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We tend to dream extravagantly when envisioning life far into the future. Likewise, people in the past expected a lot to have advanced by today—almost to a fault.
As we stand in 2024, it’s fascinating to look back at the crystal ball predictions made a century ago. In 1924, imaginations ran wild with visions of the future, some of which might make many chuckle today. Thanks to University of Calgary researcher Paul Fairie, who put together these gems on X (formerly Twitter), and various news outlets, we can peer into these lofty visions.
Several of these are rather ludicrous, but something the past year has brought us—artificial intelligence—makes it much easier to visualize them.
#1 Beds That Jolt Kids Awake
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In 1924, the Leicester Mercury pictured a world where alarm clocks would be replaced by beds that would flip children onto the floor to start their day. Talk about a wake-up call!
Beds will automatically fling children out in the morning pic.twitter.com/OJx8Nj3Hy0
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#2 Horses Are Gone
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Professor EL Furlong of the University of Southern California had a grim forecast for equine friends, predicting they’d be rare sights, perhaps only seen in zoos.
#3 Cinema Brings World Peace
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DW Griffith, a prominent figure in the film industry, believed movies would be the harbingers of world peace and end all armed conflict, fostering a global “brotherhood of man.”
Movies will bring about world peace pic.twitter.com/w6zfqrXTOI
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#4 Urban Renewal
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For the year 2024, Swedish architect Ben Bjorkson foresaw multi-level roads, skyscrapers with car entrances, moving sidewalks, and underground freight systems—a futuristic urban landscape.
Automobiles will travel on speedways through the centre of town pic.twitter.com/8MB2cOt8Si
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#5 Ultra-High-Rises
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To cope with overpopulation, the Joseph P. Day Realty Corporation suggested New York City might see 100-story apartment buildings. Someone had their head in the clouds!
Apartment buildings will be 100 stories tall pic.twitter.com/uJryJsM6V8
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#6 Men Have Atrophied Legs
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One peculiar prediction was that men would become so reliant on cars that their legs would atrophy, and society would move solely on motorized devices.
Men’s legs will wither away from underuse pic.twitter.com/24SaV1UzzR
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#7 Women Are Physically Strong Dancers
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“The girl of tomorrow” was expected to be athletically superior, particularly in dance, which was anticipated to be a prevalent sport in 2024. She would also be alert, intellectual, and radiate love and goodwill.
Women will be beautiful, physically strong dancers pic.twitter.com/U1ozWLpFWs
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#8 Space: An Everyday Frontier for Vacations
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Predictions were made that interplanetary travel would be as commonplace as transatlantic journeys by 2024, turning other planets into ultimate holiday destinations.
Interplanetary travel will be as easy as trans-Atlantic travel pic.twitter.com/AS8z4N3ATX
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#9 Remote Music Concerts
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Experts foresaw musicians performing remotely, allowing audiences to enjoy live music from the comfort of their homes. It took a pandemic for this to come true.
Concerts will be performed remotely pic.twitter.com/FuPXdJAeX0
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#10 Dazzling Debutantes
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Debutantes of 2024 were expected to embrace a rainbow of colors, not just in their attire but in their skin and hair, bringing a whole new meaning to personal expression.
Debutantes will dye their skin all the colours of the rainbow pic.twitter.com/DmQ49dQMQV
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#11 Sugar? Say Yes, Please
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With diamonds predicted to be exhausted by now, synthetic gems made from sugar were touted as a truly sweet alternative to engagement rings.
Diamond engagement rings will be replaced with 100 pound bags of sugar pic.twitter.com/o6yzIOiIiR
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#12 The Flight of Fashion
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Clothing was imagined to take an extraordinary turn, made from the skin of the Patagonian elephant to supposedly grant the wearer the ability to fly.
Everyone will wear flying clothes pic.twitter.com/5mHUSrgPq6
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#13 Women Leading the Charge
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Frank L. Ferraro foresaw a future dominated by women in high political and social positions, including a female president. Incredibly, this prediction wasn’t too far off the mark!
#14 Video Family Albums
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Traditional photo albums were expected to be replaced by motion pictures, turning family memories into dynamic cinematic experiences.
Family albums will be videos instead of photographs pic.twitter.com/vVcXMwU1Px
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#15 Families Face Starvation
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A century ago, Colonel William Boyce Thompson, anticipating a food shortage in 2024, founded a plant-based research institute to explore sustainable food substitutes.
The human family will be at the point of starvation pic.twitter.com/VypDz9AHgb
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#16 Jazz: The New Classical Music
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Paul Kochanski, a Russian classical violinist, believed that jazz music would gain recognition as classical music by now, showcasing the evolving nature of musical genres.
Jazz music will be considered classical pic.twitter.com/gCJ018D6cv
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#17 Seventy-Five… the New Twenty-Five?
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British Conservative politician Sir Howard Kingsley Wood predicted a significant increase in average life expectancy, reaching 100 years by 2024. At 75 years old, individuals would be considered in the prime of their youth, redefining the concept of aging.
Life expectancy will be 100 years – and 75 will be considered young pic.twitter.com/mCmMLQyrjq
— Paul Fairie (@paulisci) January 1, 2024
#18 Reel In The Realism!
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Experts pondered about a future where movies got so realistic that you’d struggle to distinguish them from objects in the physical world. In 2024, this prediction edges closer to reality with Apple’s Vision Pro headset, offering an immersive experience that allows users to relive memories through advanced spatial videos.
Some of these visions were wide off the mark, while others were surprisingly insightful. Which one do you fathom will come true next?
[via USA Today, Cultura Colectiva, Paul Fairie, images via various sources]
by rrollins
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