Perspective: You Can Take It With You

There was a time—prior to the invention of intercontinental ballistic missiles, cloning, and genetically modified foods—that technology held little threat. In fact, during the summer of 1955, scientific advances were making the lives of American consumers demonstrably easier. That Dacron polyester shirt dried fast and never needed ironing. Your car could open up out on the new interstate. And if you got hungry, you could always pull into this new chain called McDonald’s and get your burger to go.