A prescient prediction is one correctly made with foreknowledge or foresight. Its origin is from the Latin verb praescire, which means to know beforehand. The word is used to describe a person; what they say and even what they do. People who work in various fields such as economics, sports commentary, political analysis and technology have been frequently described as prescient.
Looking back, some people are viewed as inarguably ordinary while others are are viewed as undisputably extraordinary. Few would disagree that one of those people within the latter category would be Archibald Montgomery Low (1888-1956). The Brittish inventor and scientist made a number of predictions and more astonishingly a century ago with an impressive degree of accuracy. How did he possess the foreknowledge or foresignt about technology today? Was he a time traveler? Perhaps, there is a much more practical explanation!
Authoring over 40 books about science and engineering, he is recognized as a visionary scientist and with good reason. In 1937, he is quoted as saying: “The telephone may develop to a stage where it is unnecessary to enter a special call-box. We shall think no more of telephoning to our office from our cars or railway-carriages than we do today of telephoning from our homes.”
It was his perspicacity that envisioned and enabled emerging technologies. Among his accurate predictions were moving sidewalks, radio alarm clocks, personal communication devices, renewable energy sources. But that's not all. Beyond his foresight into the future were numerous notable achievements; including groundbreaking work in radio guidance systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and the early television technology. These innovative inventions provided his successors a framework for our modern technological advances.
Though, as it turns out, not everyone of his forecasts were entirely accurate. He envisioned the future with secret cameras and microphones recording crimes; a concept that, while partially implemented through surveillance systems, has not reached the ever-present level; he imagined a century ago. Although, privacy advocate groups are unlikely to agree with this contention.
However, one of his many accurate forecasts and valued technological contributions a century ago have actually advanced beyond his predictions; particularly within the developing fields of unmanned aerial vehicles and radio guidance systems. He developed the world's first wireless-controlled, rocket; emerging technology that was a precursor to today's modern guided missiles.
His inventions served to pioneer development of the powered drone aircraft.
But, despite the luke-warm reception domestically, his innovative inventions were recognized internationally. In Germany, his wireless controlled rocket invention was invaluable during the development of their V-1 and V-2 rockets.
He envisioned harnessing the wind and the tide, as natural energy sources.
He devised a machine for reproducing photographs by radio, an audiometer for high-speed sound photography, the device that converts text into Braille (using photoelectric cells), the telephone and an earlier version of television:
Above is a newspaper clipping from Dundee People's Journal, June 6, 1914. The Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. courtesy of The British Library Board; courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive. His TeleVista system device used a matrix detector and mosaic screen. It was many decades ahead of its time, which bears a striking resemblance to our modern digital television systems.
John Logie Baird pioneeded the transmission of moving images in 1926. But Archibald Low almost beat him to it in 1914 with a working 'televista' allowing fuzzy images to be viewed at distances of up to four miles; crude, expensive but credible: "There [is] no reason why, when the invention is further developed, the enemy could not be watched from immense distance and all their movements recorded. At sea, too, hostile ships would have their every movement seen. Surprise dashes would be made impossible.” Yet the technology was unfortunately too primitive at the time for military applications. He never found the time to develop the technology any further when he was recruited for military research and his focus shifted towards other inventions.
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