We’re almost certain that everyone reading this has seen at least one episode of The Simpsons and you’re probably aware of the sometimes frightening accuracy of their future predictions coming true.
The digital team, who quote Simpsons references on a daily basis, compiled a list of what predictions turned out to become a reality. It really does go to show how quickly the digital world evolves. Here’s what the team found.
Most of these predictions all come from the 90s too, which makes the accuracy some best part of thirty years later all the more astounding.
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Smartwatches
Smartwatches are a relatively new concept and although they weren’t the first, the Apple Watch, released in 2015, has been raising the bar ever since.
In the 1995 episode, Lisa’s Wedding, she visits a fortune teller who shows her a vision of the future, 2010 to be precise, in which she is married and using a watch that can access the internet and make phone calls.
Fast forward to 2023 and almost everyone you know has a smartwatch which allows them to do exactly what The Simpsons predicted.
Autocorrect
In the 1995 episode, Lisa on Ice, school bully Dolph attempts to write a note on his tablet to “beat up Martin”, which gets corrected to “eat up Martha”. This reference to autocorrect, which is now a heavily used feature across all smartphones, tablets and computers, was featured a number of years before it was widely recognised.
Video Calling
Whilst this one might not have been a bold prediction, it still shows the accuracy we’ve seen across the years.
In the episode, Lisa’s Wedding, released in 1995, Lisa calls Marge to tell her about her recent engagement. Whilst the device they talk over might not be quite as sleek as an iPhone, they certainly hit the nail on the head when it comes to video chat.
Tablet Computers
iPads and other tablet computers have been a common placed technology in our everyday life since 2010. But back in 1995, in the episode, Bart Gets Famous, Bart can be seen using a personal assistant in the form of a tablet computer.
The personal assistant in computerised form could even be compared to Siri or Alexa.
VR Headsets
In the same 1995 episode, we can see the smartwatches and video calling (Lisa’s Wedding), Bart and another character are playing bar sports in Moe’s Tavern.
With today’s Meta Quest headset, we are now able to play all sorts of games on the device. With the Metaverse breaking through, it won’t be long until it’s commonplace to be playing each other at virtual darts or pool.
To summarise
These are only a handful of examples where The Simpsons predicted the future – it really is remarkable how the show has been able to anticipate future technology and cultural developments with such accuracy.
