Futurama predictions that have come true (or are very close!) Futurama (created by Matt Groening, also the creator of The Simpsons), which began in 1999 and portrays life in the year 3000, is full of satirical jokes about technology and society. Like "The Simpsons", it is credited with many accurate "predictions" that have come true in the following decades, often due to smart satire and logical foresight of trends. Here are some famous predictions that have become reality (or nearly so): Daily virtual reality (Virtual Reality)
In the second episode ("The Series Has Landed", 1999), Amy plays the game "Virtual Virtual Skeeball" using a VR headset that looks completely ordinary. This has become reality with the widespread adoption of Oculus, Meta Quest, and PlayStation VR in the 2010s–2020s, where VR has become part of everyday life and gaming.
Drone cameras
In multiple episodes (such as "A Head in the Polls"), drone cameras are shown capturing events instead of human cameramen. This has become reality with the widespread use of drones in television, film, and news since the 2010s, including in sports and warfare.
Smartwatches
Leela wears a device on her wrist that functions as a portable computer (since the first episodes). It closely resembles the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch, which became popular since 2015, featuring notifications, calls, and health tracking.
"Smell-O-Scope" devices (odor detectors)
In the episode "A Big Piece of Garbage" (1999), Professor invents a device that detects odors from a distance. This has been partially realized with devices like the Nasal Ranger, which measures odor intensity in the environment (used for pollution monitoring).
Ebola outbreak or global pandemics
In the same episode, the crew sends a shipment to the planet "Ebola 9", which is full of infected individuals. This is compared to the Ebola crisis in 2014 and even more so to the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) with quarantine measures and chaos.
Asteroid deflection technology
In "A Big Piece of Garbage", they encounter a giant space debris asteroid and send more debris to push it away. This was realized with NASA's DART mission in 2022, which successfully altered an asteroid's trajectory!
Miss Universe pageant mistake
In the episode "The Lesser of Two Evils", Zapp Brannigan announces the wrong winner of the Miss Universe pageant and then corrects himself. This came true in 2015 when Steve Harvey mistakenly announced the wrong winner at Miss Universe!
Assisted suicide / suicide booths
From the very first episode, coin-operated kiosks are everywhere (as part of the satire). In recent years, assisted suicide has become legal in countries such as Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand, with devices like the "Sarco" (suicide capsule) appearing in 2024.
Futurama is less "predictive" than The Simpsons but more focused on futuristic technology, and many of its jokes seemed "exaggerated" in 1999 but have become reality today! What's your favorite or most frightening prediction? Do you prefer Futurama or The Simpsons in "predicting the future"?
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