Future Fumbles: Test Your Knowledge of the Bizarre Predictions That Missed the Mark!

What did a 1950s advertisement predict for 2000?

People would live on the moon

Flying family cars

Teleportation as common transport

Underwater cities

A 1950s advertisement famously predicted that by the year 2000, flying cars would be a regular part of family life, highlighting the era’s fascination with futuristic aviation technology.

Who predicted that the telephone had no future?

Thomas Edison

Alexander Graham Bell

William Orton

Nikola Tesla

William Orton, the president of Western Union in 1876, famously remarked that the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell had no practical value as a means of communication.

What year was the end of the world predicted in 2000 by Y2K fears?

1999

2000

2001

2002

The Y2K scare was centered around the fear that computers would fail at the start of the year 2000 due to the two-digit date format, potentially leading to widespread chaos.

What invention was predicted to end all wars?

The airplane

The tank

The atomic bomb

The internet

After the atomic bomb was first used, some predicted it would be so devastating that it would deter all future conflicts, effectively ending wars due to the fear of mutual destruction.

Which 1960s prediction claimed that by 2000, Americans would work only 22 hours a week?

Time Magazine

U.S. Government Report

Forbes

Futurist Magazine

A U.S. government report in the 1960s optimistically predicted that the continual rise in productivity would allow Americans to work only 22 hours a week by the year 2000.

Who forecasted that 1929 would be a prosperous year?

Herbert Hoover

John Maynard Keynes

Irving Fisher

Winston Churchill

Irving Fisher, a prominent economist, declared shortly before the 1929 crash that the stock market had reached a “permanently high plateau”, expecting ongoing prosperity.

What was predicted about the rise of ice cream by 1950?

Replaced all other desserts

Only for the wealthy

Sold in all pharmacies

Daily consumption recommended

Some early 20th-century health proponents predicted that by 1950, ice cream would be considered so nutritious that its daily consumption would be recommended for health.

What did people in the 1900s predict for 2000’s fashion?

Clothes would be disposable

No more natural fabrics

All clothes are self-cleaning

Clothing with climate control

Predictions from the early 20th century often included the idea that by the year 2000, clothes would be inexpensive and disposable, worn a few times then discarded.

What transportation prediction was made about underwater railroads?

Connect continents by 1985

Cheaper than ships by 2000

Fail due to engineering limits

Built by 1950

Predictions in the early 20th century sometimes envisioned grandiose plans such as underwater railroads connecting continents by 1985, showing the era’s fascination with ambitious engineering projects.

What did a Victorian-era prediction say about London by 1950?

Completely submerged underwater

Abandoned due to coal smoke

Overrun by horses

Powered entirely by solar energy

A Victorian-era prediction speculated that by 1950, London would be overrun by horses, and the streets would be buried under nine feet of manure, highlighting concerns over the growing use of horses for transport.

What did 19th-century futurists predict for schools?

Virtual reality learning

Automated teaching machines

Flying classrooms

No more schools by 2000

Predictions in the late 19th century sometimes speculated that by the year 2000, advancements in education and technology would make traditional schools obsolete.

Which invention was thought to replace horses entirely by 1930?

Steam-powered wagons

Electric cars

Diesel trucks

Gasoline cars

In the early 20th century, electric cars were seen as a cleaner, more efficient alternative to horses, leading to predictions that they would replace horses entirely by 1930.

What was a 1950s prediction about household robots?

They would walk dogs

All homes would have one by 2000

Only for cooking

Robots would replace TVs

In the 1950s, it was predicted that robots would be commonplace in households by the year 2000, assisting with various chores and activities.

Who predicted a paperless office by the late 20th century?

IBM

Xerox

Apple

Microsoft

In the early 1970s, a Xerox executive predicted that the rise of computers would lead to a “paperless office,” where documents would be entirely digital.

What did early 20th-century futurists think about ocean travel?

Submarine family trips

Trans-oceanic tunnels

Jet-powered boats

All travel above water by 2000

Early predictions often fancied jet-powered boats dominating ocean travel by the year 2000, significantly reducing travel time across seas.

What was believed about computers in the 1960s?

Fit in a pocket

Everyone would own one

Only for science

Would become self-aware by 2000

In the 1960s, computers were large, room-sized machines, and it was widely believed they would remain exclusive to scientific research and big businesses.

What catastrophic event was predicted for 1997?

Giant meteor strike

Worldwide plague

California would sink

Nuclear war

There were speculative predictions that intense geological stresses would cause California to sink into the ocean by 1997.

What health benefit was attributed to tobacco in the early 1900s?

Cures tuberculosis

Improves digestion

Enhances brain function

Boosts physical endurance

In the early 1900s, some advertisements and medical theories incorrectly promoted tobacco smoking as a treatment for tuberculosis.

What was predicted about the population of New York by 2000?

Reach 20 million

Buildings over 200 stories

Abandoned due to crime

Covered in a dome

Futurists in the mid-20th century predicted that the population of New York City would reach 20 million by 2000 due to rapid urbanization and growth trends.