A clip from a 1989 episode of Tomorrow’s World predicting how we’d be living today has resurfaced - and its guesses are astonishingly spot on. Watch it below:
The BBC programme about contemporary developments in science and technology featured experts that made what many at the time would have thought were far-fetched predictions for the year 2020.
However, they correctly predicted the technology behind Alexa and Google Home; smart thermostats; and wireless charging.
Advert
Yeah, who’s laughing now?
In the clip from yesteryear, presenter Christine MacNulty shared: "People will want all the benefits of modern technology but without all the cluttered and complex gadgetry that we have today.
"They'll want homes that work for them. By 2020, all of this will be possible. We'll have things under control without all of these knobs and buttons.
“And what's more, the technology itself will be embedded in the very fabric of the house and its furnishings."
Advert
The experts also correctly forecasted that some homes would have lights that would automatically switch on and off when you walk between rooms.
Not only that but they guessed that music could be switched on with simple commands, as you can see today with Alexa and Siri.
The presenter also predicted society’s need to focus on renewable energy 'to protect the environment'.
MacNulty added: "By 2020, there will have been enormous pressure on us to cut down on our burning of fossil fuels to protect the environment.
"This means that energy management in our homes will become of critical importance."
Advert
While many were on the money, there were a few that fell short of the mark. The most notably being that vanishing windows - that go from transparent to frosted - would be a 'thing' which obviously hasn't happened.
But then again we do have TVs that can transform into large picture frames so you win some, you lose some.
The clip, which went viral in 2020, is now doing the rounds once again on social media and people online are stunned by the accuracy of the predictions.
One penned on Reddit: “I'm impressed how accurate some of the predictions are; and how wrong others are.”
Advert
Another wrote: “Pretty accurate, impressive foresight."
A third added: “That opaque glass tech is indeed being used! Crazy they managed to show it back then. Predictions were spot on! Nice find!!”
Weighing in on the few predictions that have yet to come to fruition, a commenter wrote: “The only thing that isn't really done is the electricity coming out of any place on the walls. Most other things have been done to certain degrees.
“Also, she said houses will look very different from each other in the future, which has been completely the opposite.”
Advert
While another joked: “Where is the movie on my glass dining table people!”
Perhaps it's time to start predicting what's going to be happening in 2050?
Some scientists predict space tourism could become widespread within the next three decades, with humans establishing a permanent base on the moon – here’s counting on Bezos, Branson and Musk.
Lisa McLoughlin