Back to the Future 2 is turning out to be more prophetic than we thought. First NIKE announces power laces, and now a viral video from “HUVr Tech” is currently making the rounds claiming to have made the break through we’ve been waiting for for 25 years: A REAL Hoverboard. You can believe it because Christopher Lloyd, Tony Hawk, Terrell Owens and Moby have all endorsed it. And if you can’t trust Moby, who can you trust?
Well, maybe not. I already fell for this gag when Back to the Future 2 first hit theaters in 1989. It is a convincing, high-budget fake, but a fake it is indeed. While there is “hover” technology available today, such as the maglev train, the technology to use magnets to push against concrete is even more impractical, and would require more power than what practically could be applied to something on a toy shelf. Well, I suppose that's unless Doc Brown brought back a “Mr. Fusion” machine as well.
What do you think? Will we see viable hover technology in the near future? How will it be done? Does the JAWS 19 shark still look fake?
UPDATE
It looks like Funny or Die is behind the video, at least according to Mashable and Lauren Biedenharn's online resume. So, we were all correct in assuming it was an elaborate hoax. Darn it.
Pictured: Hoax blunder and crushed dreams.
Oct 21, 2014: Looks like someone else decided to make one for real.
Erik is the Social and Multi-Media Manager at Mouser Electronics. When he’s not tweeting about what’s next in the world of engineering for @MouserElec or uploading videos to YouTube, he can typically be found nose-down in a good Sci-Fi book. You can see what he’s up to on Twitter: @ErikSmith80
