Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with futuristic

Futuristic American illustrator from the 1940s/50s

gentle — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:54:09 -0800

I'm looking for an American illustrator from the 1940s/50s who painted detailed, photorealistic, optimistic visions of the future, often with scientific explanations of how and why things would pan out this way. I came across an extensive collection of pictures on the net a year or two ago (and I vaguely remember them being presented as though he was a great but "forgotten" genius), but now I can't find it again. I'm pretty sure it wasn't Arthur Radebaugh, but I'm not completely sure; I say that mostly because (a) I can't find many Radebaugh pictures on the net, and (b) the ones I do find don't look familiar at all. But Radebaugh is definitely very similar in the way he envisioned automobiles, cities and so on.

Retro-Future Party Foods

hilatron — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:14:57 -0800

Dear Ask Metafilter: I'm searching for recipes from the future of the past. An entertaining group I'm a part of is throwing a "Christmas of the Future" party; the theme is futuristic as envisioned in the 50s and 60s (leaving quite a bit of wiggle room for personal aesthetics and wild inaccuracies).

The drinks will be:
Interstellar Blues (champagne punch with blue curacao)
Cosmic Kiss (a vodka-amaretto-cranberry drink)
Egg Nog (of the FUTURE! Using Egg-Beaters for the latest in modern sanitation! [see what I was saying about inaccuracies?])

We are trying to hammer out our food menu with recipes that fit all, or at least most, of the following criteria:

1) Can be prepared ahead of time, transported from the maker's home to the party location, and served with a minimum of heating/complex arrangement/etc. Thus, much to my dismay, Baked Alaska and other similarly fussy foods are right out

2) Has a futuristic "look:" old-fashioned foods in an unusual form, newfangled ingredients or combinations, strange colors, etc. The party decor is very much in the light, sparkly, minimalist vein, with white lights, unnatural Christmas trees, and giant glitter-bedecked ornaments. So anything that seems like it would fit with this look is great; but

3) Also has some claim to retro-ism; foods that reflect a naive and old-fashioned idea of what The Future would be like.

4) Yumminess has priority over sticking to the theme. We are not closed to the idea of, say, Jello mold, but want to make one that will not horrify the modern palate.

5) Speaking of the palate...it's easy to dress up sweets with powdered sugar, food coloring and nonpariels and call it a day, but it's a recipe for badness to have lots of liquor and only sugary foods. So ideas for savory treats of the Future are especially appreciated (although please share your knockout dessert ideas as well)!

I've perused the relevant threads here (like this one), and checked out the Gallery of Regrettable Food, the 1974 Weight Watchers Cards, and RetroLife, but I still hunger for more. Lay them on me!

I remember it was in a deserty place too!

KingoftheWhales — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 22:43:53 -0800

Help me remember the name of a show that I used to watch! It was a sort of futuristic (possibly post-apocalyptic) gladiator arena where the contestants fought in large (think gundam wing) sized battle suits that couldn't fly. I remember watching it in the 90's as a youngin. It was all 3d computer animation, around the same time (I think) as the transformers: beast wars series.