and Dental Care History
- 43:05🦷 Teeth Beyond Eating
- 46:12🧠 Dental Health and Brain Disease
- 47:44🦷 Why Wisdom Teeth Cause Problems
The digest
Why Don't We Have Flying Cars Yet?
Nicole Coby, a London-based technology and science journalist and author of The Long History of the Future, explains that flying cars have existed since 1956 when Moulton Taylor’s Aero Car was certified for both road and flight. However, these early flying cars were neither good cars nor good planes—they were slow, heavy, expensive ($15,000 in 1956, equivalent to a hefty sum today), and impractical. They required taking off from airports rather than your driveway, limiting their convenience. The market favored buying separate cars and planes instead. This illustrates a broader theme: many futuristic technologies work in theory or labs but falter in real-world application due to complexity, cost, or user experience.
Keep reading in The Digest
The full 5-minute article, 12 more sections, and every new episode from Something You Should Know and the creators you follow.
- The Reality of Driverless Cars
- The Elusive Promise of Robots and Smart Cities
- Artificial Intelligence: Present and Future
- The Evolution and Importance of Teeth
- Why Human Teeth Are High Maintenance
- Teeth and Diet: Cause or Effect?
- Social Significance of Teeth
- The Story of George Washington’s Teeth
- Teeth Beyond Eating
- Emerging Links Between Dental Health and Brain Health
- Why Wisdom Teeth Cause Problems
- Conclusion
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