Paleofuture

Paleofuturehttp://paleofuture.gizmodo.comPaleofutureenFormer Head of AT&T Had a Top Secret Security Clearance, Like Many Others in the Tech Communityhttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/former-head-of-at-t-had-a-top-secret-security-clearance-1818991318

The former head of AT&T, Robert Eugene Allen, passed away in September 2016 at the age of 81. And while Allen’s 223-page FBI file is relatively unexceptional, it serves as a good reminder that telecommunications companies have been working on sensitive government work for their entire existence.

]]>security clearancefbi filefoiafreedom of information actattThu, 5 Oct 2017 11:30:00 GMT1818991318Disney Releases Vintage EPCOT Video From Before the Park Opened in 1982https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/disney-releases-vintage-epcot-video-from-before-the-par-1818881526

I’ve seen a lot of EPCOT concept art in my day. But a new video released by Disney has some behind-the-scenes shots that I’ve never seen before, including scale models of everything from the Horizons attraction (RIP) to the countries of the World Showcase. It’s all pretty cool.

]]>epcotepcot centerdisneydisney worldwalt disney worldfood rockshorizonsThu, 28 Sep 2017 15:22:00 GMT1818881526Gin Wong, LA Architect Who Inspired The Jetsons, Dies at 94https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/gin-wong-la-architect-who-inspired-the-jetsons-dies-a-1818536234

You may not know the name Gin D. Wong, but you definitely know his work. He’s responsible for some of the most iconic buildings in Los Angeles, including the Theme Building at the Los Angeles Airport (pictured above), and he even inspired the designers of the legendary 1962 animated TV show The Jetsons. Wong died on…

]]>gin wongthe jetsonsgoogielos angelesdesignarchitectureobituariesTue, 19 Sep 2017 11:30:00 GMT1818536234Man Who Saved the World From Nuclear Armageddon in 1983 Dies at 77https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/man-who-saved-the-world-from-nuclear-armageddon-in-1983-1818501062

On September 26, 1983, Soviet military officer Stanislav Petrov received a message that five nuclear missiles had been launched by the United States and were heading to Moscow. He didn’t launch a retaliatory strike, believing correctly that it was a false alarm. And with that, he saved the world from nuclear war. But…

]]>nuclear warwarstanislav petrovMon, 18 Sep 2017 09:20:00 GMT1818501062X Atencio, Disney Animator and Co-Writer of the Pirates of the Caribbean Theme Music, Dies at 98https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/x-antencio-disney-animator-and-co-writer-of-the-pirate-1803776129

Xavier “X” Atencio had a remarkable career with the Walt Disney company, from his early days in the 1930s working on films like Pinocchio to his later days working on rides like Disneyland’s The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. But Atencio reached the end of the ride this weekend. He died on Sunday at the…

]]>disneyx atenciohaunted mansionpirates of the caribbeanwalt disneydisneylanddisney imagineersimagineeringTue, 12 Sep 2017 13:30:00 GMT1803776129Steve Bannon Predicts President Trump Will Be Reelected in a Landslidehttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/steve-bannon-predicts-president-trump-will-be-reelected-1803126999

Predictions are hard. Especially in politics. But former Trump advisor Steve Bannon made an incredibly confident prediction about the future of the Trump regime last night. And he could be right.

]]>steve bannonpresident trumpdonald trump2020 electionneera tandenMon, 11 Sep 2017 10:30:00 GMT1803126999Benedict Cumberbatch Plays Thomas Edison in the New Trailer For The Current Warhttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/benedict-cumberbatch-plays-thomas-edison-in-the-new-tra-1802114406

We’re all familiar with Nikola Tesla and his brilliant work helping to invent the electric technologies that we live with today. But did you know that there’s a guy named Thomas Edison who also helped invent some of that tech? If you didn’t, you should check out the new trailer for the upcoming movie, The Current War.

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]]>the current warnikola teslateslathomas edisonedisongeorge westinghouseThu, 7 Sep 2017 20:30:52 GMT1802114406High-Tech Science Solves the Mystery of 800-Year-Old Scrollhttps://gizmodo.com/high-tech-science-solves-the-mystery-of-800-year-old-sc-1801786236

Eight hundred years ago, teenager Laurentius Loricatus accidentally killed a man in Italy. He then headed to a cave where he lived for 34 years, whipping himself to atone for his sins. Today, his story lives in the Vatican Secret Archives, on a piece of parchment covered in purple spots.

]]>ancient scrollsbiologyngsscienceitalyromethe vaticanThu, 7 Sep 2017 13:33:00 GMT1801786236This Is the Hellscape America Would Have Become If Obama Was Re-Elected in 2012https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/this-is-the-hellscape-america-would-have-become-if-obam-1797743067

Remember 2012? It was an election year that pitted former Republican governor Mitt Romney against the incumbent, President Barack Obama. But Rick Santorum threw his hat in the ring early on with a disturbing ad about what the world would look like if Obama was re-elected. Good thing that didn’t happen, right?

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]]>thanks obamarick santorumpresident trumpdonald trumpbarack obamaTue, 29 Aug 2017 15:07:00 GMT1797743067What's Your Favorite Extinct Epcot Song?https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/whats-your-favorite-extinct-epcot-song-1797472067

When I was a kid in the 1990s I’d listen to the Epcot soundtrack on repeat. It had so many amazing songs that would instantly hit all the nostalgia centers of my brain, even if this particular brand of nostalgia was for something as recent as my last trip to Epcot from a year earlier.

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]]>epcotdisneyepcot centerwalt disney worldWed, 2 Aug 2017 18:00:00 GMT1797472067William Shatner Attacks Snowflakes, Social Justice Warriors, and Misandristshttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/william-shatner-attacks-snowflakes-social-justice-warr-1797386393

William Shatner, perhaps best known as the narrator of the 1963 film Operation Bikini, is at it again. This time he’s taken aim at the snowflakes, misandrists, and social justice warriors (SJWs) that have annoyed him so much on Twitter.

]]>william shatnerstar trekmanu saadiaMon, 31 Jul 2017 10:00:00 GMT1797386393Marty Sklar, Disney Legend and Futurist, Dies at 83https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/marty-sklar-disney-legend-and-futurist-dies-at-83-1797329009

Marty Sklar, arguably one of the most influential people to work at the Disney Company aside from Walt Disney himself, died yesterday. He was 83.

]]>disneymarty sklarwalt disneyepcotwalt disney worlddisneylandtokyo disneylanddisneyland parisdisneys california adventureFri, 28 Jul 2017 13:00:00 GMT1797329009Trivial Pursuit Predicted Donald Trump Profiting From the Destruction of Americahttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/trivial-pursuit-predicted-donald-trump-profiting-from-t-1797167561

Before the invention of smartphones, Americans were forced to play boardgames and interact with each other face-to-face like cave people. One such game was Trivial Pursuit, which may very well have predicted the future. How so? One of the questions in the 1980s edition of the game (released in the late 2000s, long…

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]]>donald trumppresident trumptrivial pursuitMon, 24 Jul 2017 10:00:00 GMT1797167561NASA Uploads Hundreds of Rare Aircraft Films to YouTubehttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/nasa-uploads-hundreds-of-rare-aircraft-films-to-youtube-1797119276

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center is currently in the process of uploading hundreds of extremely rare films to YouTube. And I’d advise you to stop reading if you want to get any work done today.

]]>nasaexperimental aircraftairplanesyoutubenasa historyFri, 21 Jul 2017 11:45:00 GMT1797119276Tornado Turns SUV Into a Flying Car, However Brieflyhttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/tornado-turns-suv-into-a-flying-car-however-briefly-1797120424

Here at Paleofuture, we’ve been waiting for our flying cars for over a decade. (Seriously, I can’t believe I started this blog back in 2007.) But this isn’t exactly the kind of flying car we had in mind.

]]>flying carflying carsFri, 21 Jul 2017 10:55:00 GMT1797120424Vintage Scifi Mag Galaxy Available For Free Onlinehttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/retro-scifi-mag-galaxy-available-for-free-online-1797011601

Galaxy magazine was a pulpy, science fiction paradise from 1950 to 1980, publishing some of the most important futuristic voices of the 20th century—to say nothing of the amazing cover illustrations. And you can read hundreds of issues from its heyday online, all thanks to Archive.org.

]]>galaxy magazinearchiveorgclassic sci fiTue, 18 Jul 2017 11:45:00 GMT1797011601Experts Cast Doubt on That New Photo Alleged to Show Amelia Earharthttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/experts-cast-doubt-on-that-new-photo-alleged-to-show-am-1796703915

The world is fascinated with a newly discovered photo that claims to show Amelia Earhart being held by the Japanese in 1937. That’s supposed to be her in the photo above with her back to the camera. The only problem is that experts at the US National Archives aren’t so sure about key assertions made in some of this…

]]>amelia earhartus national archivesnational archiveshistory channeljames p pritchettarchivistsphoto expertsFri, 7 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMT1796703915Bomb Discovered In New York Turns Out To Be a Time Capsulehttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/bomb-discovered-in-new-york-is-actually-a-time-capsule-1796668091

Construction crews in New York shut down a street in the Flatiron district yesterday after accidentally digging up a bomb. But they soon discovered that this bomb wasn’t filled with explosives. Surprisingly, the strange, metal artifact was filled with paper letters and photos. Yes, this bomb was actually a time…

]]>time capsulestime capsuleThu, 6 Jul 2017 10:15:00 GMT1796668091The Fourth of July Twilight Zone Marathon Schedule, With Links For Cordcuttershttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-fourth-of-july-twilight-zone-marathon-schedule-wit-1796476638

It’s that time of year again. Time to hunker down and watch the Twilight Zone marathon on the SyFy Channel. Or, if you’re impatient, time to get ahead of the curve and binge-watch the entire series on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

]]>twilight zonecordcutterstwilight zone marathonthe twilight zonesyfyhulunetflixsifisyfy channelamazon primerod serlingFri, 30 Jun 2017 13:00:00 GMT1796476638Disney Says President Trump Will Speak at the Hall of Presidents, Contradicting Earlier Reports [Updated]https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/disney-says-president-trump-will-speak-at-the-hall-of-p-1796412771

When President Trump was elected, many wondered what would happen with Walt Disney World’s Hall of Presidents attraction in Florida. Back in May, Motherboard reported that the new robo-Trump would break tradition and might not speak at all. But Disney announced yesterday that President Trump will indeed speak when the…

]]>president trumpdonald trumpdisneyhall of presidentsMon, 26 Jun 2017 12:40:00 GMT1796412771Confederate Group Fights For Possession of Time Capsule Found in Monument to Losershttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/confederate-group-fights-for-possession-of-time-capsule-1796323505

In 1911, a monument was erected in Orlando, Florida in honor of the Confederate traitors who fought to uphold slavery in the South. This week that monument was moved from its prominent position (despite protests from local losers) to a nearby cemetery, but the controversy hasn’t died away yet. A local chapter of the…

]]>time capsulestime capsuleconfederacy of racistsconfederatestraitorsThu, 22 Jun 2017 11:10:00 GMT1796323505Jack Ma Predicts People Will Work Just 16 Hours Per Week by 2047https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/jack-ma-predicts-people-will-work-just-16-hours-per-wee-1796323899

Jack Ma, the billionaire businessman and chairman of the Alibaba Group, believes that automation will help workers of the future enjoy more leisure time. In fact, he sees a future where people will be working just 16 hours per week by 2047.

]]>leisure societyfuture of workwork weekspaleofuture predictionspredictionsThu, 22 Jun 2017 10:30:00 GMT1796323899This Was the Futuristic Robot Chauffeur of 1911https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/this-was-the-robot-chauffeur-of-1911-1796225397

Predictions about driverless cars became incredibly popular in the 1950s and 60s. But the idea is nearly as old as the automobile itself. One example? This short film from 1911, featuring a robot chauffeur.

]]>driverless carsself driving carsrobotsTue, 20 Jun 2017 12:00:00 GMT1796225397Huge Collection of Nazi Artifacts Discovered Inside Secret Room in Argentinahttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/huge-collection-of-nazi-artifacts-discovered-inside-sec-1796250871

Federal police in Argentina recently discovered a time capsule of evil, hidden inside a house near Buenos Aires. Roughly 75 Nazi artifacts, including everything from a large knife to Nazi medical devices to a photo negative of Adolph Hitler, were uncovered in a secret room. Police are investigating when and how the…

]]>nazisargentinatime capsulestime capsulenestor roncagliainterpolworld war iinazi artifactsadolf eichmannjosef mengelenazi huntersTue, 20 Jun 2017 10:15:00 GMT1796250871I Want This 1923 Prediction For the American City of the Future To Be Realhttps://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/i-want-this-1923-prediction-for-the-american-city-of-th-1796124676

When the world is descending into chaos, it can be hard to believe that optimistic visions of the future are within our reach. But personally, I think I’ve hit that point where escapist fantasy worlds of tomorrow are the only thing that can ease the stresses of our modern world. This 1923 illustration, for instance,…

]]>utopianhugo gernsbackscience and inventionscience and invention magazinecity of the futurecitiesflying carstransportationskyscraperslouis biedermannThu, 15 Jun 2017 10:10:00 GMT1796124676