In a 1970 issue of Mademoiselle, the Nobel prize-winning physician and scientist Paul Ehrlich stressed his concerns that the human population would vastly outgrow food supply. “Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make,” he noted. “The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years.”
Although this may eventually happen, he certainly jumped the gun on his prediction then. Thankfully, hundreds of millions haven’t died each year quite yet.
Air Pollution Will Be Catastrophic By 1985
In January 1970, Life published an article claiming that “Scientists have solid experimental and theoretical evidence to support…the following predictions: In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution…by 1985 air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching the earth by one half.”
Although air quality is certainly not the best it’s ever been, we urban dwellers are still able to wander the streets without the restriction of wearing gas masks. Our sunlight hasn’t been reduced significantly, either.
Rocket Mail Delivery
In 1959, the United States Postmaster General, Arthur Summerfield, had some interesting takes on the future of mail delivery. He was confident that mail would soon be delivered by rockets, stating, “Before man reaches the moon, your mail will be delivered within hours from New York to Australia by guided missiles. We stand on the threshold of rocket mail.”
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