In 1900, Ladies’ Home Journal published an article

by John Elfreth Watkins Jr. titled “What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years”, predicting what life might look like in the year 2000. Some of these predictions were remarkably accurate, while others were far off. Here are some highlights:

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✅ Succeeded 1. Automobiles replacing horses 🚗 • Cars dominate transportation, eliminating widespread horse use. 2. Wireless communication 📡 • Smartphones, the internet, and satellites make global communication instant. 3. Color photography & film 🎥 • Fully realized with digital cameras, movies, and high-definition screens. 4. Television & Live News Reporting 📺 • Live global broadcasts and streaming services exist. 5. Central heating & air conditioning ❄️🔥 • Standard in homes and buildings worldwide. 6. Farm automation & increased food production 🌾 • Mechanization and genetic engineering have revolutionized farming. 7. Pre-made meals & fast food 🍔 • Microwave meals, frozen dinners, and food delivery services are mainstream. 8. Medicine improving lifespan & health 💉 • Vaccines, antibiotics, and medical advances have extended human life expectancy.

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🟡 Partial Progress (On Its Way but Not Fully Achieved) 1. Elimination of Mosquitoes & Flies 🦟 • Partial: Scientists have developed gene drives and sterilization techniques to curb mosquito populations, but elimination is far from complete. 2. Reduced Workdays (6 Days to 5, and Potentially Less) ⏳ • Partial: The global standard workweek dropped from 6 to 5 days, and some countries are testing 4-day workweeks with promising results. However, many still work long hours. 3. No More Traffic Accidents 🚦 • Partial: While traffic deaths per mile traveled have dropped significantly due to airbags, seat belts, and automation, accidents still happen. Self-driving technology could reduce them further. 4. Abolition of All Criminals 🔒 • Partial: Crime rates have declined significantly in the last 50 years in many developed nations, but it’s due to better policing, social policies, and technology—not genetic elimination. 5. No More Animals for Meat 🍖 • Partial: Lab-grown meat and plant-based alternatives (like Impossible Burger) are emerging, but meat consumption is still dominant.

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❌ Not Achieved 1. No More Blindness, Deafness, or Disabilities 🦻👁️ • Medical advancements help, but we haven’t eradicated these conditions. 2. Four-Hour Workdays 🕓 • Automation has improved productivity, but most people still work 40+ hours per week. 3. No More C, X, or Q in the English Alphabet 🔤 • The alphabet remains unchanged. 4. No More Poverty 💰 • While global poverty has decreased, economic inequality still exists. 5. Eradication of Houseflies 🪰 • Houseflies are still thriving.

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