100 years on... from 1900

[Ian]

I thought this was an interesting read, it's a look to the future from a 1900 perspective. Some of the things are surprisingly accurate!

Read it here

 

[nivrip]

Good stuff ,Ian.

Particularly like 1. Photographs will be telegraphed from any distance. 2.Man will see around the world. 3.Telephones around the world. 4.Central heating and air con.

These four items were just extrapolations of things that already existed but I imagine computers were simply inconceivable in 1900.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Ok, I'm just digesting this.

Average life expectancy in America in 1900 was 35 years old?

Shurely Shome Mishtake?

 

[Ian]

Ok, I'm just digesting this.

Average life expectancy in America in 1900 was 35 years old?

Shurely Shome Mishtake?

That's what caught my eye too, but take a look at this page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy):

"In the United States, only 50 percent of children born in 1900 could reasonably hope to reach the age of 50; life expectancy today is approximately 77 years of age"

 

[nivrip]

In the "affluent" eastern states in 1900 the life expectancy would have been more than 35 but in the "uncivilised" rest of the US, which was most of it, it would have been much less. We forget that the number of childhood deaths was enormous - ANY infection was potentially a killer.

 

[historian]

Good stuff Ian.
I do enjoy the thoughts of people of the past.
But what predictions would the members on this site make for the next 100 years.
Will there still be oil and gas,or will we get all our power from the sun via huge space mirrors?
Will there be airplanes as we know them,or will we travel more calmly in vast air ships,not so far fetched as it sounds.
I wonder if space travel will be the norm. Will there be humans on the moon and Mars either as tourists or scientists?
Enterainment.Could there be a "holodeck" type room in every home where you just select a program and walk in?
As for "homes" What will they be like.Will there be individual houses,or vast tall housing blocks?
Of course this assumes nothing happens to the human race in the mean time.
historian