The electric light has no future.”. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Then, just a few years later, the iPhone came out…. But people used to assume that robot pets would become so convenient and lifelike that no one would bother with the real thing anymore. George W. Bush predicted a lunar outpost as a part of his space exploration plan, and astronaut Chris Hadfield still thinks we might achieve it during his lifetime. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. Children won’t go to school in the future. Aug.12, 2012. 1. The hope was that TVs would take up entire walls of every home in the future. Wired. At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. © Copyright 2020 by Factinate.com. Just gas the population of wherever you’re invading, and they’ll all be made happy and compliant, allowing you to waltz in with no resistance. That didn’t happen, but it wasn’t too farfetched. Future predictions are based on your current life situation. In 1955, Variety Magazine said this about rock ‘n’ roll: “It will be gone by June.” Maybe they meant June 2055? We’re just now starting to crack into virtual reality gaming, but the same TV Gamer Magazine article assumed that by the nineties, not only would we have VR, but that games would be beamed directly into gamers’ heads. Most people haven’t, but they were given a chance to sign the Beatles in the early sixties. "Fifty Years Hence." Just a little off. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. Instead, they disappeared almost completely. We can always dream…. Future predictions. “We have plenty of messenger boys.”, When advising investors who owned shares in gas lighting in the 1870s, scientist John Henry Pepper told them “Do not bother to sell your gas shares. Objects and even buildings will be built molecule by molecule. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. As if hospitals aren’t slow enough already, Closer Than You Think assumed that space travel would be so common and efficient that we would build the hospitals of the future in space so that anyone from earth could simply blast up there for medical help. "LILYPAD: Floating City for Climate Change Refugees." September-October 2012. On the contrary, the CEO Steve Ballmer said: “There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share.” The iPhone did just that, on top of completely changing the world we live in. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? People crossed the Bering Land Bridge between Russia and Alaska during the last Ice Age, but ever since it’s been covered by miles and miles of ocean. Trends in Biotechnology. Horace Rackham was one of the original investors in Henry Ford’s Ford Motor Company. To this day, airport runways take up a lot of space. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. Thanks for your help! Here, according to the experts, are 25 downright terrifying predictions about the future. Popular Mechanics. To solve this problem, Closer Than You Think predicted that we would use much smaller, circular runways, where special catapult-like devices would be used to launch planes into the air. Whether or not the event will happen is not certain. Positive / Negative I You He She It We They will (+)won't (-) have Examples: Predictions for the year 2050. We can use ‘will’ or ‘’ll’ to talk about the future and make future predictions. Snow plow technology has advanced really little in half a century. 8. The reason? He likes to think his interests are broad, but he always ends up writing about military history. The Futurist. It showed an orchestra that looked a lot like a traditional one, except the instruments were all hooked up to a machine that was controlled by a single person at a console in the middle. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning. For the negative, we can say ‘will not’ or ‘won’t’. A woman walks past a picture of Winston Churchill by artist Banksy. Another Watkins prediction, he assumed that we would selectively breed strawberries to the point that they would be as big as apples. Anchor Books. So in 1984 TV Gamer Magazine predicted that arcades would become massive, futuristic purpose built complexes. But Edison was pretty sure of himself, saying “Fooling around with alternating current (AC) is just a waste of time. 2007. For centuries predictions like this have driven humanity’s progress. People once believed that by 2013, brushing your teeth would be a thing of the past thanks to Denturinse, a kind of mouthwash that would be just as effective at cleaning your teeth. (Aug. 13, 2012) http://inhabitat.com/lilypad-floating-cities-in-the-age-of-global-warming/, Churchill, Winston. The feud between Thomas Edison, the chief proponent of DC power, and Nikola Tesla, the same for AC, has been very well documented. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning. This “Timeline Of Very Bad Future Predictions” created by Infographic shows the worst predictions in history, and it’s safe to say these futurists weren't as good as they thought. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. The same series of postcards from Paris also had a vision of the future of music. 26 Shockingly Bad Predictions. "Manufacturing is Returning to America." That never came to be, but at least we have the Roomba. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways…. As the Fourth Industrial Revolution forces us to think about where today's innovations are taking us, here are 10 predictions that didn’t stand up to the future’s steely gaze. 5 Futurist Predictions in the World of Health, 10 Futurist Predictions in the World of Transportation, 10 Futurist Predictions it the World of Technology, Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application. Darryl Zanuck, a film studio executive from 20th Century Fox, wasn’t worried about the rise of television. As far as electronic music goes, this was close but way off. Little did he know…. In the year 2050, we wi Washington Post. (Aug. 13, 2012) http://www.kurzweilai.net/singularity-q-a, Mironov, Vladimir, etal. The questions below help you to know how you relate to certain aspects in your life and how you perceive them. April 14, 2003. After the first flight of the Boeing 247, an engineer from the company allegedly predicted that there would never be a larger plane built. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. Today, both forms of power are widely used. My mom never told me how her best friend died. Right around the time that Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, most people in the tech world thought that the company was headed for extinction. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. "Ranking of the World's Cities Most Exposed to Coastal Flooding Today and in the Future." Started in 2015, the number of internet users across the world is a massive 3.14 billion. There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. "When the Machines Take Over." "Bioprinting a Human Being?" For example, theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, author of the 2011 book "Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100," bases his forecast on scientific discoveries -- such as quantum physics and the nature of DNA-- that already have been made, and on prototypes of inventions that already exist in laboratories [source: Kaku]. A large metal plow mounted on the front of a truck is still the method of choice. In 1932, he stated that “there is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy would ever be attainable. They predicted pacifying drugs that would make warfare non-violent. The president of the bank told him “The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty—a fad.” Thank goodness Rackham didn’t listen to him. Here are 42 examples of some less than accurate predictions about what the world of tomorrow will be like. The Economist, The New York Times, Business Week, as well as high ranking people from Microsoft and Dell all predicted that Apple Computers was a soon-to-be dinosaur. Example: The world's population will reach 10 billion in the year 2050. General predictions There are two ways we can make predictions about the future. Have you heard of Decca Records? Since long before people ever walked on the moon, we’ve been planning to colonize it. Are they getting closer to reality even as you read this? You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future and therefore USES 1-3 do not apply. Hulton Archive / Getty Images Margaret Thatcher, Oct. 26, 1969. Famous science fiction author Isaac Asimov predicted that people would live in grand, undersea houses by 2014. However, since the only computers they had even known had been gigantic, mechanical contraptions, they assumed futuristic computers would still weigh 1.5 tons and have 1000 vacuum tubes. Houses would be completely autonomous, with no need to be hooked up to power or water, and so they would be free to fly around the earth as the owners saw fit. "The Future of Nanotechnology: Molecular Manufacturing." We can use this form to make almost any prediction about the future, whether we are talking about tomorrow or a hundred years from now. A lot of Western history has been spent finding new frontiers and exploring new lands. Inhabitat. We want our readers to trust us. She will have lots of pets. You would think that creation of the iPhone would have worried top executives at Microsoft. He was wrong, but at least he was a good sport about it. Western Union used to have a monopoly in the telegraph industry and as such was an enormous player in the world of communications. 1. But by the 20th century, there were really no more lands to find. Acclaimed science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke wrote in 1966 that by 2001 there would be no need for houses to remain on the ground. "Futurist Ray Kurzweil Pulls Out All the Stops (and Pills) to Live to Witness the Singularity." Jamie Hayes is no fun to be around at parties. I predict that Congress will pass an anti-piracy law soon. He stops conversations dead when someone misquotes a movie or gets a fact wrong. We can always be hopeful, right? Starting in the 1950s, people have been predicting that moon colonies are within our grasp. "Singularity Q&A." Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIII’s first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. The simple future with will is one of the ways that we can make predictions. 13 Predictions About the Future That Were Dead Wrong Joe McKinley Updated: Apr. (Aug. 13, 2012) http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/science/3-d-printers-may-someday-allow-labs-to-create-replacment-human-organs/2011/04/21/AFJM0WbG_story.html, Blasband, Marc. Weird & Wacky, Copyright © 2020 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on…. Maybe some today do, but I don’t want to know how much they cost. “I predict that within 100 years, computers will be twice as powerful, ten thousand times larger, and so expensive that only the 5 richest kings of Europe will own them.”—Professor John Frink, The Simpsons. Nobody will use it, ever” in 1889. Let’s just…, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, These People Got Revenge In The Most Ingenious Ways, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife, 47 Sensual Facts About The Science Of Being Sexy, 38 Courageous Facts About History's Most Impressive Generals. This was a time where household consoles couldn’t hold a candle to full-sized arcade games, and it was assumed that trend would continue. Especially compared to a postcard from a series made in Paris in 1899, that predicted people would ride giant seahorses underwater in the year 2000. He said in 1946 that people would “get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” He’d be proved wrong, and to put salt on the wound, Fox would of course eventually start their own television empire. Nuclear power was all the rage in the fifties. People have dreamed of flight for all time, but one scientist was ready to throw in the towel in 1888. We’ve never quite managed it, but we’re still hopeful. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. That never became the norm, but aircraft carriers do launch planes with a similar method today. Here are 42 examples of some less than accurate predictions about what the world of tomorrow will be like. In 1959, Closer Than You Think predicted that an enormous, underwater highway would be built to cross the distance, allowing Americans to take their cars, rather than plans or ships, to Asia and Europe. Author's Note: 5 Futurist Predictions in the World of Science. A lot of predictions for the future have revolved around flight. At different times, we’ve assumed that the future will have everything from flying firemen to put out fires on skyscrapers, flying mailmen to streamline the service, flying police to better protect, and of course, flying cars to revolutionize transportation. If there’s one thing people have proved time and time again, it’s that we’re not always the best a predicting the future. For being one of the inventors of Ethernet, Robert Metcalfe didn’t have much faith in the internet. For instance, he thought that the letters C, Q and X would be removed from the alphabet, because they’re unnecessary. In 1911, he predicted that the age-old goal of alchemy—to turn materials into gold—would be an “easy matter” for people of the future. No more holding a controller or watching a screen, players would be literally in the game. Such predictions are often introduced by I think / I don't think: I don't think he'll come tonight. So will they come true? http://www.wfs.org/futurist/september-october-2012-vol-46-no-5/22nd-century-first-light/forecasts/when-machines, Chapa, Jorge. (Aug. 13, 2012) http://bit.ly/P8epFP, Drexler, K. Eric. We will notdrive normal cars. So much so that Alexander Lewyt, the head of the Lewyt Vacuum Company, assumed that we would all be using nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners by the mid-‘60s. In fact, he famously predicted in a magazine article that the entire things would “go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse.” Years after this infamous quote, he literally ate his words: On stage in front of an audience, he blended up a copy of the article with water and drank it. "Organ Printing: Computer-aided Jet-based 3D Tissue Engineering." "Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100." March 1932. These people looked into the future ... A Short History of the Future, 1936. In 1912, he was asked what this new technology would mean for war. Here are 7 major predictions of what is yet to come with the Internet in 2020 – which is not that far off from where we are today. Based on your input My-fortune-teller.com will provide you with a future prediction, be your own future teller! We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. May 16, 2011. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Engineer John Elfreth Hawkins Jr. published a list of predictions in the year 1900. Before investing, he went to the Michigan Savings Bank to ask for advice. The goal of robots has always been to make human lives easier, and people used to believe they’d be really common by the 21st century. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure…. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. What if a liver could be created with a printer? (Aug. 13, 2012) http://www.kurzweilai.net/the-future-of-nanotechnology-molecular-manufacturing, The Futurist. Some of history’s worst atrocities have involved chemical warfare, but in the ‘50s Closer Than You Think assumed that in the future, it wouldn’t be so bad. Berkowitz, Bonnie. March 24, 2008. TVs just keep on getting bigger and bigger, but they haven’t quite reached as big as we thought they would. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25ussubstructures, 21 Out-There Facts About Space Exploration, Beneath His Debonair Surface, Cary Grant Led A Twisted Life, These Stories Of Unforgettable Close Calls Made Our Jaws Drop, Stay Out Of The Woods: Campers And Hikers Share Their Creepiest Experiences, These Mortifying Mistakes Make Us Want To Hit “Undo”, "The Bride Kissed The Best Man" And Other Real-Life Wedding Disasters, Truth Hurts: Binge-Worthy Stories About The Biggest Liars Of All Time, These Bad Dates Are Straight Out Of Our Nightmares, Bloody Facts About Ivan the Terrible, The Mad Tsar Of Russia. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. From ‘the telephone won’t succeed as a form of communication’ to ‘the Internet won’t replace newspapers’, it’s unbelievable how wrong these people were. I’ll live in a big house when I’m older. 2011. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.” Just six years later, scientists in Berlin would do just that, and Einstein would write a letter to Franklin Roosevelt to warn him. 5: Computers Will be Smarter Than Us and Part of Us, 4: We'll Be Able to Print Transplantable Copies of Human Organs. July 20, 2008. ... but it’s a perfect example of what happens when a nation feels under threat. It’s not surprising then that in 1959 Closer Than You Think assumed that we would hop on “Space Mayflowers” and begin to colonize space in the not too distant future. We're Getting Closer to the Quantum Internet, But What Is It? Writing for Popular Science Monthly, professor Joseph le Conte said: “Is it not demonstrated that a true flying machine, self-raising, self-sustaining, self-propelling, is physically impossible?”, Though he admitted that Americans would use the telephone, British post office engineer William Preece said that the British had no use for the device. The device is inherently of no value to us.”. Over 5 billion people will use the Internet by 2020. 02, 2019 When it comes to forecasting the future, sometimes the experts really miss the mark. If there’s one thing people have proved time and time again, it’s that we’re not always the best a predicting the future. (Aug. 13, 2012) http://www.imm.org/, Kaku, Michio. The 247 could hold 10 people. KurzweilAI.net. 10 Predictions About the Future That Should Scare the Hell Out of You. (Aug. 13, 2012) http://www.wired.com/medtech/drugs/magazine/16-04/ff_kurzweil/?currentPage=all, Computers Will be Smarter Than Us and Part of Us, We'll Be Able to Print Transplantable Copies of Human Organs, Products Will be Put Together, Molecule By Molecule. Closer Than You Think, a Futurist comic strip from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s predicted that all suburban houses would sit under enormous transparent domes that would protect them from bad weather, allowing for lush, green lawns and gardens all year round. Discovery.com. He was honestly quite close about things like cell phones and people growing taller, but he was way off about some things too.