Newspaper article from 1963 predicted the invention of mobile phones: 'That is so awesome'

In today's time, it seems unimaginable to live without mobile phones. It's probably the last thing that we see before sleeping and the first thing we check in the mornings. However, that was not the case always. Decades ago, one wouldn't have even thought of having a mobile phone. But a newspaper clipping from 1963 predicted the invention of mobile phones way before they came to be. The clipping has been doing rounds on Twitter. The article is titled, "You'll Be Able to Carry Phone in Pocket in Future." It was published on April 18, 1963, in Mansfield News Journal, an Ohio-based newspaper. The story's lead is "...Some day, Mansfielders will carry their telephones in their pockets. Don't expect it to be available tomorrow, though."

The article also mentions that mobile phones are in laboratory development and "it's workable, allowing the carrier to make and answer calls wherever he may be." It quotes Frederick Huntsman, a telephone company’s commercial manager who says, “This telephone is far in the future- commercially.” It goes on to say that other phones in the future include " a kitchen loud-speaking telephone and a visual image telephone." A kitchen instrument is defined as a "regular telephone, a loud speaking phone if the housewife happens to be busy preparing a meal, or as an intercom station for the home.”

Talking about a visual image telephone, it says, “The visual image telephone allows the parties to converse by way of a microphone and loudspeaker while a miniature television camera transmits the image. The “TV phone” also will have a writer signature transmission system and conversation tape recorder.” In another story, a BBC video from 1966 features children making predictions about what life would be like in the year 2000. It is amusing that all their predictions stand true in today's time. 

The 40-second-long clip starts with a boy saying, "People will be regarded more as statistics than as actual people." A girl then offered her opinion and said: "I don't think it's going to be so nice. I think, sort of, all machines everywhere, everyone doing everything for you. You know, you'll get all bored and I don't think it will be so nice." Another young girl then appears and talks about how work would be scarce for people. "First of all, these computers are taking over now. Computers and automation and in the year 2000, there won't be enough jobs to go around and the only jobs there will be, it will be for people with high IQ and those who work computers and such things," she said.

Twitter users were stunned to hear the children's opinions. @darla1249 said, "So prescient. So right. Wonder if these people are alive now, and how they feel about being right." @Suckbluskittles wrote, "There's no way this is real is it really? A child knew about computers in the 60s? Something that took up three or four buildings to pretty much do what we can do with a singing birthday card. It's a little too spot on when she's talking about the computers That's all I'm saying." @FplBahamoth commented, "Those aren't children. They're prophets. Wow. Such insight!"