10 “hilariously wrong” predictions about 2026 from the 1950s
In the 1950s, people had grand ideas for what the future held. Now that we are living in the future, we can look back at some of those predictions and we can see that they were just a little off.
AOL compiled a list of some of the best predictions made in the 1950s about what life would be like 75 years into the future:
1. Jetpacks were supposed to be everywhere.
Some designers thought jetpacks would be as ordinary as bicycles, not just sci-fi gimmicks.
2. A hose would replace housecleaning.
One science writer thought there would be a future where cleaning involved hoses and hot air instead of brooms. And houses that were waterproof, synthetic, and entirely washable.
3. The moon would have subdivisions.
Elon Musk has been slacking on this prediction. Some 1950s thinkers assumed the Moon would have developed residential neighborhoods and vacation domes.
4. Women would tower over men.
A columnist wrote that women were expected to reach an average height of six feet tall, thanks to improved nutrition and medical science. And these "superwomen" would dominate the workforce.
5. Fusion would replace every other energy source.
Scientists and policy writers thought fusion would power cities by 2000. But the reactors never made it there . . . despite huge budgets and decades of research.
6. Gasoline engines would disappear.
That transition MAY finally be happening, but gas-powered cars have maintained their grip, mostly thanks to costs, convenience, and decades of investment in combustion technology.
7. Robot housekeepers were inevitable.
Humanoid machines would be cooking dinner, changing diapers, and serving as butlers and handymen for us. But the best we got was a puck-shaped vacuum bumping into furniture.
8. Cable would end commercials.
Not at all. Companies realized they could charge subscribers AND show ads . . . and more of them. The same thing would later be said about streaming services, but GUESS WHAT!
9. The U.S. would fully adopt the Metric System.
Instead, the U.S. remains only one of three countries not to use the metric system. The U.S., Myanmar (Burma), and and Liberia are still holding strong.
10. Machines would give us three-day weekends.
The rise of machines and technology in the workplace are actually forcing a lot of employees out, giving longtime workers more than a three-day weekend, unfortunately.
As ridiculous as some of these predictions are to look out now, one could argue that real life is even more ridiculous than whatever folks in the ‘50s thought it would be.
Could anyone 75 years ago have predicted the popularity of Labubus and 6-7?!
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow 98.7 The Spot
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram