Impossible Predictions That Came True Quiz

Predictions by their nature talk of a future event. Most never come true but some do. The following questions concern some of the latter.

A multiple-choice quiz by Spontini. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In the book "The World Set Free", published in 1914, the author wrote of atomic bombs, tremendous pillars of fire and radioactive vapour drifting and killing all they overtook. Who was the author?

Answer: H. G. Wells

The Manhattan Project, which led to the development of nuclear bombs did not start until 1939 and the first bombs dropped in anger did not happen until 1945. We are all too aware today how accurate that description is.

2. In 1925, William 'Billy' Mitchell , Deputy-Director of the Air Service, predicted that Japan would launch a surprise air attack against which location at some future date?

Answer: Pearl Harbor

Billy Mitchell is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. He annoyed Army and Navy leaders following World War 1 by his demands for investment in air power. In 1925, he wrote the report which included the prediction of a Pearl Harbor attack.

He had accused Army and Navy leaders of incompetence in defending the nation a little earlier and was court-martialled as a result on the direct order of President Coolidge. He resigned in 1926 and continued to promote air power.

3. Which engineer and employee of Thomas Edison predicted wi-fi and mobile phones in 1909?

Answer: Nikola Tesla

In a 1909 interview with the New York Times he said "It will soon be possible to transmit wireless messages all over the world so simply that any individual can carry and operate his own apparatus."

4. In 1898, the novel "The Wreck of the Titan" had uncanny similarities to another famous ship-wreck. Which one?

Answer: Titanic

The novel, by Morgan Robertson told the story of a British owned vessel, regarded as unsinkable which hits an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland in April. The ship had too few lifeboats for the number of passengers aboard. All these facts also relate to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

5. Credit cards became common in the 1980s. Edward Bellamy predicted their use in his novel "Looking Backward: 2000-1887" published in what year?

Answer: 1888

He wrote of "A credit corresponding to his share of the annual product of the nation is given to every citizen...and a credit card issued him with which he procures at the public storehouses, whatever he desires."

6. Jonathan Swift wrote a story in 1726 in which he describes two moons about the Red Planet. Which book?

Answer: Gulliver's Travels

The moons of mars, Phobos and Deimos, were not discovered until 1877, over 150 years after Swift wrote about them.

7. Astronauts reading electronic newspapers on something very like an iPad or Tablet can be seen in the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968). Who wrote the book?

Answer: Arthur C. Clarke

The director of the film, Stanley Kubrick, and writer Clarke spent several years discussing how they could make a film to arouse the emotions. The result was a masterpiece.

8. Among the many predictions attributed to Nostradamus was a great fire of '66. Where?

Answer: London

Nostrodamus (1503-1566) was a famous seer who published a book of prophecies in 1555. Of course, they are not terribly specific and events are fitted up with his predictions after they have happened rather than before they happened. However, it has to be admitted, the fit can be quite good.

For example, he wrote "The blood of the just will be lacking in London,/Burnt up in the fire of '66:/The ancient Lady will topple from her high place,/Many of the same sect will be killed." The great fire of London happened in 1666.

9. Ray Bradbury wrote of small headphones in the ears in his novel "Fahrenheit 451" in 1953. How did he describe them?

Answer: Little seashells

The full passage from the book reads "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."

10. Cyrano de Bergerac wrote of a machine that could be used to listen to music or read a book. In which year was it first published?

Answer: 1656

In his book "The Other World; or, the Societies and Governments of the Moon", he wrote of a box-like book that had "neither Leaves nor Letters: In fine, it was a Book made wholly for the Ears, and not the Eyes. So that when any Body has a mind to read in it, he winds up that Machine with a great many Strings; then he turns the Hand to the Chapter which he desires to hear, and straight, as from the Mouth of a Man, or a Musical Instrument, proceed all the distinct and different Sounds, which the Lunar Grandees make use of for expressing their Thoughts, instead of Language". Note: the book was published after his death.

Source: Author Spontini

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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Impossible Predictions That Came True Quiz

Predictions by their nature talk of a future event. Most never come true but some do. The following questions concern some of the latter.

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