10 Centuries-Old Predictions That Actually Came True

10. Skype

When: 1909 Where: 'The Machine Stops' by E.M. Forster The Machine Stops is a science fiction short story by E.M. Forster, which has become notable for its many successful predictions. In one passage, Forster successfully predicts online video calling: "But it was fully fifteen seconds before the round plate that she held in her hands began to glow. A faint blue light shot across it, darkening to purple, and presently she could see the image of her son, who lived on the other side of the earth, and he could see her." Remarkably, he even anticipates the chosen colour (blue) of the most popular video calling service, Skype. Of course, that bit is probably just a coincidence.