I often talk here about science fiction ideas that are now becoming science fact, but it has been happening for a lot longer than I’d realized. Many of the innovations of space travel apparently originated with Jules Verne and were published in 1867 — nearly a hundred years before humans ever rose above the atmosphere. An early concept of the credit card appeared in an 1888 novel, and the videophone a year later. The laser in 1898. The PDA in 1899, the TV in 1909, the chess-playing computer in 1910, the airlock in 1928… the list is very, very long, and there are a number of things on it that we haven’t yet achieved, along with the many we have.

Science makes technology happen, but science fiction dreams it first.

(Via BoingBoing)