The 21st century has seen some of the most popular and useful inventions ever. 2001 saw the introduction of the iPod, in 2003 it was Skype – and the coming of Facebook in 2004. All these platforms invented to help us stay connected and make our lives easier, but where are the Hover boards and hypersonic jets?

Once it seemed as if there were no limits to how far or fast we could travel, such were the leaps in technological development in the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Inventors dreamed crazy vehicles, from rocket-propelled bicycles to flying cars, propeller-powered railways to mono wheels.

Not all of these inventions were completely wacky, and have helped define the transport we use today. In 1937 the majestic Hindenburg,caught fire and crashed to the ground, killing 36 people, the disaster effectively ended the use of airships as passenger transport. The sinking of the dubbed unsinkable Titanic led to new maritime regulations being put in place.

A new problem faces our generation which was unknown back then, global warming. The race is on to build a convenient, affordable and carbon free mode of transport for everyone – how about walking?

But the ever important question, when do we get Marty’s hoverboard?