Why World's Fairs Built Absurd Transit

Logosofia no Dia a Dia · Sep 17, 2026 · 34m

Daniel wrote in asking why turn-of-the-century world's fairs became the ultimate showcase for experimental, often ridiculous transportation — and whether anything today carries that torch. From the 1900 Paris moving sidewalk to the 1893 Ferris Wheel to GM's Futurama exhibit that shaped the interstate highway system, the old fairs were temporary cities funded by prestige, not quarterly revenue. Compare that to CES, Osaka 2025, and the viral AI boxing matches in China, and a real question emerges: what did we lose when showing off the future stopped being a public spectacle and became a private…