PREDICTING THE FUTURE

Have you for once thought of what the future has in stock for you or your family? Do you feel it promises you riches or ruin, love or hatred? Do you feel you will stay long on planet earth or your life will be cut short? Different people have pondered on such questions for thousand years now.

Today experts study the evolution of the world and make predictions about the future. While many of what was predicted came to pass, and some others has failed. For example, in 1912,Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of a wireless telegraph, was quoted as predicting: " The coming of the wireless era will make war impossible."

Many turn to the supernatural for clues about the future. Some seek the advice of astrologers; horoscopes are a regular feature in many magazines and newspapers. Others consult fortune-tellers or psychics, who claim to "read" the future by interpreting patterns in tarot cards, numbers, or the lines of one's hand. In their effort to discern the future, some in the ancient world consulted oracles, priests or priestesses who passed on information from the god they claimed to represent.

For instance, it is said that King Croesus of Lydia sent gifts of great Value to the oracle at Delphi, Greece, with a request to learn what the outcome would become if he fought against Cyprus of Persia. The oracle said that Croesus would destroy "a great empire" if he marched against Cyprus. Confident of victory, Croesus salied forth, but the great empire that was destroyed was his own.

The ambiguous forecast of the oracle was worthless; it would appeared true no matter which side won the war. Croesus paid dearly for misinformation that brought the disaster.

Have those who turn to today's popular method of predicting the future fared any better?