5 More Times ‘The Twilight Zone’ Creepily Predicted Our Future

First on our list of The Twilight Zone episodes that became a reality is “A Thing About Machines,” in which a grumpy critic gets terrorized by his appliances. While we haven’t quite reached the point of typewriters sending threatening messages to us (though A.I. has been known to say some creepy things), the episode’s vision of self-driving cars has become quite real.

In 1960, when this episode aired, the idea of a car moving without a driver seemed like science fiction. Today, many people own autonomous vehicles and even use them as transportation services. The episode’s self-driving car, which chased Finchley to his doom, has transformed into a reality, though. But, thankfully, with better intentions than its fictional counterpart. We think.

While this technology isn’t out to get us like in the episode, these vehicles have certainly taken on the autonomous behavior that once seemed impossible, making the episode a surprisingly accurate glimpse into our present.

Up next, “The Lonely,” was an episode about a man named Corry who was stuck alone on an asteroid after being convicted of murder.

In this episode. Corry had a robot friend called Alicia to keep him company. At first, Corry didn’t like Alicia, but over time, he started to care for her a lot. Alicia helped Corry deal with being alone, and she began to feel like a real person to him.

This story is a lot like what’s happening today. Now, we have plenty of online options to cure loneliness. There are even AI chatbots that people can talk to when they feel lonely! In fact, older folks even have robot pets or companions to help them around the house. These tech friends, like Alicia, help people feel less alone.

That being said, this episode also showed us problems with these robot friends. In the end, Corry had to leave Alicia behind when he’s freed. This prompted us think about our own tech-focused world. Can we really be friends with machines? What happens if we care too much about them? Especially as AI gets smarter, we need to think carefully about these questions and balance human and technological interactions. The episode reminds us that while tech can help with loneliness, it might not be a perfect fix.

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In The Twilight Zone episode “Time Enough At Last,” Henry Bemis finally got his wish for unlimited reading time, only to break his glasses and lose access to his books. Today, we face a different but similar challenge. We carry devices in our pockets that grant instant access to knowledge, yet our ability to meaningfully engage with it seems to be disappearing.

The episode accidentally predicted our modern dilemma perfectly. Back in 1959, it showed us that having unlimited access to books wouldn’t matter if something stopped you from actually reading them. For Bemis, it was his broken glasses. For us, well, what is our excuse?

Like Bemis, who was prevented from reading by his disapproving wife and boss before the apocalypse, we also often battle notifications and distractions. Instead of engaging with our content meaningfully, we’re left scrolling mindlessly through social media instead.

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Next, “The Obsolete Man” showed a future where the government controlled everything. It decided what people could read, think, and do. Wordsworth, the main character, worked as a librarian. But the state banned books and killed anyone it called “obsolete.” This world looked a lot like what a French philosopher and social theorist named Foucault called panopticism.

He based this on a institutional building design, called the Panopticon, where guards could see all prisoners, but prisoners couldn’t see the guards. This made prisoners behave well all the time because they never knew when someone was watching them. Foucault said our whole society now works like this. Even today, people always feel watched, so they follow the rules, even when the rules are very harsh.

Additionally, the episode’s focus on banning books felt very real today. Right now, there are many ongoing arguments about which books kids should read in schools. Some want to remove books they deem dangerous. Others say this limits what students can learn, and they need to have access to such information. Recently, these debates have been happening in school board meetings, libraries, and even the government.

Just like in this episode, people still try to control what others can read and think. Cameras watch us in stores and on streets. Our phones and computers track what we do online. Understandably, this makes us more careful about what we say and do, just like the people in “The Obsolete Man.” The episode warned us about giving too much power to those who watch us.

Another The Twilight Zone episode that became reality was “He’s Alive.” This episode told the story of a young Neo-Nazi who learned from Hitler’s ghost how to lead through hatred and fear. It ended by warning viewers that wherever hate and prejudice exist, new evil leaders will emerge to harness it.

Over 60 years later, we see this warning play out in headlines every day. Modern hate groups have found new leaders to spread their messages online. Their digital hatred fuels real-world consequences, just like Vollmer in the show.

In the end, this episode unfortunately predicted how hatred would adapt and spread in our modern world.

Next, “The Midnight Sun,” showed audiences a world where Earth had fallen out of its orbit and was moving closer to the sun, resulting in unbearable heat. While the episode’s premise was scientifically inaccurate, its vision of a heat-wave dystopian future has become increasingly relevant in our era of climate change.

Today, we face the reality of global warming and its consequences. Extreme heat waves, once rare events, have become more frequent and intense worldwide. Cities like Phoenix, Arizona, have experienced record-breaking temperatures, mirroring the oppressive heat portrayed in the episode.

The social breakdown depicted in the episode with water rationing, power outages, and mass migrations – parallels current concerns about climate refugees and resource scarcity. As we continue to work to combat climate change with more environmentally friendly and sustainable practices, this Twilight Zone episode gave audiences a reminder of the potential consequences of unchecked environmental change.

In another creepy bit of foreshadowing, “The Gift” nailed exactly how America would handle immigration fears. The 1962 episode followed a friendly alien who crashed near the Mexican border with something that could help humanity. But instead of welcoming him, the townspeople only saw a dangerous outsider and reacted with fear and hatred.

The writers weren’t subtle with this one. They used an alien to show how people reject anyone different, even when they’re trying to help.

If you remember the episode “The Brain Center at Whipple’s,” you probably have seen some parallels between it and our current struggles with automation and job displacement. The story followed factory owner Wallace V. Whipple as he replaced human workers with machines, resulting in widespread unemployment and social unrest.

As seen today, this scenario is unfolding across various industries. Automation and artificial intelligence are reshaping the workforce, with robots and AI systems taking over various jobs and tasks once performed by humans. Similarly, in manufacturing to service sectors, there are more job categories that have become obsolete, echoing the episode’s themes.

The episode’s final twist, where Whipple himself was replaced by a robot, mirrored modern fears about AI even potentially outperforming highly-educated humans in high-level roles. As we navigate this new era of technology, this episode, like others in the series, serves reminder of the need to balance progress with human welfare.

Another The Twilight Zone episode that became reality was “From Agnes-With Love,” which aired in 1964. This episode explored the potential pitfalls of human-computer relationships long before they became a reality. In this episode, a computer programmer became increasingly dependent on a sentient computer named Agnes for both work and personal advice.

Today, our reliance on computer technology eerily mirrors this Twilight Zone scenario. AI assistants like Siri, Alexa, and ChatGPT have become our digital assistants, handling everything from scheduling to personal advice and emotional support. These smart devices and algorithms guide our daily decisions.

The episode’s portrayal of a computer developing feelings and manipulating its user also foreshadowed current debates about AI sentience and the potential risks of advanced AI systems. Especially as our dependence on technology grows, this episode serves as a cautionary tale about maintaining a balance between technology and human autonomy in decision-making.

Next, another episode of The Twilight Zone that became a reality was “Static,” which predicted our modern obsession with on-demand nostalgic media. In this 1961 episode, a man discovers his old radio can play broadcasts from his childhood whenever he wants. Back then, the idea of accessing any old show or song at will was nearly unimaginable.

But, today, we all have our own version of that magic radio. YouTube is packed with old commercials and TV clips, while streaming services let us watch shows from our childhood. The episode got it right. Technology wouldn’t just let us replay old shows, it allows us to relive our memories through them.

Just like the main character who could tune into his past whenever he felt nostalgic, we now scroll through decades of media history on our phones, chasing that same feeling. Media from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and now y2k are all accessible to anyone, anytime. The only difference is we don’t need Twilight Zone magic anymore, just some wifi.

“Number 12 Looks Just Like You” foreshadowed our culture’s obsession with physical perfection. This 1964 episode eerily depicted a society where everyone underwent a procedure at age 19 to adopt one of a limited number of “beautiful” appearances.

Today, with the advancements of modern technology, cosmetic surgery has become increasingly common and accessible. From Botox to nose jobs, people alter their looks to fit idealized beauty standards pushed by social media and celebrity culture. The pressure to conform to these standards, especially for young people (no thanks to social media) mirrorred the dystopian world of the episode.

Additionally, the rise of photo filters and editing apps have also allowed people to present idealized versions of themselves online. While we haven’t reached the extreme uniformity shown in The Twilight Zone, the parallels between this episode and our current reality are undeniably striking.

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In our final Twilight Zone episode, strange things started happening on Maple Street. The power went out, cars wouldn’t start, and a weird object flew over the neighborhood. Quickly, residents got scared and started to panic. Immediately, they began to suspect each other of causing these problems. Soon, everyone was accusing their neighbors of being aliens or spies.

This Cold War-themed episode highlighted how quickly people can turn on each other when they’re scared. We saw this happen in real life too. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rise in racism and hate crimes against Asian Americans, and a rise in crime in general. Similarly, after 9/11, many Muslims faced unfair treatment. These patterns of hate highlight how when people are scared or don’t understand what’s happening, they often look for others to blame.

The episode taught us that the real danger often comes from how we react to a crisis. On Maple Street, the neighbors end up fighting and causing chaos. The “monsters” weren’t aliens, but the scared people themselves. Coupled with our real experience post-pandemic, this episode reminded people to stay calm and work together during tough times.