Too Long; Didn't Read
A century ago, futurists held many predictions for the 21st century.
While they suggested what life would be like or what the birth rate would be, some of what they predicted revolved around technology.
At the time, say in the 1920s, technology was completely mechanical. The automobile had only just become popular and airplanes were still relatively new. If you were a mechanical engineer at the time, your skills were likely in high demand as many industries needed machinists as well as inventors who could invent those machines.
In 1999, an article in the Wall Street Journal highlighted the predictions of inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil.