Medical Advances of the Future!

Friday, August 20, 2010
"Hey! We're headed for the future." Neil Diamond sang those words in the 80s, and they seem to echo the obsession society had at the time with technological advances the future would bring. I think because of so many new products - such as VCRs, Sony Walkmans, home computers and video games - we thought technology was about to revolutionize everything in our lives, including medical care. A 1982 children's book called World of Tomorrow - Health and Medicine was full of predictions about medical care in the future. I won't go into detail about them all - you can read on each page for yourself - but overall, it's pretty interesting how accurate some of the perceptions were (body scanners, robotic surgery, etc.) So let's take a trip back to the 80s, kids, at see the medical future back in 1982...

And, oh, must note that I heard about this book from Gilligan over at Retrospace, and the book can be found in its entirety on The Pointless Musuem. Clicking on each image will open it up in a larger size. 




I guess the Foreword was trying to show that the elderly would be living long, healthy lives - even participating in football games! Yes, I know he's holding a soccer ball but the book was published in the UK, after all. 

These next two pages talk about genetics and parental planning...this young couple is at the doctor's finding out how good their genes are before proceeding to get pregnant. Is that a good idea for these two to be procreating? They sure are a funny looking couple, aren't they? Hope they don't have a funny looking baby...

This looks like one scary ob/gyn appointment...and why do they have a pregnant woman lying on her stomach? That can't be comfy!



In the future, they've finally figured out how to get men to see the dentist every six months - she wears a skimpy mid-drift top that exposes her breasts:
 
This scene is right out of a science fiction horror film:


Check out the eyeballs on her table! Creeeeepy!

You get the idea....you can find the entire book, and more fun ones, on the Pointless Musuem's link above.

5 comments:

  1. LOL!!! Some of those illustrations were downright scary!!!

    Oh....I just had a thought. Would you PLEASE do a retro post on The Bionic Woman or The Six Million Dollar Man? I used to LOVE those two shows! :)

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  2. Marlene - OK, that will require some research on my part because I never watched either show. Seriously. I know, I know. I'll try my best...

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  3. Ha! Hilarious commentary!... and,yes, I would go to the dentist more often.... every week, if possible.

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  4. I LOVE the dentist one. I'm from Vegas where they tried to start a topless barber shop called A Little Off the Top. It's hard to believe they couldn't get the right permitting because strangely enough the locals in Vegas are very straight laced. Anyway, I love topless dental assistants! It's the wave of the future!

    Speaking of robotic surgery, there is this very early 70s movie called Paper Man which is about a computer that seems to not only come to life but also develop a grudge. The computer is at this college where they have this weird robot for surgery practice and he's animanted... not quite the same, but it's really interesting to see how things were developing then and how they are now. Also, the robot figures into the creepiest death scene.

    That is all!

    Another great article! :)

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  5. Thanks for the book pointer Pam! Futurism, Futurist is my favorite pastime; and this is a great addition. Just how *will* we thrive (or survive) in the future? "Looking Backward" by Bellamy pub. in 1888, Verne, Asimov, Clarke, Wells were great inspirations. The 1939 Worlds Fair made the Future "real soon now" with real technology. Disney was genius visionary ala EPCOT, and more recently if you liked this book, the great OMNI magazine circa 1980-90s has this, wonderful art, futurism, science, and technology described (dys)utopias, medical advances, breakthroughs, and the what-ifs. What if someday we are all genetic hotties (ala Logan's Run), will her cleavage matter?. Let's hope so. http://www.omnimagonline.com/
    http://boingboing.net/2010/07/05/memories-of-omni-mag.html

    s-a-h-d

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