So where are the flying cars?

• Author: Gould, Todd
• Position: Brief Article

Thoughts on Indianas more immediate future

Drive-in movie fans who recall the campy, sci-fi "B-movies" of the 1950s remember some pretty bizarre images of the future, complete with flying cars and towering, gothic space cities floating amid the stars. From space aliens to "Big Brother," the future not. only seemed strange, but often downright scary.

"History has often proven our grand misconceptions about what the future holds for us," notes Dr. James Madison, professor of history at Indiana University in Bloomington and the author of various works on Hoosier heritage. "Obviously we're not taking our flying cars into work every day. But history itself contains some very valuable lessons and important contributions that can help better prepare us for those unknown challenges we will soon face."

As an example, Madison points to Eli Lilly, grandson of the former Civil War colonel, who redefined and revolutionized Indianapolis' Eli Lilly & Co. in the 1920s. "At a time when most pharmaceutical companies were still selling snake oil, Lilly was able to 'think outside the box,' with notions about the importance of a new tool of the industry known as biochemical research."

Madison also notes the career of J. Irwin Miller in Columbus. "He understood the importance of blending business with contributions to community in education, culture and architecture. Today the city of Columbus is culturally advanced for a small Midwest city, simply because of Miller's efforts to develop a business/society partnership."

The idea of the business/society partnership is perhaps the one of the biggest challenges facing Hoosier business leaders in the 21st century, according to Bill Styring, economist, author and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Indianapolis. "Business has been ahead of the game, in terms of introducing competition and improving service through a free-market economy. But a real challenge for people in Indiana in the future is going to be how...