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| Blade Runner: How well did the film predict 2019's tech? | Blade Runner: How well did the film predict 2019's tech? |
| (3 days later) | |
| It's November 2019 and Los Angeles is in a state of urban decay. The population has dwindled, and humans face a new threat from manufactured biological robots gone rogue... | It's November 2019 and Los Angeles is in a state of urban decay. The population has dwindled, and humans face a new threat from manufactured biological robots gone rogue... |
| Back in 1982, this is how Blade Runner director Ridley Scott imagined the world would be. | Back in 1982, this is how Blade Runner director Ridley Scott imagined the world would be. |
| Thirty-seven years after the film was released, how accurate were its predictions about how technology would play a bigger role in our lives? | Thirty-seven years after the film was released, how accurate were its predictions about how technology would play a bigger role in our lives? |
| Here are some of the things the film got right, and others where it was way off the mark. | Here are some of the things the film got right, and others where it was way off the mark. |
| 1. Robots are much smarter | 1. Robots are much smarter |
| Set in November 2019, the original film follows Rick Deckard, whose job as a police "blade runner" is to hunt and kill bio-engineered androids known as replicants. | Set in November 2019, the original film follows Rick Deckard, whose job as a police "blade runner" is to hunt and kill bio-engineered androids known as replicants. |
| So-called Nexus 6 replicants are described as "virtually identical to a human" and "at least equal in intelligence to the genetic engineers who created them". | So-called Nexus 6 replicants are described as "virtually identical to a human" and "at least equal in intelligence to the genetic engineers who created them". |
| When a group arrives on Earth to try to extend their four-year lifespan, Deckard is summoned to eliminate them. | When a group arrives on Earth to try to extend their four-year lifespan, Deckard is summoned to eliminate them. |
| Today's mechanical robots do not look as lifelike as Zhora, Pris, Roy and Leon. | Today's mechanical robots do not look as lifelike as Zhora, Pris, Roy and Leon. |
| Even when they take human form - like Hanson Robotics' Sophia - you are more likely to experience pre-scripted jokes and a clunky conversation, rather than the self-aware reflections on mortality and talk of "tears in the rain" found in the movie. | Even when they take human form - like Hanson Robotics' Sophia - you are more likely to experience pre-scripted jokes and a clunky conversation, rather than the self-aware reflections on mortality and talk of "tears in the rain" found in the movie. |
| But AI is getting smarter. | But AI is getting smarter. |
| Just this week, Google's sister-company DeepMind said it had created the first "agents" that had reached the top league of Starcraft 2, one of the most popular esport video games. | Just this week, Google's sister-company DeepMind said it had created the first "agents" that had reached the top league of Starcraft 2, one of the most popular esport video games. |
| And "basic pleasure models" like Pris have been foreshadowed by a nascent sex-bot industry. The real-world robotic sex dolls may lack an inner-life, but they are becoming more interactive, and there are even sex doll brothels in Europe. | And "basic pleasure models" like Pris have been foreshadowed by a nascent sex-bot industry. The real-world robotic sex dolls may lack an inner-life, but they are becoming more interactive, and there are even sex doll brothels in Europe. |
| 2. Video calling is mainstream | 2. Video calling is mainstream |
| Deckard's video call to replicant Rachael is an example of where today's tech has overtaken that shown in the film. | Deckard's video call to replicant Rachael is an example of where today's tech has overtaken that shown in the film. |
| Video calling actually started as early as the 1920s, when the boss of telecoms giant AT&T spoke to former US president Herbert Hoover using a TV signal and phone line. | Video calling actually started as early as the 1920s, when the boss of telecoms giant AT&T spoke to former US president Herbert Hoover using a TV signal and phone line. |
| But it was not until Skype launched in 2003 that it started to become commonplace. | But it was not until Skype launched in 2003 that it started to become commonplace. |
| Today, video calls are made in a variety of ways, including Apple's FaceTime, Google's Duo and Facebook's WhatsApp - all of which are capable of delivering a higher-resolution image to smartphones than the bulky booth could display in the film. | Today, video calls are made in a variety of ways, including Apple's FaceTime, Google's Duo and Facebook's WhatsApp - all of which are capable of delivering a higher-resolution image to smartphones than the bulky booth could display in the film. |
| And unlike Blade Runner, it does not cost $1.25 (95p) to make a short call. | |
| 3. Homes are also getting smarter | 3. Homes are also getting smarter |
| Virtual assistants feature prominently in the film. | Virtual assistants feature prominently in the film. |
| As Deckard returns home, he's asked for his "voice print identification" as he steps into the lift. | As Deckard returns home, he's asked for his "voice print identification" as he steps into the lift. |
| "Deckard 97" he replies while punching the same numbers into a keypad. "Thank you", a female voice responds. | "Deckard 97" he replies while punching the same numbers into a keypad. "Thank you", a female voice responds. |
| In the real world, Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant can identify us by our voice patterns and tailor their behaviour accordingly. | In the real world, Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant can identify us by our voice patterns and tailor their behaviour accordingly. |
| Eldon Tyrell, founder of the Tyrell Corporation which makes replicants, also uses a virtual assistant. | Eldon Tyrell, founder of the Tyrell Corporation which makes replicants, also uses a virtual assistant. |
| But his preference for candlelight rather than internet-connected bulbs at home would make it impossible to enjoy the kind of automated lighting routines offered by today's smart home systems. | But his preference for candlelight rather than internet-connected bulbs at home would make it impossible to enjoy the kind of automated lighting routines offered by today's smart home systems. |
| Switching to security, Deckard uses a smart key to open his front door. | Switching to security, Deckard uses a smart key to open his front door. |
| Norwegian Tor Sørnes invented the first recordable keycard door lock in the 1970s. | Norwegian Tor Sørnes invented the first recordable keycard door lock in the 1970s. |
| Today, these cards are used by hotels around the world. But the latest wave of smart locks are more likely to require a wireless signal from your mobile or a biometric reading to control entry. | Today, these cards are used by hotels around the world. But the latest wave of smart locks are more likely to require a wireless signal from your mobile or a biometric reading to control entry. |
| 4. Lie detectors are still used | 4. Lie detectors are still used |
| Central to the film's plot is the Voight-Kampff machine, which is used by blade runners to separate humans from robots, using questions designed to provoke an emotional response. | Central to the film's plot is the Voight-Kampff machine, which is used by blade runners to separate humans from robots, using questions designed to provoke an emotional response. |
| It's an elaborate machine which measures bodily functions, such as contractions of the eye's iris. | It's an elaborate machine which measures bodily functions, such as contractions of the eye's iris. |
| While it looks very different to the first polygraph machine of 1921, UK police forces still use them, particularly to investigate sex offences. | While it looks very different to the first polygraph machine of 1921, UK police forces still use them, particularly to investigate sex offences. |
| However, their reliability has been disputed. A lie detector test is not admissible in the UK as evidence. | However, their reliability has been disputed. A lie detector test is not admissible in the UK as evidence. |
| US company Converus uses similar iris technology to detect lies. | US company Converus uses similar iris technology to detect lies. |
| 5. The planet is changing | 5. The planet is changing |
| Dim lights and dark skies portray Los Angeles in 2019 as a city that has been damaged by industrial pollution, forcing many to flee. | Dim lights and dark skies portray Los Angeles in 2019 as a city that has been damaged by industrial pollution, forcing many to flee. |
| "There's no housing shortage around here," genetic designer JF Sebastian tells replicant Pris as she visits his home. "Plenty of room for everyone." | "There's no housing shortage around here," genetic designer JF Sebastian tells replicant Pris as she visits his home. "Plenty of room for everyone." |
| In reality, Los Angeles gets ever more crowded by the year. | In reality, Los Angeles gets ever more crowded by the year. |
| But fears about climate change have prompted California to try to lead the way in cutting carbon emissions. | But fears about climate change have prompted California to try to lead the way in cutting carbon emissions. |
| 6. Blade Runner ignores the Instagram generation | 6. Blade Runner ignores the Instagram generation |
| Photographs play a central role in the film, both as evidence and as a way for Rachael to convince herself she is human. | Photographs play a central role in the film, both as evidence and as a way for Rachael to convince herself she is human. |
| Deckard analyses several physical Polaroid pictures for clues on how to find other replicants. | Deckard analyses several physical Polaroid pictures for clues on how to find other replicants. |
| In reality, Polaroid cameras still exist, but they are now more of a novelty than the smartphones we regularly use to take snaps. | In reality, Polaroid cameras still exist, but they are now more of a novelty than the smartphones we regularly use to take snaps. |
| It is more likely we would see today's Deckard trawling through the replicants' Instagram or Facebook accounts for clues. | It is more likely we would see today's Deckard trawling through the replicants' Instagram or Facebook accounts for clues. |
| And Rachael's sole photograph with her mother might be replaced by several selfies. | And Rachael's sole photograph with her mother might be replaced by several selfies. |
| Today computational photography is becoming the norm, helping our phones take incredible low-light pictures, and automatically blur the background of our portrait shots. | Today computational photography is becoming the norm, helping our phones take incredible low-light pictures, and automatically blur the background of our portrait shots. |
| But the Esper machine, which Deckard uses to find clues by zooming in on different things within photos, remains ahead of its time. | But the Esper machine, which Deckard uses to find clues by zooming in on different things within photos, remains ahead of its time. |
| It enables him to see objects and people from different angles, and items which were not previously visible. | It enables him to see objects and people from different angles, and items which were not previously visible. |
| AI researchers are working on software that can create interactive 3D views from a single 2D source image, but it's likely to be many more years to come before Photoshop gets the feature. | AI researchers are working on software that can create interactive 3D views from a single 2D source image, but it's likely to be many more years to come before Photoshop gets the feature. |
| Atari is another big brand in the film. The video game pioneer was huge in arcades and homes in the 1970s and 1980s. | Atari is another big brand in the film. The video game pioneer was huge in arcades and homes in the 1970s and 1980s. |
| And while it has since ceded ground to PlayStations, Xboxes and Switches, there are plans to breathe fresh life into the brand. | And while it has since ceded ground to PlayStations, Xboxes and Switches, there are plans to breathe fresh life into the brand. |
| A new Atari VCS throwback console attracted more than $2m (£1.54m) in pre-orders last year - but doubts have been raised as to whether it will ship by early 2020 as planned. | A new Atari VCS throwback console attracted more than $2m (£1.54m) in pre-orders last year - but doubts have been raised as to whether it will ship by early 2020 as planned. |
| 7. Flying cars aren't mainstream... yet | 7. Flying cars aren't mainstream... yet |
| Many films have depicted flying cars in the future. And while lots of progress has been made on the concept of flying cars , both in Japan and the United States, there are none on the roads (or in the sky) yet. | Many films have depicted flying cars in the future. And while lots of progress has been made on the concept of flying cars , both in Japan and the United States, there are none on the roads (or in the sky) yet. |
| The inside of Blade Runner's flying cars are full of gadgets, and look similar to the cockpit of a plane. | The inside of Blade Runner's flying cars are full of gadgets, and look similar to the cockpit of a plane. |
| But it's notable that those inside are not strapped in - the film was made before California introduced mandatory seat belt laws. | But it's notable that those inside are not strapped in - the film was made before California introduced mandatory seat belt laws. |
| 8. Most hairdryers still look like hairdryers | 8. Most hairdryers still look like hairdryers |
| In one scene, replicant Zhora dries her hair in what looks like an upside-down goldfish bowl: it dries in seconds. | In one scene, replicant Zhora dries her hair in what looks like an upside-down goldfish bowl: it dries in seconds. |
| While ionic technology and ceramic heating elements help today's hairdryers to do a faster job, even a £300 Dyson model takes minutes rather than seconds to finish. | While ionic technology and ceramic heating elements help today's hairdryers to do a faster job, even a £300 Dyson model takes minutes rather than seconds to finish. |
| BBC Radio 3 explores Blade Runner's legacy and impact in a new series. Listen online from Monday 4 November. | BBC Radio 3 explores Blade Runner's legacy and impact in a new series. Listen online from Monday 4 November. |