20 Things That Science Fiction Predicted

2. Space Tourism

In “2001: A Space Odyssey,” a space plane ferries passengers to a space station. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and SpaceX aim to take civilians into space -- for a hefty fee. Book your flight now.

3. Scuba Diving

First mentioned in Jules Verne’s "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," the 1875 novel describes closed-system breathing packs. While diving suits did exist at the time of publication, they were attached to air supplies from above.

4. Earbuds/Bluetooth

Ray Bradbury wrote about headphones in his 1950 novel, "Fahrenheit 451." “And in her ears the little seashells, the thimble radios tamped tight, and an electronic ocean of sound, of music and talk and music and talk coming in, coming in on the shore of her unsleeping mind.” Describes today’s earbuds, no?

5. Targeted Advertising

As seen in the 2002 movie “Minority Report,” Tom Cruise’s character is shown advertisements targeted specifically for him. Anyone with a Gmail or Facebook account can attest to the ads geared towards their interests.  As reported by the BBC, “The Centre for Future Studies predicted that advertisements would soon be able to adapt to our moods, a technology known as ‘gladvertising.’ Video feeds can tailor ads to the age and gender of shoppers.” Make it stop!

6. The Moon Landing and Rocket Ships

In "From the Earth to the Moon" (1865), Jules Verne describes a crew of three people who launch themselves into space. As reported in ZME Science, “the dimensions of his projectile are very close to those of Apollo 1 ... and people were returned by parachuting to the sea.” 

7. Crime-Fighting Software

As seen in the film “Minority Report,” (based on the short story by Philip K. Dick), Tom Cruise’s character uses precognitive technology to stop a crime before it happens. As reported by ABC News, in Memphis, relying on sophisticated computer programs, “data on arrests, reported crime, probation, parole, and even the weather” helps law enforcement identify crime as well as potential hot spots.

The predictive analytics software called CRUSH (Criminal Reduction Utilizing Statistical History) started in 2006, and crime dropped 30 percent overall. In 2012, Microsoft partnered with New York City to develop the Domain Awareness System to analyze public-safety data in real time.

8. Motion-Controlled Computers

Once again, “Minority Report” predicted motion-controlled computers. We now use our fingers to manipulate data on our smartphones and screens.

As Stephen Hawking said in a forward to a book, “Science fiction ... serves a serious purpose, that of expanding the human imagination. We may not yet be able to boldly go where no man (or woman) has gone before, but at least we can do it in the mind.” 

9. Credit Cards

The now ubiquitous cards were first mentioned in Edward Bellamy’s 1888 novel, "Looking Backward."

10. Online Newspapers

Arthur C. Clarke, one of sci-fi’s greats, predicted online newspapers in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Clarke wrote, “In a few milliseconds he could see the headlines of any newspaper he pleased. ... The text was updated automatically on every hour; even if one read only the English versions, one could spend an entire lifetime doing nothing but absorbing the ever-changing flow of information from the news satellites.”

11. Surveillance and Big Brother

George Orwell’s novel, "1984" (published in 1949), predicted a society filled with surveillance and the idea of Big Brother, an all-seeing government. New York City and London are replete with cameras, and more are added to airports and buildings all the time.

12. Geosynchronous Satellites

Where would we be without GPS? Arthur C. Clarke wrote in Wireless World Magazine in 1945 that satellites would be timed to travel with such a trajectory that they would remain motionless in respect to Earth and thus allow for wireless communication the world over.

13. The Atomic Bomb

H.G. Wells was a writer who forecasted the 20th century so well, he became known as The Man Who Invented Tomorrow. In his 1914 novel, "The World Set Free," Wells wrote of “atomic bombs” that could explode using the power of radioactivity. Leo Szilard, a researcher for the Manhattan Project, wrote: "It is remarkable that Wells should have written those pages in 1914. Of course, all this is moonshine, but I have reason to believe that in so far as the industrial applications of the present discoveries in physics are concerned, the forecast of the writers may prove to be more accurate than the forecast of the scientists." 

14. Radar

Hugo Gernsback’s 1911 novel "Ralph 124C 41+" predicted a variety of items in use today, including video chat, remote-controlled TV and solar power. He also wrote of a "pulsating polarized ether wave, if directed on a metal object can be reflected in the same manner as a light ray is reflected from a bright surface ... from the intensity and elapsed time of the reflected impulses, the distance between the earth and the flyer can then be accurately estimated." It wasn’t until 1934 -- 24 years after Ralph's publication -- that the Navy displayed its pulsing radar system. (InnovationNewsDaily)

15. Loneliness

Not a thing per se, but a prediction come true, nonetheless. Ray Bradbury spoke of the loneliness that occurs from constantly paying attention to the screens around you, rather than life. As cited by the Washington Post, Bradbury explored it in his short story "The Pedestrian," in which protagonist Leonard Mead is arrested for the crimes of taking a walk and not owning a television. Even The Atlantic agrees.

16. The Internet

While not classified as a sci-fi writer, Mark Twain in his story "From the London Times of 1904" wrote, "The improved 'limitless-distance' telephone was presently introduced, and the daily doings of the globe made visible to everybody, and audibly discussable too, by witnesses separated by any number of leagues." Methinks that’s the Internet.

17. Rotating Space Station

While most people think of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the idea was first mentioned in 1931 in Jack Williamson’s novel, "The Prince of Space." In the novel, the “City of Space had a large metal cylinder that rotates to stimulate gravity through outward force. Modern space flight uses this same idea.” (ComputerScienceSchools.net)

18. The Death of the Book

In his 1961 novel "Return From the Stars," Stanislaw Lem writes, "No longer was it possible to browse among shelves, to weigh volumes in hand, to feel their heft, the promise of ponderous reading. The bookstore resembled, instead, an electronic laboratory. The books were crystals with recorded contents. They can be read with the aid of an opton, which was similar to a book but had only one page between the covers. At a touch, successive pages of the text appeared on it.” Sounds like Kindle!

19. Genetic Engineering

Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel "Brave New World" predicted genetic engineering with test-tube babies, cloning and designer children. With the mapping of the human genome, expect genetic engineering to continue to advance, thus pushing ethical boundaries we can’t even yet contemplate.