DrPaulLee
Justified & Ancient
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2002
- Messages
- 2,018
Over twenty years ago, I purchased a book called "The Book of Predictions", listing informed prognostications (from experts) and some not-so-informed "wild stabs in the dark". One of the sections listed the predictions of psychics, and now I thought it would be a good time to analyse each one of their predictions in turn. My comments are in square brackets. Hopefully, I'll get this published on a site such as www.badpsychics.co.uk ...
Comments, including discusions, corrections etc. are very welcome
Predictor: Bertie Catchings
On her first day at a new job in 1969, Texas seeress Bertie Catchings gave a psychis reading to a co-worker. Her prediction
came true that night. She began making pyschic forecasts in local newspapers and on radio, achieving a sonsistently high degree
of accuracy that propelled her into the national spotlight. She writes sever columns on psychic phenomena and is organising a
statewide "psychic detective squad" in Texas. Her son, John Catchings, is also a psychic.
Predictions
1982-1983
Libya will pose a threat to France as well as English-speaking nations in Africa. Armed with Society weapons, Libya's leader
Muammar el-Qaddafi, will lead his country into several major conflicts. He will give the Soviets a naval base on the Mediterranean.
[Libya seemed to be distancing itself from western Politics at about this time; I can find no records of any Soviet agreements,
or conflicts in the area at this time]
Argentina and Chile will dispute ownership of several small islands. Peru and Bolivia will side with Argentina.
[In 1982, Argentina invaded the UK's Falkland Islands; Peru proposed a peace plan according to Wikipedia; ]
[I can find no record of Chile disputing ownership of any islands]
1984
New energy sources will be discovered when scientists learn to convert electricity into ultra-high frequency magnetic forces for space travel.
[No]
Iraq and Iran will declare war on each other.
[This occurred in 1980]
1985.
Norway and Finland will exchange fire in the Barents sea over fishing rights.
[I can find no reference to this]
A bloody conflict will erupt between India and Pakistan.
[I can find no reference to this: but ref.3 below credits this as a "hit"]
Syria and Israel will continue to be military hot spots, but Israel and the PLO will achieve peace.
[Israel did not achieve peace with the PLO in 1985; quite the contrary- the Israeli Airforce bombed the PLO Tunis HQ in October of that year!]
Road maps will actually be computers, built into the dashboard of your car. If you get lost in a city, you'll punch your
present cross streets and destination.
The map will light up in large, bright letters and lines, giving directions even a child could follow.
[A precursor of GPS systems in cars? If so, about two decades too early!]
1986
An extra television channel will be used to give computer information that outdoes the Yellow Pages. If you need to find a
mechanic near your home or your hotel, all you have to do is feed the question into the computer, and your television screen
will light up with the addresses and telephone numbers of shops in your area.
[The UK had a "similar" TV-based system called Teletext, which started in the 1970s, although the above information does
seem reminiscent of the WWW- but sadly about 5 years or so too soon!]
Space stations will be in orbit, and the people who live there will begin to manufacture prefabricated space cities.
[The Russians have had Space Stations in orbit since the early 1970s, and Mir was launched in 1986. The US declared in 1984 that
a space station would be in orbit within "a decade" - another prediction that wasn't right!]
1990.
Everyone will have a portable telephone that can be carried in a purse or pocket. The telephone book will be a minicomputer.
[Mobile phones were first introduced about this time]
Near the Arctic Circle, a lost tribe will be found. Its members will know of a secret passage through the ice to a place deep
within the earth where beautiful gardens flourish. Though few in number, these people have lived comfortably for many centuries.
[!]
The Titanic - salvaged from the North Atlantic and restored - will be made into a museum.
[The Titanic was found in 1985, and salvaging of artefacts from her shattered hulk began in 1987. No attempt to raise the ship has been made to date]
1992
An underground railroad tunnel will be constructed in the US between Chicago and Dallas. "Bullet" trains travelling over 100mph
will carry passengers as well as freight.
[!]
In the Aleutians, on the island of Adak, a cave will be found filled with gold.
A young boy with curly blond hair will find it and claim he is the reincarnation of the person who put it there.
[?]
Several satellite stations, floating above major cities, will convert solar energy into microwaves which will be beamed back to
earth. Here the waves will be converted into conventional electrical energy.
[Not as far as I know!]
1995
Space miners from earth - searching for iron, nickel, lead and other metals -
will
discover instruments and mining tools left not only on the moon but on several
asteroids. They were abandoned by space miners from other worlds.
[wrong!]
A presently unknown hybrid plant similar to rice will be grown in seawater. It
will be rich in nutrients and become a staple food popular around the world.
[??]
A dam will be built across the Bering Strait between Alaska and the Soviet
Union.
[Incorrect; anyway, the Soviet Union ceased to exist in 1991]
1996
In a desert area of Southern California, a ship will be unearthed that holds a
great store of pearls.
[??]
1998.
A shiny armor resembling that worn in battle long ago will again be used by
soldiers. It will give them ten times their normal strength. This armour
will be equipped with laser weapons that can be discharged by merely lifting
an arm
or pointing a finger. It will also have built-in laser deflectors to protect
against
attack.
[If this has happened, I haven't heard about it yet!]
2000
People will be living up to 150 years. By this time, we will be only a decade
away
from finding a cure for every know illness of the 20th century.
[I wish!]
You will be able to walk across the Atlantic Ocean. There will be many cities
on this ocean, linked by flexible bridges.
[No!]
Parents will no longer worry when their children get lost in public
places. Each child will wear a tag - resembling a watch or bracelet- which is
tuned in to the parent's matching tag. Either the child can be signalled to
return or the parents can tune in and see as well as hear what the child is
doing.
People who let their pets out of the yard will have a similar device to keep
them from getting lost or stolen.
[I "suspect" that this is true, and the year is about right]
Space cities will be built. They will be complete with trees, houses, lakes
and mountains. Independant of earth, they will be supplied by mines on the
moon
and nearby asteroids, and they will support themselves by selling solar
energy,
unique manufactured goods, scientific information and astronomical
photographs.
[Wrong]
I do not foresee disarmament. War weapons will continue to proliferate. The
fear
of nuclear war will always be present, but such a war will never actually come
to pass.
[Correct - so far]
Wars of the distant future will be fought largely by robots, on electronic
battlefields, hopefully far away from the planet earth.
[Wrong]
Other references:
1. http://www.ntskeptics.org/1989/1989janu ... ry1989.htm
2. http://www.columbian.com/news/strange/q ... atural.cfm
[for predictions up to 1997]
3. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/ ... i_19267327
--
http://www.paullee.com
http://www.btinternet.com/~dr_paul_lee/zzq.shtml
Comments, including discusions, corrections etc. are very welcome
Predictor: Bertie Catchings
On her first day at a new job in 1969, Texas seeress Bertie Catchings gave a psychis reading to a co-worker. Her prediction
came true that night. She began making pyschic forecasts in local newspapers and on radio, achieving a sonsistently high degree
of accuracy that propelled her into the national spotlight. She writes sever columns on psychic phenomena and is organising a
statewide "psychic detective squad" in Texas. Her son, John Catchings, is also a psychic.
Predictions
1982-1983
Libya will pose a threat to France as well as English-speaking nations in Africa. Armed with Society weapons, Libya's leader
Muammar el-Qaddafi, will lead his country into several major conflicts. He will give the Soviets a naval base on the Mediterranean.
[Libya seemed to be distancing itself from western Politics at about this time; I can find no records of any Soviet agreements,
or conflicts in the area at this time]
Argentina and Chile will dispute ownership of several small islands. Peru and Bolivia will side with Argentina.
[In 1982, Argentina invaded the UK's Falkland Islands; Peru proposed a peace plan according to Wikipedia; ]
[I can find no record of Chile disputing ownership of any islands]
1984
New energy sources will be discovered when scientists learn to convert electricity into ultra-high frequency magnetic forces for space travel.
[No]
Iraq and Iran will declare war on each other.
[This occurred in 1980]
1985.
Norway and Finland will exchange fire in the Barents sea over fishing rights.
[I can find no reference to this]
A bloody conflict will erupt between India and Pakistan.
[I can find no reference to this: but ref.3 below credits this as a "hit"]
Syria and Israel will continue to be military hot spots, but Israel and the PLO will achieve peace.
[Israel did not achieve peace with the PLO in 1985; quite the contrary- the Israeli Airforce bombed the PLO Tunis HQ in October of that year!]
Road maps will actually be computers, built into the dashboard of your car. If you get lost in a city, you'll punch your
present cross streets and destination.
The map will light up in large, bright letters and lines, giving directions even a child could follow.
[A precursor of GPS systems in cars? If so, about two decades too early!]
1986
An extra television channel will be used to give computer information that outdoes the Yellow Pages. If you need to find a
mechanic near your home or your hotel, all you have to do is feed the question into the computer, and your television screen
will light up with the addresses and telephone numbers of shops in your area.
[The UK had a "similar" TV-based system called Teletext, which started in the 1970s, although the above information does
seem reminiscent of the WWW- but sadly about 5 years or so too soon!]
Space stations will be in orbit, and the people who live there will begin to manufacture prefabricated space cities.
[The Russians have had Space Stations in orbit since the early 1970s, and Mir was launched in 1986. The US declared in 1984 that
a space station would be in orbit within "a decade" - another prediction that wasn't right!]
1990.
Everyone will have a portable telephone that can be carried in a purse or pocket. The telephone book will be a minicomputer.
[Mobile phones were first introduced about this time]
Near the Arctic Circle, a lost tribe will be found. Its members will know of a secret passage through the ice to a place deep
within the earth where beautiful gardens flourish. Though few in number, these people have lived comfortably for many centuries.
[!]
The Titanic - salvaged from the North Atlantic and restored - will be made into a museum.
[The Titanic was found in 1985, and salvaging of artefacts from her shattered hulk began in 1987. No attempt to raise the ship has been made to date]
1992
An underground railroad tunnel will be constructed in the US between Chicago and Dallas. "Bullet" trains travelling over 100mph
will carry passengers as well as freight.
[!]
In the Aleutians, on the island of Adak, a cave will be found filled with gold.
A young boy with curly blond hair will find it and claim he is the reincarnation of the person who put it there.
[?]
Several satellite stations, floating above major cities, will convert solar energy into microwaves which will be beamed back to
earth. Here the waves will be converted into conventional electrical energy.
[Not as far as I know!]
1995
Space miners from earth - searching for iron, nickel, lead and other metals -
will
discover instruments and mining tools left not only on the moon but on several
asteroids. They were abandoned by space miners from other worlds.
[wrong!]
A presently unknown hybrid plant similar to rice will be grown in seawater. It
will be rich in nutrients and become a staple food popular around the world.
[??]
A dam will be built across the Bering Strait between Alaska and the Soviet
Union.
[Incorrect; anyway, the Soviet Union ceased to exist in 1991]
1996
In a desert area of Southern California, a ship will be unearthed that holds a
great store of pearls.
[??]
1998.
A shiny armor resembling that worn in battle long ago will again be used by
soldiers. It will give them ten times their normal strength. This armour
will be equipped with laser weapons that can be discharged by merely lifting
an arm
or pointing a finger. It will also have built-in laser deflectors to protect
against
attack.
[If this has happened, I haven't heard about it yet!]
2000
People will be living up to 150 years. By this time, we will be only a decade
away
from finding a cure for every know illness of the 20th century.
[I wish!]
You will be able to walk across the Atlantic Ocean. There will be many cities
on this ocean, linked by flexible bridges.
[No!]
Parents will no longer worry when their children get lost in public
places. Each child will wear a tag - resembling a watch or bracelet- which is
tuned in to the parent's matching tag. Either the child can be signalled to
return or the parents can tune in and see as well as hear what the child is
doing.
People who let their pets out of the yard will have a similar device to keep
them from getting lost or stolen.
[I "suspect" that this is true, and the year is about right]
Space cities will be built. They will be complete with trees, houses, lakes
and mountains. Independant of earth, they will be supplied by mines on the
moon
and nearby asteroids, and they will support themselves by selling solar
energy,
unique manufactured goods, scientific information and astronomical
photographs.
[Wrong]
I do not foresee disarmament. War weapons will continue to proliferate. The
fear
of nuclear war will always be present, but such a war will never actually come
to pass.
[Correct - so far]
Wars of the distant future will be fought largely by robots, on electronic
battlefields, hopefully far away from the planet earth.
[Wrong]
Other references:
1. http://www.ntskeptics.org/1989/1989janu ... ry1989.htm
2. http://www.columbian.com/news/strange/q ... atural.cfm
[for predictions up to 1997]
3. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/ ... i_19267327
--
http://www.paullee.com
http://www.btinternet.com/~dr_paul_lee/zzq.shtml