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CatOfGrey t1_j60vtdj wrote

Random thought:

If you go back to about 1880 or so, you'll see the start of an explosion of writers about the future, including the early influences of what would become science fiction, as well as the first detailed hypothetical exploration of the future.

It's amazing the things that they got right. Information and communication, especially. Transportation, the role of machinery and manufacturing, those folks did a good job of things.

But ya know what they completely missed? Things like "Women in the most modern nations will predominantly work outside the home, as equals with men."

I say this not with any angle on feminism, but rather how easy it is to be wrong about the future. Things that seem obvious end up not being obvious. Things that seem untouchable and fixed are surprisingly vulnerable.

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peter303_ t1_j61k5ew wrote

The idea of technological progress is fairly recent, 2-3 centuries old. Before then your life was pretty similar to your grandfathers and grandchildrens. Now we are used to seeing new gizmos every year.

There was concept of progress, or degeneration in other spheres. Some believe in spiritual progress as becoming more perfect. Or we have degenerated from Eden and continue downward.

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nohwan27534 t1_j67lljs wrote

Tbf most of them weren't in any way predictions, really. It's all just shit they figured was coming eventually that they got right, not really an actual "we'll have this by 1990" declarations of the future.

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