If you could bring a science fiction author from the 1950s to the present, they’d probably think most of their predictions had come true. Just look around: self-driving cars, virtual reality, robotic surgery. In our homes and pockets, powerful computers put millions of libraries’ worth of information at our fingertips. Best of all, that wealth of digital knowledge is accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Well, let’s back up. You’d have to explain to your wide-eyed time traveler that, in theory, anyone can access those digital services. But in practice, millions still go without due to a lack of internet access. “Wait,” they might ask, “I can have my lunch delivered by a robot, but schoolkids still can’t get online to do their homework? Really?” Yes, you’d have to admit, really.
