Predictions from 1900

[snopes]

Comment: I just came across this link, was wondering if you could
verify it as actually being from the time period in which the article
states. I'm leaning towards no, because some key words just jump out at me
that don't seem suitable for 1900.

http://www.yorktownhistory.org/homep...redictions.htm

[Logoboros]

He will live fifty years instead of thirty-five as at present ...

I do believe average life expectancy was well above "thirty-five" in 1900. In fact, I suspect it was above fifty, too.

Prediction #10: Man will See Around the World. Persons and things of all kinds will be brought within focus of cameras connected electrically with screens at opposite ends of circuits, thousands of miles at a span.

I'm highly suspicious of the terminology here. Though none of the words are truely anachronistic, the usages sure seem to be to me. "Screen" especially. And given the 1900 understanding of a camera, would you even be able to imagine what it would mean to "connect" them together "electrically with screens"? I think this image only makes sense from a later 20th century perspective -- surely a turn-of-the-century writer would have to elaborate on the description or use a whole different set of terms to convey the idea.

--Logoboros

[geminilee]

The only reason life expectancy was 35 (which I don't think it was in 1900) is because of very high infant mortality; once you were past five or so years old, you were reasonably likely to live to a pretty old age, although I think it was more on the order of 60 or 70 than 80+ like today.

ETA: http://www.elderweb.com/home/node/2145

Jama recently re-published this article from September of 1900. "Recently a lady died in Chicago who had attained the distinction of having lived over a hundred years.

Although her reasoning for having attained such age is disputed, the age itself doesn't seem in dispute.
Also this pension list which lists quite a few 70+ people, and a few 80+.

[KathyB]

An article by that name certainly did appear in LHG. I can't get it to show here, but you can see a picture of the article here.

A review of the book The Next Hundred Years . . . Then and Now noted

Most of the true predictions came from journalist John Elfreth Watkins Jr., the "seer of the century," who successfully forecasted advancements in twentieth-century warfare ("aerial warships and forts on wheels"). He was fairly prescient about transportation (subways, elevated roadways), food preparation and storage (ready-cooked foods, refrigerated preservation), communications (international long-distance telephone), and central air conditioning and heating, among other innovations.

[Spam & Cookies-mmm]

Either beets used to be really small, or he missed the mark on this one.

Prediction #12: Peas as Large as Beets. Peas and beans will be as large as beets are to-day.

Why would you want to eat a giant pea anyway.

[bjohn13]

Originally Posted by Spam & Cookies-mmm

Why would you want to eat a giant pea anyway.

LOL

I always figured that half the fun of eating peas was smooshing them against the roof of my mouth with my toungue and getting them to pop. A giant pea, to me, would defeat the purpose. Besides, I like pea pods. I can't imagine eating a pea pod the size of a banana.

b "I don't even know how big a beet is" john13

[inkrose115]

Prediction #14: Black, Blue and Green Roses.

Read an article in Discover about how blue roses are still eluding us, except of course we have photoshop to color inages of them blue. It was a long complicated explaination about are darn near impossible to create even with bioengineering. Darned if I can remember any of it though.

Prediction #15: No Foods will be Exposed. Storekeepers who expose food to air breathed out by patrons or to the atmosphere of the busy streets will be arrested with those who sell stale or adulterated produce.

That one made me laugh the hardest!

Prediction #16: There will be No C, X or Q in our every-day alphabet. They will be abandoned because unnecessary. Spelling by sound will have been adopted, first by the newspapers. English will be a language of condensed words expressing condensed ideas, and will be more extensively spoken than any other. Russian will rank second.

Although the people who made this prediction were most likely imagining something else,this prediction eerily fits with today's text messaging.

[Grand Illusion]

Originally Posted by Malalaise

Although the people who made this prediction were most likely imagining something else,this prediction eerily fits with today's text messaging.

Ironically, quite the opposite, thanks to ICQ and OS X.

[Dr. Dave]

#26 and #13 are identical, suggesting that this was not actually published in a magazine.

Also, was the word "snapshot" (seen in #9) even in use in 1900? (Similar critiscism as Logoboros in post 2 above). Anyone have an OED available?

[songs78]

Originally Posted by Logoboros

I'm highly suspicious of the terminology here. Though none of the words are truely anachronistic, the usages sure seem to be to me. "Screen" especially. And given the 1900 understanding of a camera, would you even be able to imagine what it would mean to "connect" them together "electrically with screens"? I think this image only makes sense from a later 20th century perspective -- surely a turn-of-the-century writer would have to elaborate on the description or use a whole different set of terms to convey the idea.

--Logoboros

They had movie theater screens and the telegraph and Fax machines were invented in the 1840s. so the idea of sending pictures electronically is nothing new in 1900.

Gymnastics will begin in the nursery, where toys and games will be designed to strengthen the muscles. Exercise will be compulsory in the schools. Every school, college and community will have a complete gymnasium. All cities will have public gymnasiums. A man or woman unable to walk ten miles at a stretch will be regarded as a weakling.

Ironically, even though each school has a full gymnasium people have become weaker since 1900.

[Logoboros]

According to the OED, the first documented use of snapshot is in 1860, so it's fair game.

(I also checked earlier for circuit, refrigerator, dishwasher, air-ship, liquid-air and a few others, and they all do have recorded uses before 1900 -- though "liquid air" isn't documented before 1899, but it could well be a trendy new scientific breakthrough of the time and an entirely plausible reference.)

--Logoboros

Originally Posted by Grand Illusion

Ironically, quite the opposite, thanks to ICQ and OS X.

I was referring on how people use condensed words and spelling by sound,such as typing "u" instead of "you" in text messaging

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dave

#26 and #13 are identical, suggesting that this was not actually published in a magazine.

Err, no, it just suggests that somebody accidentally duplicated an entry when transcribing the article.

- snopes

[Dr. Dave]

Originally Posted by snopes

Err, no, it just suggests that somebody accidentally duplicated an entry when transcribing the article.

- snopes

Which is why you run this site and I do not.

[Grand Illusion]

Originally Posted by Malalaise

I was referring on how people use condensed words and spelling by sound,such as typing "u" instead of "you" in text messaging

So was I actually. ICQ is really shorthand for "I Seek You," and it is what really started the whole chat phenomena, arconym shorthand and all. I probably could have found a better one for X, though.

[songs78]

Originally Posted by Grand Illusion

So was I actually. ICQ is really shorthand for "I Seek You," and it is what really started the whole chat phenomena, arconym shorthand and all. I probably could have found a better one for X, though.

Merry X-Mas ,

XOXO

[Spam & Cookies-mmm]

Originally Posted by Grand Illusion

So was I actually. ICQ is really shorthand for "I Seek You," and it is what really started the whole chat phenomena, arconym shorthand and all. I probably could have found a better one for X, though.

Haxor?
Roxor?

[BamaRainbow]

Originally Posted by Grand Illusion

So was I actually. ICQ is really shorthand for "I Seek You," and it is what really started the whole chat phenomena, arconym shorthand and all. I probably could have found a better one for X, though.

Um, xenon? Not to mention we'd have to reconfigure the periodic table since the chemical symbol for xenon is Xe.
A few rock groups would be out of luck as well--InXS, XTC.
And how would we EVER get through algebra and even higher mathematics without the dreaded "x"? And while MRIs have become important to medicine, the X-ray is still the primary scanning device.
How would we know a porn film if it's not rated XXX?
And--one last but very important point--how would pirates ever find their treasure if "X" couldn't mark the spot? (Somehow, "T marks the spot" just doesn't have the same ring to it.)

[liebeslied]

Originally Posted by BamaRainbow

Um, xenon? Not to mention we'd have to reconfigure the periodic table since the chemical symbol for xenon is Xe.
A few rock groups would be out of luck as well--InXS, XTC.
And how would we EVER get through algebra and even higher mathematics without the dreaded "x"? And while MRIs have become important to medicine, the X-ray is still the primary scanning device.
How would we know a porn film if it's not rated XXX?
And--one last but very important point--how would pirates ever find their treasure if "X" couldn't mark the spot? (Somehow, "T marks the spot" just doesn't have the same ring to it.)

Math and science use a lot of symbols and Greek letters that are not part of our 26-letter standard alphabet. Theoretically an underused letter could be dropped from the exalted 26 but still be used for auxiliary purposes. But in practice, that would mean spellings like "eksalted" and "auksiliary," which are inefficient because of the extra (ekstra) character (xaraktr).

Sorry for getting silly there.