--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you go back a few hundred years, what…" description: "\"If you go back a few hundred years, what we take for granted today would seem like magic - being able to talk to people over long distances, to transmi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/elon-musk-1138_able_if-you-go-back-a-few-hundred-years-what_548031.jpg" --- # If you go back a few hundred years, what we take for… ![“If you go back a few hundred years, what we take for granted today would seem like magic - being able to talk to people over long distances, to transmit images, flying, accessing vast amounts of data like an oracle. These are all things that would have been considered magic a few hundred years ago.” quote by Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/elon-musk-1138_able_if-you-go-back-a-few-hundred-years-what_548031.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/elon-musk-1138_able_if-you-go-back-a-few-hundred-years-what_548031.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/elon-musk-1138_able_if-you-go-back-a-few-hundred-years-what_548031.jpg) > “If you go back a few hundred years, what we take for granted today would seem like magic - being able to talk to people over long distances, to transmit images, flying, accessing vast amounts of data like an oracle. These are all things that would have been considered magic a few hundred years ago.” [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Technological advances that seem ordinary now were once unimaginable, akin to magic in the past. **In simple terms:** Modern tech once seemed magical. Key Takeaway Recognize and appreciate the rapid pace of innovation. Themes technology progress perception history innovation Mood wonder optimism reflection Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - Everyday communication - remote work - education - medical diagnostics - space exploration Key Concepts Diffusion of innovation technological determinism cognitive shift Questions to Reflect On - How does this perspective shape our responsibility toward future tech? - What modern tools might be seen as magic by future generations? A Different Perspective Assuming all progress is beneficial ignores ethical and societal challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Flying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flying/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Long distance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-distance/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Oracles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oracles/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [This is what magic is. It's being able to speak in a voice which makes things happen, being able to speak in a voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-what-magic-is-it-s-being-able-to-speak-in-a-voice-which-makes/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Magic is never totally scientifically explainable, but science has always been, at one time or another, considered magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-szandor-lavey/magic-is-never-totally-scientifically-explainable-but-science-has/) [Anton Szandor LaVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-szandor-lavey/) > [I've been doing magic since I was five years old, and when I was trying to get acting gigs, I found I could make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-valentine/i-ve-been-doing-magic-since-i-was-five-years-old-and-when-i-was/) [Steve Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-valentine/) > [“That was the thing about the Goodnight world. No matter what the label said, you could never assume anything only worked like magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-clement-moore/that-was-the-thing-about-the-goodnight-world-no-matter-what-the-label/) [Rosemary Clement-Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-clement-moore/) > [I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like... magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-was-just-taking-her-hand-to-help-her-out-of-a-car-and-i-knew-it-was/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [I was always fascinated by the fact that you could take paper and ink and create worlds, images, characters. It seemed like magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/i-was-always-fascinated-by-the-fact-that-you-could-take-paper-and-ink/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [“It was like magic, but so much of magic is about misdirection, whereas so much of redemption is straightforward and ordinary, piercing true and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-wood/it-was-like-magic-but-so-much-of-magic-is-about-misdirection-whereas/) [Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wood/) > [“How did you get over there?” Oh dear. “Magic.” He waved his hands for added effect. The sloppy grin that slipped across Grady’s somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-d-abo/how-did-you-get-over-there-oh-dear-magic-he-waved-his-hands-for-added/) Christine d'Abo > [You can't ever totally know what's inside of someone else, or see the kind of will someone like Magic has. You have to rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-west/you-can-t-ever-totally-know-what-s-inside-of-someone-else-or-see-the/) [Jerry West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-west/) > [You do it for the highs, when you're totally engrossed and everything's flowing and whatever you want, you get. It's like magic. That's why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-rusedski/you-do-it-for-the-highs-when-you-re-totally-engrossed-and-everything/) [Greg Rusedski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-rusedski/) > [Once love had seemed like magic. Now it seemed like tricks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/once-love-had-seemed-like-magic-now-it-seemed-like-tricks/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“All at once, because life’s too short and it’s always like magic when you find a good thing. All at once, because I’m much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nessie-q/all-at-once-because-life-s-too-short-and-it-s-always-like-magic-when/) [Nessie Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nessie-q/) > [I revere the memory of Mr. F. as an estimable man and most indulgent husband, only necessary to mention Asparagus and it appeared or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-revere-the-memory-of-mr-f-as-an-estimable-man-and-most-indulgent/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Class is entirely intangible, and the way it affects things isn't subject to scientific analysis, and it's not supposed to be real but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/class-is-entirely-intangible-and-the-way-it-affects-things-isn-t/) [Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/) > [I don't like magic - but I have been known to make guys disappear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/i-don-t-like-magic-but-i-have-been-known-to-make-guys-disappear/) [Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/) ## More by Elon Musk > [Nobody wants to buy a $60,000 electric Civic. But people will pay $90,000 for an electric sports car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/nobody-wants-to-buy-a-60-000-electric-civic-but-people-will-pay-90/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it's probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-we-should-be-very-careful-about-artificial-intelligence-if-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Most people can learn a lot more than they think they can. They sell themselves short without trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/most-people-can-learn-a-lot-more-than-they-think-they-can-they-sell/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Some companies out there quote a start of production that is substantially in advance of when customers get their cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/some-companies-out-there-quote-a-start-of-production-that-is/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [A company is a group organized to create a product or service, and it is only as good as its people and how excited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/a-company-is-a-group-organized-to-create-a-product-or-service-and-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm glad to see that BMW is bringing an electric car to market. That's cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-glad-to-see-that-bmw-is-bringing-an-electric-car-to-market-that-s/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [When we got Tesla going at the very beginning, if you asked me what I thought the odds of success were, I would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/when-we-got-tesla-going-at-the-very-beginning-if-you-asked-me-what-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If we drive down the cost of transportation in space, we can do great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-we-drive-down-the-cost-of-transportation-in-space-we-can-do-great/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [In order for us to have a future that's exciting and inspiring, it has to be one where we're a space-bearing civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/in-order-for-us-to-have-a-future-that-s-exciting-and-inspiring-it-has/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The lessons of history would suggest that civilisations move in cycles. You can track that back quite far - the Babylonians, the Sumerians, followed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-lessons-of-history-would-suggest-that-civilisations-move-in/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The value of beauty and inspiration is very much underrated, no question. But I want to be clear: I'm not trying to be anyone's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-value-of-beauty-and-inspiration-is-very-much-underrated-no/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If something's important enough, you should try. Even if - the probable outcome is failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-something-s-important-enough-you-should-try-even-if-the-probable/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [You should be innovating so fast that you're invalidating your prior patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/you-should-be-innovating-so-fast-that-you-re-invalidating-your-prior/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-part-of-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm anti-tax, but I'm pro-carbon tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-anti-tax-but-i-m-pro-carbon-tax/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) [Explore all 284 Elon Musk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you go back a few hundred years, what we take for granted today would seem like magic - being able to talk to people over long distances, to transmit images, flying, accessing vast amounts of data like an oracle. 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