Could We Have Flying Cars? Thinking About What the Future Holds
In 1962 a cartoon called The Jetsons showed families zooming to school in little flying cars. People in the 1960s imagined that by the year 2000 everyone would zip through the sky. Did it happen? Not quite! But some real flying cars are being tested right now in 2026. This lesson is about a big idea: nobody can see the future — but we can think carefully about what MIGHT happen. That is called philosophy of time!
What You'll Learn
After this lesson you will be able to: - Tell the difference between past, present, and future - Explain what a prediction is - Give examples of predictions that came true and some that did not - Make your own prediction about something in the future
Past, Present, and Future
Time moves in one direction. We can remember the past. We are living the present right now. The future has not happened yet. Here is a fun way to think about it: Past = a photograph that already happened Present = a video playing right now Future = a blank screen waiting to be filled Philosophers — people who think deeply about big questions — ask: if the future has not happened, can we know anything about it? We cannot know for sure. But we can make a prediction — a smart guess based on clues we can see today.
Philosophy means wondering about big questions that do not have easy answers — questions like: What is time? What is fair? What does it mean to be alive? Philosophers think carefully and share their ideas. Even you can be a philosopher!
Predictions That Came True
Long ago, people imagined things that seemed impossible — and then someone invented them! In 1865 a writer named Jules Verne imagined people traveling to the Moon. In 1969 it really happened. In old science fiction books, people talked about flat glowing screens you could hold in your hand. Today you have phones and tablets. Video calls — seeing someone's face while you talk to them far away — were shown in movies in the 1920s. Now we use Zoom and FaceTime every day. Predictions do not always come true, but they help inventors know what to build!
Predictions That Have Not Happened Yet
Many predictions from 60 years ago still have not come true. Flying cars: Companies like Joby Aviation and Lilium are testing small electric aircraft that look like flying cars, but they are not for regular families yet. Robot butlers: Robots can vacuum floors and build cars in factories, but a robot that does all your chores at home does not exist yet. Living on Mars: Scientists at NASA are planning for a Mars mission, but humans have not landed there yet. Some predictions take longer than people thought. Some might never happen. That is the fascinating thing about the future — it surprises us!
Match each prediction with whether it came true or has not happened yet.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
What is a prediction?
My Future Invention Drawing
Think about a problem in the world today — maybe traffic is slow, or it is hard to carry heavy things, or it takes too long to read a book. Now imagine an invention that does not exist yet that could solve that problem. 1. Draw your invention on a piece of paper. Give it a cool name! 2. Write or say two sentences: What does your invention do? How does it help people? 3. Write one reason your invention MIGHT come true someday. 4. Write one reason it might be hard to build. Share with your class. Who knows — you might be describing the future!
Why can nobody know for certain what the future holds?
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
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