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A pipe dream is an unrealistic plan or scheme that is unlikely to succeed. It can be a technological invention, like a perpetual motion machine, or a social aspiration, like marrying a crush. The term originated from opium dens in the early 20th century and is dismissive. However, some pipe dreams have become reality due to technological advances.
A pipe dream is essentially a fantastical plan or scheme that has little or no chance of succeeding under real-world conditions. An inventor can dream of creating a perpetual motion machine that would never run out of energy and would power our homes forever. The invention of such a machine would no doubt be seen as revolutionary by the scientific community, but the realities of things like friction, Newtonian physics and gravity make such a thing impossible. A perpetual motion or time traveling machine is currently set to remain a pipe dream for aspiring inventors.
A pipe dream can also be social in nature. Someone with a romantic infatuation may dream of marrying the object of their affections and raising a large family. In reality, that bride-to-be or groom may not even be aware of these fantasy-based plans, or otherwise show no interest in pursuing such a relationship. Fulfilling a romantic dream may not be entirely out of the question, but the chances of a successful outcome are notoriously slim. Most pipe dreams remain squarely in the realm of fantasy.
The origin of the phrase pipe dream can be traced back to the early 20th century. Opium dens and other houses of ill repute offered paying customers the ability to inhale opium or other hallucinogenic drugs through communal hookahs or water pipes. Frequent visitors to these illegal operations were said to be “on the pipe,” hopelessly addicted to opiates, and noticeably disconnected from reality.
By extension, any imaginative plan or lofty aspiration could be written off as an opium-inspired dream, thus becoming a pipe dream. Such a dream could not be taken very seriously by the sober citizenry, even if the dreamer was completely sincere in his beliefs. The act of describing a plan or scheme as a “pipe dream” is almost always dismissive.
Some people actually manage to turn a supposed pipe dream into reality, but very often in history one person’s unfulfilled dream becomes the reality of a future generation due to technological advances made along the way. Inventions like television, movies, and the internet may have started out as dreams of earlier scientists and visionaries.
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