The future then and now. Most things will be different again.

We all see the future differently. 
A brief survey of futurism follows, closing with my own predictions for 2018.
In the Hebrew Bible greater and lesser prophets told of the coming of the Messiah - son of a virgin, son of god, son of man (depending on the source). Centuries later, some Jews, believing Jesus was the Messiah, abandoned Judaism to form a new religion. 

The ancient Greeks took their seers seriously too. “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”, Cassandra wailed as the Trojans brought the horse inside their city walls. Unfortunately Cassandra was condemned to foretell the truth but never to be believed and Troy was sacked. And everyone knows the infamous oracle from Delphi saying Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother, which he unwittingly did, creating a bonanza for Sigmund Freud some centuries after. 

Nostradamus is credited with predicting the great fire of London, the rise of Hitler and the assassination of Kennedy. These days, psychics still make a living by reading palms, coffee sediments, tea leaves and tarot cards. ​
 
Bankers and executives thrive on forecasting. Loans would be impossible without figures that capture expectations on spreadsheets. Financial traders try to beat the markets and end up beating each other. Budgets remain the bibles of business but businessmen do get things wrong. William Orton, President of Western Union, declared in 1876 that “the telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication”, and Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, said in 2007 “there’s no chance that the iPhone will get any significant market share. No chance.”

Science fiction writers imagined things before they actually happened, like travel to the moon, submarines, jukeboxes, holographs, fax machines (Jules Verne), communication satellites (Arthur Clarke) and the interaction of humans and robots (Isaac Asimov). 

Along with Jehovah’s witnesses, economists are mocked for consistently wrong predictions. Except of course for John Maynard Keynes who argued, very convincingly, that “In the long run we are all dead”.

Here are my predictions for 2018.

• Heraclitus’ dictum “There is nothing permanent except change” will once again be proved right. 

• Your chances of being hit and killed by an asteroid (1:1,600,000) or by a car (1:90) will remain stable.

• Many authoritarian CEOs will be given the finger by plucky millennials.

• The debate on the impact of robots on employment and society will be greatly amplified. Place your bets on how fast autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, drones, the internet of things, vertical farming and lab-produced food will develop. 

• If you attend my own magic show I shall predict which card you will randomly select from a deck of 52 playing cards. I always get it right and I am not psychic. 

Based on my reading of the astral charts: 

• Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces (the water signs) and Aries, Leo, Sagittarius (the fire signs): Your year begins with much joy, laughter and love. Difficulties arise after June as strangers with a difficult disposition enter your lives. Expect a challenging summer. A surprise event in November will bring a positive upturn in your fortunes and elation in December.

• Gemini, Libra, Aquarius (the air signs) and Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn (the earth signs): Your fate will be exactly the opposite.

Creativity thrives with diversity. I call on my readers to embrace both good and bad futurists regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual preference, social class or zodiac sign. May you all sail through the New Year with love, a smile and a spirit of curiosity. Remember, most things will be different again.