Byzantium's Shores: chronicling the misadventures of an overalls-clad hippie

I remember thinking, when I was in first and second grade back in 1977 and 1978, that by the year 2000 we'd have flying cars. Whoops. And then, in my freshman year in college, I predicted that by 2000 the Bills would have won at least one Super Bowl. Whoops. So I'm not the best predictor you'll find out there.

And neither, apparently, were folks way back in 1950. Kevin Drum found an old article of predictions made back then, and he tallies the results in a handy table. Cool! (As much as I love Kevin's political commentary, I'd love to see him write more about books and stuff.)

Here's one example:

Prediction: "No more storms! Before one has a chance to build up steam, oil is spread on the sea and ignited, causing the storm to dissipate."

Reality: "This novel idea does not seem to have caught on, although several supertanker captains appear to have been enthusiasts for the first part of this operation."

As Insty might say, Read the whole thing.