This document discusses the concept of technological utopianism and futuristic predictions. It references a letter from a woman who suggested developing a four-legged chicken, as well as efforts in the early 20th century to grow chicken parts separately. The document notes that while technological prediction is difficult, technological dreaming can be foolhardy. It questions what futuristic predictions may no longer seem plausible given technological progress.

1. Never mind my jet-pack, where’s my
four-legged chicken?
Design futurism, technology, and Utopian hubris
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2. Never mind my jet-pack, where’s my
four-legged chicken?
Design futurism, technology, and Utopian hubris
Neil Maycro,
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3. 'Professional' Utopianism vs vernacular Utopianism
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4. 'Professional' Utopianism vs vernacular Utopianism
The hubris of technological Utopianism
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5. 'Professional' Utopianism vs vernacular Utopianism
The hubris of technological Utopianism
Rhetorical representa/ons of Utopia
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7. 7

8. 8

9. Who/what/where and why, etc?
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10. Rick Guidice’s illustra0ons for NASA
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21. Tomorrow's World
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22. 22

23. Vernacular dreaming
• A pill which removes adolescent spots for good
• An automa6cally erec6ng ‘umbrella’ a;achment for
outdoor rotary clothes dryers
• A lawn prepara6on which stops the grass growing
beyond a certain height
• A device to li< the lids off jam pots
• A prin6ng ink that stays on the newspaper
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24. ‘I’m amazed that no one has yet come up with a four
legged chicken. It would save a lot of argument in our
house’.
Mrs M. M., No)ngham
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25. ‘I’m amazed that no one has yet come up with a four
legged chicken. It would save a lot of argument in our
house’.
Mrs M. M., No)ngham
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26. Chicken meat, in the early 1970s, was an expensive
treat...
...and also an 'investment' food
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27. Chicken meat, in the early 1970s, was an expensive
treat...
...and also an 'investment' food
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28. So, what happened?
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37. Or, 'Boy, I say boy, what happened?'
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40. "We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole
chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing
these parts separately under a suitable medium"
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41. "We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole
chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing
these parts separately under a suitable medium"
Winston Churchill, 1932
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43. 43

44. Cross-breeding a four-legged chicken?
Or
Gene$cally engineering a four-legged chicken?
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45. Leg 1 Industrialisa+on
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46. Leg 2 Ra#onalisa#on
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47. Leg '3' Frozen food retailing
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48. Leg '4' Domes&c technology
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49. Technological predic/on is tricky
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53. But, technological dreaming can be
foolhardy
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58. However
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59. We s%ll dream of this
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60. We (can) no longer dream of this
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61. What else can we no longer dream of?
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