I just discovered this fellow, Victor Cohn, former medical journalist for the Minneapolis Tribune. In 1965, Cohn wrote a book called 1999: Our Hopeful Future, which contains some astoundingly accurate predictions about the future.
Minnesota’s prophet of the future
Oct 11 2007 — 2:00am
9 Reader Comments
5:16 pm
He also predicted the following:
Beginning in 2005, Minneapolitans will no longer congregate in person to discuss local topics of the day, but will rather “log on” to a “web site” on the “internet” called “MNSpeak” where they will “share” ideas in real time and will ‘bitch” about each other’s politcial leanings and try to define the ever elusive idea of “hipsterism”
5:27 pm
More on Cohn:
Victor Cohn -Victor Cohn served as editor of the U of M Minnesota Daily from 1940-1941. After graduation, he worked at the Minneapolis Tribune as a science reporter for 20 years. He worked at the Washington Post as a science reporter for 25 years and was known as one of the nations leading science reporters. He was also the first double-winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science award. Victor Cohn was inducted into the Minnesota Daily Hall of Distinction in 1996.
5:28 pm
i got to “mnspeak” before i stopped being gullible.
5:37 pm
Victor Cohnstrodamus predicted an awful lot. My favorite being the monorail.
I swear it’s Springfield’s only choice…
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
All: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: What’s it called?
All: Monorail!
Lyle Lanley: Once again…
All: Monorail!
Marge: But Main Street’s still all cracked and broken…
Bart: Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!
All: Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
[big finish]
Monorail!
6:14 pm
I never really figured out the monorail obsession.
One rail, two rails, sixteen… who cares, as long as it gets there?
I predict that in 2057, the average American income will grow to the point that everyone can have their own couch — and not a minute too soon, because they’ll need every inch for their ass.
1:44 am
Tokyo and some other Japanese cities have some extensive monorail routes as part of the mass transit system. So, at least somewhere in the world, Cohn was correct.
The book, btw, was published in 1954 — not 1965.
9:25 am
Mono….
D’oh!
8:39 am
Victor Cohn on the brave new world of psychology in 1955:
He Works for Order in Confused Minds
3:34 pm
That old article and interview are interesting. What was up with the nephew and Cohn’s brother’s(?) comments?