13 Inventions That Were Supposed To Change The World... But Didn't

Though there are both good and bad inventions, it’s fascinating to learn about those that once promised to revolutionize the world, but are now forgotten.

Technological Advancements Are Fast

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In the recent couple of years, we’ve seen multiple scientific theories and suppositions walk into the real world through technological advancements in our day-to-day lives. While some turned out to become an irreplaceable part of our lives, others seem to have missed the mark big time.

What were some inventions people thought would be essential in everyday life that are not? Here are some interesting responses people gave:

Cassettes And VCR

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“When I was a kid, things we thought were forever: corded phones, cassettes, VCR, garbage compactors, gas-powered lawn equipment, plug-in drills. In my teens, I couldn’t imagine anything replacing CDs for media (music, movies, games). Smartphones, the cloud, online digital media, WiFi, and lithium batteries have changed the world.”

Pagers

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“I had one in the ’90s; it was important in a time of landlines and pay phones if you were always on the go. But once I got a cell phone, that pager got buried in a drawer.”

Segways & Hoverboards

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“Does anybody else remember that period of, like, 3-4 months where the world was convinced that Segways were going to be so crucial that cities would be built around them?

Instead, they’re mostly just there for mall security and tourist traps. Hoverboards tried to make the same revolution a decade later, and yeah, same nothing.”

3D Movies

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“I’m old enough now to have seen 3D come and go multiple times. When the original Avatar movie came out, everyone said that every movie would need to be in 3D from now on.”

Metaverse

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“I love how desperate this giant corporation is for us to adapt to it while the world shrugs its shoulders.” said one.

“I don’t think anyone but Facebook investors thought that was going anywhere,” replied another.

Hats

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“Hats. Up until 70 years ago, everyone wore a hat, and the style and materials of that hat defined your social class. It was unthinkably uncivilized to leave one’s home without a hat on. Even for men. This was the way things worked for centuries. Then poof, hats disappeared from most daily fashions.”

Jetpacks

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“Jetpacks, man! They’ve been the dream of every sci-fi fan for ages, and we’ve seen some wild prototypes pop up over the years. But nope, we’re still not zipping around like The Jetsons, all thanks to stuff like crazy costs, safety worries, and the fact that they can only keep us airborne for a hot minute. Bummer, right?”

Dirigibles

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“Dirigibles (e.g. Zeppelins) — that whole Hindenburg fire thing wasn’t great for business.” said one.

“Yeah, they seemed incredible at the time! But they were big, expensive, and couldn’t carry much. After a couple of booms people were over it!” replied another.

Flying Cars

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“Flying cars. People are bad enough on roads; we don’t need to add another spatial dimension to it.”

“Flying cars and android housekeepers are things I was led to believe would be ubiquitous when I started my own family. Here I am almost 40, and neither is likely to become essential in my lifetime. Or my son’s.”

Skateboards With Two Wheels

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“You know those skateboards with two wheels? I used to want one so badly, because I thought everyone rode them and would ride them, but a few years later I don’t see a single person riding a skateboard like that anymore.” said one.

“That’s because skateboards with 4 wheels are much easier to ride and already existed.” replied another.

Tablets

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“Tablets. I notice more people use their phones because they serve the same purpose at a better convenience, even in work environments.”

“Almost everyone used to use them, everyone had them, but now I rarely see anyone using a tablet instead of a phone. They even used to make phone calls, though.”

Smart Cars

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“Smart Cars in the U.S. They were supposed to be the Next Big Thing that would save everyone tons of gas. Everyone yawned and went back to their SUVs. The only Smart Cars I see around seem to be rolling billboards for mom-and-pop businesses.”