Well, predictions, clairvoyance - that probably belongs in the realm of legends. However, I won't deny that some empathically gifted and sensitive people have the ability to see more than us ‘normal people’. We tend to be a little jaded compared to the potential we actually had...

And - artists have a vivid imagination. This contributes to ideas that sometimes still seem exotic and futuristic when they are published. In Jules Verne's days, submarines and space travel were crazy stuff. Orwell... A wise man, if you ask me. ‘Star Trek’ showed technology that is commonplace today - umpteen years before its realisation. And so on... Today, authors and film directors are often involved in research and development; they have the necessary creative freedom that scientists sometimes lack...