21 Visions of the Future That Were Hilariously Off-Base

Daniel Bonfiglio Published 05/22/2024 in facepalm

Historians, scientists, and science fiction writers alike all enjoy predicting the future. But for everything they get right, plenty more predictions comically miss the mark.

Here are 21 people who had visions of the future that were wildly off base.

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1.
A flying, driverless car from Citroen in 1960.
2.
In a piece for the Ladies' Home Journal in 1900, John Elfreth Watkins predicted that the world would transition to phonetic spelling, completely eliminating C, X, and Q as letters. He also thought Russian would become the world’s second most spoken language.
3.
Men's legs will wither away from underuse.
4.
Spherical bubble train like transport; 1946.
5.
In 1965, Times predicted that every role other than high-ranking executives would be done by computers, thus allowing 90% of the population to live via subsidies. "With government benefits, even non-working families will have, by one estimate, an annual income of $30,000 to $40,000.” Of course, everyone knows that once a position becomes automated, companies just lay off those employees.
6.
7.
8.
A “sea city” in the year 2000 to deal with population growth.
9.
Lord William Thomson Kelvin, creator of the Kelvin temperature scale, reportedly believed that X-Rays would eventually be proven a scam. Considering he thought this in the late 1800s, it makes sense the technology seemed so unbelievable.
10.
By this current year, movies will have brought about world peace.
11.
We all know what happened to the Segway.
12.
In 1955, Dr Lowry McDaniel predicted that the common cold would be completely eradicated by 2000.
13.
New York City will have a population of 30,000,000 without traffic problems in 2024. It is currently around 8 million, with plenty of traffic problems.
14.
15.
16.
Horses will no longer exist.
17.
In 1974, a biologist named Bernard Strehler told the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology that humans would soon live to be 150, and that society needed to prepare. I think we’re still a ways off from that.
18.
A hotel on wheels by the year 2000.
19.
20.
An express ocean liner in the year 2000. 1931.
21.
An oddly specific prediction about “flying clothes” in January of 2024.

1.
A flying, driverless car from Citroen in 1960.
2.
In a piece for the Ladies' Home Journal in 1900, John Elfreth Watkins predicted that the world would transition to phonetic spelling, completely eliminating C, X, and Q as letters. He also thought Russian would become the world’s second most spoken language.
3.
Men's legs will wither away from underuse.
4.
Spherical bubble train like transport; 1946.
5.
In 1965, Times predicted that every role other than high-ranking executives would be done by computers, thus allowing 90% of the population to live via subsidies. "With government benefits, even non-working families will have, by one estimate, an annual income of $30,000 to $40,000.” Of course, everyone knows that once a position becomes automated, companies just lay off those employees.
6.
7.
8.
A “sea city” in the year 2000 to deal with population growth.
9.
Lord William Thomson Kelvin, creator of the Kelvin temperature scale, reportedly believed that X-Rays would eventually be proven a scam. Considering he thought this in the late 1800s, it makes sense the technology seemed so unbelievable.
10.
By this current year, movies will have brought about world peace.
11.
We all know what happened to the Segway.
12.
In 1955, Dr Lowry McDaniel predicted that the common cold would be completely eradicated by 2000.
13.
New York City will have a population of 30,000,000 without traffic problems in 2024. It is currently around 8 million, with plenty of traffic problems.
14.
15.
16.
Horses will no longer exist.
17.
In 1974, a biologist named Bernard Strehler told the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology that humans would soon live to be 150, and that society needed to prepare. I think we’re still a ways off from that.
18.
A hotel on wheels by the year 2000.
19.
20.
An express ocean liner in the year 2000. 1931.
21.
An oddly specific prediction about “flying clothes” in January of 2024.