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[jay-ell]

A glimpse into The Future of the Past -- published in '79 and speculating about technology in "the year 2000 and beyond." 

"With more and more artificial organs available, tomorrow's people might be cyborgs -- half human, half *****s." 

I know there are a cluster of us who were born in '79, so this book is particularly interesting to me since it shows how much things have changed in my lifetime. 

Thoughts?

[jaydub]

Awesome.  I remember that book from my junior high school library ('82-'83).  Nice little trip down memory lane.  I used to pull it out of the stacks, sit at a study desk (the kind with soundproof barriers) and lose myself in daydreams of the future.  Funny how autonomous cars were predicted for the 1980-1990 decade and are still "just a couple years" in the future.

[jaydub]

Well, I was 16 days old at the time...

[AugustWest]

The Apollo 11 landing is the first clear "current events" type memory I can recall.

[Golfhaus]

First news story I vaguely remember: The 1984 Olympics
First news story that got "burned into my memory:" The Challenger explosion

[KeithHernandez]

5th grade, standing outside my portable classroom, OKC bombing.

[wombat]

Those of us who are old enough to remember Apollo 11 can take heart from this story.  It's all uphill from here!

And you know, it's just as well that the future turned out not to have those flying cars they promised us. Looking at the drivers around you, would you really want them to be able to leave the ground?

[Golfhaus]

This is true - most people in cars today can barely master two dimensions, much less a third.

[jay-ell]

First news story I vaguely remember: The 1984 Olympics
First news story that got "burned into my memory:" The Challenger explosion

Ditto.

I also vividly remember the '84 Presidential election.  It was the first time I got to stay up late to watch the election returns. 

[littlefallsmets]

First burned-in memory: 1986 World Series, game six, Wilson hits a slow grounder down the first base line...

I dunno, kids, that's just how I roll/ed.

[Doc]

My first memory of current events is the first gulf war.
I'll just get off your lawn now, eh guys?

[KeithHernandez]

The OKC bombing was first burned into my head, the Giants- Bills Super Bowl is the first thing like this that I remember remembering.

[CortJstr]

The Apollo 11 landing is the first clear "current events" type memory I can recall.

This reminds me of a discussion on the radio the other day. The guest was arguing that Ted Kennedy's endorsement of Obama is meaningless because most people don't really care about Ted Kennedy. The host said anything done by a Kennedy is automatically important. It went on forever and seemed to boil down to whether you consider the JFK/RFK assassinations to be "current events" or "a chapter we never made it to in history class."

[Arachno-capitalist]

I think my first big memory is Mi Madre was active duty in the first iraq war. The one where we sent american lives to protect oil fields in Kuwait. I remember this because I had to live in El Paso and I was surrounded by barren mountains and desert.

[AlohaDawg]

How could anyone consider an admittedly important event that happened 40+ years ago a "current event"?

On the Usborne books side: I love that space-age calculator watch dude was wearing, with the red LED display. I remember when the first digital watches came out, you had to push the button to see the time and it only came in red LED.

Usborne books are much better today. They focus a lot more on truly educational things without the rampant speculation of that particular book.

If you want to help a split-up family make a little money so we can get back together, buy a book or two from my wife here.