Top 10 Predictions About the Future That Turned Out to be TRUE

“1999 A.D.” (1967)


This retro film gave us a whimsical peek into the future, where computers rule the home. From online shopping, to smart couches, to on-screen education, to automatic cooking, the family in this short film leads a pretty convenient and comfortable life, much like what we have today. What’s mindblowing is that this vision was conceived over 50 years ago. Sure, they didn’t get everything right. They use labeled buttons instead of keyboards and a single-function computer instead of a smartphone. Still, “1999 A.D.” nailed the core concept of the tech-filled “house of tomorrow” that we’re living in today.

John Elfreth Watkins


In the year 1900, an engineer named John Elfreth Watkins wrote an article in Ladies' Home Journal titled “What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years.” Surprisingly, many of his predictions ended up being quite accurate! One fascinating guess he made was that the average American would be approximately one to two inches taller in the next century. And believe it or not, he was spot on– the mean height rose from between 66 and 67 inches to 69 inches from 1900 to 2000. Perhaps Watkins should’ve ditched his engineering pursuits and become a certified anthropologist!

“Fahrenheit 451” (1953)


Many authors have conjured incredible worlds, but few have seen their imaginations come to life like Ray Bradbury. In his 1953 novel “Fahrenheit 451,” Bradbury didn’t just tell a story. He warned us about society’s habits taking a darker turn. While some of his foresights were purely dramatic elements, others hit disturbingly close to home. Take the seashells he wrote about. Tiny devices isolating people from the world around them. Are they not very like the wireless earbuds almost everyone wears today? And the psychological implication of these seashells that he feared? It's not far off, either. While we marvel at Bradbury’s foresight, we can only hope the darker aspects of his prophecies remain confined to the pages of his book.

“Total Recall” (1990)


Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 sci-fi flick is proof that even the wildest sci-fi can hit close to home. In it, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Quaid, a construction worker who discovers his memory might be fake. His quest to uncover the truth leads him to Mars, where he battles conspiracies, mutants, and a corrupt corporation. Set in a futuristic world, the film makes striking predictions that have since become reality. Quaid's use of holographic decoy to outsmart his enemies mirrors today’s holographic tech. The video phones used by almost everyone feel like an early nod to modern video conferencing. Even Johnny Cab, the robot taxi driver, foreshadows self-driving vehicles. Who’s to say what other sci-fi ideas will leap into reality next?

“Minority Report” (2002)


Our world may not have become the dystopian one shown in “Minority Report,” but some of its predictions feel increasingly relevant. In this futuristic thriller, Tom Cruise plays the head of a PreCrime department, working with a team that can predict murders before they happen. While the ability to foresee crimes remains in the sci-fi realm, many little details place viewers firmly in today’s tech-driven world. John Anderton is constantly bombarded with personalized ads, cars drive themselves, and eye scans are a norm - all of which we experience today. These details, while futuristic at that time, are now quite real, which raises the question of how close we are to a more controlled and surveilled society.

John Elfreth Watkins


Some of Watkins’ predictions for the 20th and 21st centuries may not have come to fruition, but we ought to give him credit for nailing a few accurately. Long before bullet trains became reality, Watkins envisioned them, which is pretty bold for someone who existed in an era where steam trains ruled the tracks. Fast-forward to today, his prophetic visions mirror modern high-speed marvels like Acela Express, zipping along at 150 miles per hour. Isn’t it incredible how he also got the speed range spot on? To people in his time, his prophecies must’ve sounded like pure fiction or even bizarre. Yet, over 120 years later and we’re living it. Talk about a chilling glimpse into the future.

John Elfreth Watkins


Maybe time travellers do exist and Watkins was one of them. How else can you explain some of his uncanny predictions? This civil engineer wasn’t just bold with his foresight, he was downright prophetic. Take digital photography, for example. In Watkins’ time, photography itself was a miracle to many, yet he boldly predicted that color photography would one day become a reality. Not only that, he even nailed how they’d be taken from any distance and shared instantly all over the world. While it took years for this technology to get to this point, Watkins was remarkably close in his vision. Who knows what else from his predictions is on the horizon?

Nikola Tesla


Nikola Tesla was light-years ahead of his time. He practically dreamed up Wi-fi before anyone knew what it was. In a 1926 interview with Collier’s magazine, Tesla described a world wireless system capable of transmitting images, data, and messages to handheld devices. Sounds familiar? While the world wasn’t ready for genius back then, his ideas laid the foundation for modern wireless technology. So, when next you connect to Wi-Fi, remember to give Tesla a nod for being the original signal booster. He also foresaw mobile phones, drones, and female empowerment, though his ideas were a bit vague. With all he achieved and predicted, it’s no surprise some consider him the GOAT.

Roger Ebert


When you hear the name Roger Ebert, you probably think of the world’s most influential film critic, but he was so much more. Ebert didn’t just help shape the way we critique films, he also predicted how we’d watch them. Unbelievable, isn’t it? Well, in a 1987 interview, Ebert described what we now know as on-demand streaming. Instead of visiting movie stores to rent or purchase videocassette tapes, he envisioned a future where you can watch whatever you want, right on your screen in stunning high-definition. Sounds just like the streaming platforms we enjoy today, like Netflix. Pretty bold for someone who was living in a pre-streaming world, don’t you think?

“2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)

Stanley Kubrick's '60s sci-fi gem wasn’t just a masterpiece, it was a crystal ball into the future. It focuses on the mind-blowing journey into space, where astronauts Dave and Frank rely on HAL, an AI controlling their spacecraft. HAL’s ability to process large amounts of data and interact with humans in a chilling way mirrors today’s tech, like voice assistants and advanced AIs. Kubrick didn’t just stop there. He also accurately depicts other elements of our world like video calls. Just watch Dr. Floyd chatting with his daughter on a screen. And what about those tablet-like computers the astronauts use? They look strikingly familiar. Mind-blowing, right? Let’s just hope the AI of today doesn't go rogue like HAL did.


What other sci-fi books or films accurately predicted the future? Let us know in the comment section.