11 wild predictions from 1900

During his life, John Elfreth Watkins Jr. would have been used to photographs, with colour starting to come in during his life. However, in his article, he boldly said: “Photographs will be telegraphed from any distance. If there is a battle in China a hundred years hence, snapshots of its most striking events will be published in the newspapers an hour later…. photographs will reproduce all of nature’s colours.”

And this is a prediction that has been bang-on. Not only are news events now instantly accessible no matter where you are in the world, but people are able to take their own snapshots and share them with others across the globe.

While takeaway has been around for centuries, the version that we’re used to exploded in popularity during the 1950s and 1960s. And back in 1900, John predicted: “Ready-cooked meals will be bought from establishments similar to our bakeries of today.”

With the likes of Just Eat and Uber Eats meaning that full meals can be delivered while still piping hot, this was another win for John. However, his prediction didn’t come entirely true, as he also thought that the dishes would come on plates that would then be taken back to the restaurant for them to clean.

One of Jean-Marc Côté’s cards accurately shows off video calling. In the image, a man can be seen reclining in a chair while a projection of the woman he is calling is visible. While the set-up more resembles the projectors that we’re used to from primary school, given the likes of WhatsApp, Zoom and Skype, video calls are certainly a part of our lives now.

At the turn of the 20th century, the global average life expectancy stood at just 32. However, John predicted that life expectancy for Americans would increase, which at that time was between 47 and 48.

Although the seer was correct in this regard, he sold himself short, believing that it would only rise to around 50, whereas in actuality, it stands at 79.

“Trains will run two miles a minute normally,” John wrote back in 1900. “Express trains one hundred and fifty miles per hour.” While sadly not all trains run at this speed, especially when I’m sitting on it, there are several trains around the world that operate at such speeds, most famously the Japan Bullet Train, which can travel at 200mph.

Whether we like it or not, automation is quickly becoming a part of everyday life. Jean-Marc Côté’s cards show several examples, some of which came to fruition, and others, like robotic hairdressers, are still science-fiction. But it’s clear that even in the 1900s, people believed robots would become integrated into our everyday lives.

Moving on to predictions that didn’t happen, John suggested that the letters C, Q and X would vanish from the modern-day alphabet. “There will be no C, X or Q in our everyday alphabet,” he opined. “They will be abandoned because they are 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.”

While Q and X are some of the least used members of the alphabet, they, alongside C, are definitely still used, and it’s hard to imagine the alphabet ever changing at this point.

Humans have domesticated several species of animal, most notably cats and dogs, and Jean-Marc thought that one day we may take to the oceans to domesticate whales. And not only would the large water mammals be domesticated, but they would also serve as underwater buses.

However, the ocean is still a vast mystery for many, and none of us are hitching a ride on a whale to get to work.

Another bizarre suggestion from Jean-Marc was that firefighters would have wing suits, allowing them to fight fires from the top, while also rescuing people trapped on the upper floors of a building. While modern-day fire engines vastly outclass what was available back in 1900, firefighters still do their job with their feet firmly on the ground.

John boldly wrote in his article: “Mosquitoes, house-flies and roaches will have been exterminated,” and while many of us wouldn’t miss the annoying insects, especially in the summer, they’re still buzzing around.

Almost since the introduction of cars, people have thought that one day they’d have wings, and Jean-Marc had several cards featuring this mode of transportation. Sadly, cars are still firmly planted on the ground.