Flying car joke goes here.
Meanwhile, gizmodo has an article from the January 6, 1910 edition of the Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette featuring 41 predictions on what the world would be like in the 21st century. These were predictions made in good faith (presumably). The full list is at the link but here’s a few I liked:
- Cure for cancer. [Sadly this remains elusive]
- Discovery south pole. [This happened the following year, in 1911]
- Create living organisms by artificial means. [Artificial insemination!]
- Phonograph records substitute for letter. [This never happened but we now have the even less bulky email instead]
- Settle question of communication with Mars. Wonderful astronomical discoveries. [We called, no one was home]
- Power of mind over matter a practical science devoid of superstitious elements. [Telekinesis would mean never having to look for the TV remote again but this remains the realm of fiction or all my telekinetic friends are holding out on me]
- United States constitution rewritten, providing improved means for conservation of original democratic principles. [LOL?]
- Produce rainfall at will. [Seeding clouds makes this sort-of true]
- Roads of nation paved. [Dream big, 1910! The prediction today would be: Roads of nation re-paved.]
- Cure for and elimination of tuberculosis. [Nope]
- Movements for universal language, universal religion, universal money. [Esperanto, (none), Bitcoins. That’s 0 for 3.]
- Construction largely of concrete and metal or newly discovered materials. [Yep, especially for large buildings]
- Electricity will move world’s wheels. Later radio-activity may substitute. [I don’t think radioactivity means what they thought it means]
- Terrors of war so multiplied by death dealing inventions, chances of war minimized. [LOL?]
- Population of United States based on present ratio of increased, 1,317,547,000 at opening of twenty-first century. [Off by about a billion. Maybe if they had developed baby machines.]
- Machinery largely substituting manual energy, will promote pursuit of finer arts and sciences; give ample opportunity for relaxation and amusement; emancipate wage slaves. Three-hour work day predicted. [This is charmingly optimistic. And horribly wrong.]
- Photographs in natural colors. [Yes!]
- Women’s political equality. [In the U.S. women got the vote in 1920]
- Government control of corporations. [Got this one backwards]
- Animated pictures in natural colors, transmitted by wireless. [TV and/or Internet]
- Natural colors reproduced in newspaper pictures. [Yes, although newspapers themselves are kind of going extinct]
- Reduction of elimination all forms of gambling, including stocks. [LOL?]
- Moral, intellectual and economical awakening in dark sections of Africa, China a world power. [“Dark” sections of Africa? Racist! Good call on China, though.]
- Due to universal education, with special reference to hygiene, doctors and drugs be largely eliminated; average age to be near 60 years; men taller, stronger, higher intelligence and morals. [This one is funny because after all the lofty changes they still only expect people to live to 60.]
