In 1990 I Made a Bunch of Predictions About 2020...Here they Are
2021-01-01 · list · Hank · 3:53 · watch on YouTube
Topic: Personal life · mode: Comedy & performance · tags: timely hook
Answering John's review of his 2020 goals, Hank reads the essay he wrote at 10 in 1990 about life in 2020 and his year-by-year timeline to 2020, checking each childhood prediction against what happened, from the first black president to superior fish beings and Garfield turning 80.
What is said
The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).
00:00:00 — Reply to John's goals review; Hank introduces the essay he wrote at 10 in 1990
- ★★★ Topping John's look back at his 2020 goals, Hank says that at 10, in 1990, he wrote an essay predicting life in 2020, and reads it with his year-by-year timeline. — 00:00:00
00:00:29 — Reading the essay: cures, 200-year lifespans, aliens, the dead revived, no extinct animals
- ★ Hank says he has waited a long time for this moment, reason enough to have become a video blogger. (playful) — 00:00:29
- ★★ The essay predicts cures for almost every illness and 200-year-old people; Hank notes the math fails, since the oldest person in 1990 could only be 140 in 2020. (playful) — 00:00:29
- ★★ The essay also predicts aliens bringing new technology to Earth and ways to revive the dead, which turns out to mean no more extinct animals. (playful) — 00:00:58
- ★★ Hank says we have actually, kind of, figured out a little bit of de-extinction work. (hedged) — 00:00:58
00:01:20 — The year-by-year timeline from 1991 to 2020 checked against reality; sign-off
- ★ The timeline actually starts in 1980 with ten years of real events, such as Steve McQueen dying of cancer, a name Hank no longer recognises. (playful) — 00:01:20
- ★★ The timeline's first prediction, Iraq releasing hostages in 1991, actually happened in December 1990, so Hank says he was close. — 00:01:20
- ★★ For 1992 the timeline predicted a way of living in space; the ISS launched in 1998, so not far off. — 00:01:20
- ★★ The timeline predicted peace in the Middle East for 1993. (playful) — 00:01:20
- ★★ The timeline's first community on the Moon has not happened yet. — 00:01:51
- ★★ The timeline predicted electric cars for 1995; the GM EV1 came out in 1996, which Hank brags about. (playful) — 00:01:51
- ★★ The timeline's 1996 trip to Mars did not happen, unless one counts the 1997 Pathfinder mission. — 00:01:51 · Mars
- ★★ For 1998 the timeline predicted 100 television stations without a satellite, which Hank says was what he worried about. — 00:01:51
- ★★ The timeline put the first black president in 1999, not an election year, but Hank notes that did come true. — 00:01:51 · Barack Obama
- ★★ The timeline cured cancer in 2000; Hank apologises to little Hank that there turn out to be many cancers. (playful) — 00:01:51 · cancer, Little Hank
- ★★ The timeline gave a first woman president in 2002, three years after the first black president, and a true ghost discovered in 2004, which did not happen. (playful) — 00:02:21
- ★★ The timeline's 2008 oil line break hurting many animals came close: the Deepwater Horizon spill was in 2010. — 00:02:21
- ★★ The timeline predicted the rainforest lost forever in 2009; Hank notes he expected a cool 2020 without rainforests, so their survival is a win. (playful) — 00:02:21
- ★★ The timeline had Burt Reynolds dying of a heart condition in 2011; he died of cardiac arrest in 2018, so Hank says it was not that wrong. — 00:02:50
- ★★★ For 2012 the timeline predicts superior fish beings; Hank does not know what they do, but they exist. (playful) — 00:02:50
- ★★ The timeline's 2016 entry, thousands of aliens coming in peace, has not happened, but Hank says we are still holding out hope. (playful) — 00:03:13
- ★★ The 2020 prediction, Garfield turning 80, was wrong: Garfield turned 42 this year (2021), which Hank could have looked up. — 00:03:13
- ★ Hank says they are now headed into the great unknown beyond 2020 and thanks John for making stuff with him. — 00:03:13
In the description and comments
- ★★ The description says Hank found the essay while cleaning his office this week, and other things from the same package will be in videos on Hankschannel. — video description · hankschannel
Humor (dominant)
-
The essay's hope to make the dead alive again turns out to be about extinct animals. — 00:00:58
“Okay, that was a twist. I didn't expect that.”
-
Hank's 1995 electric-car prediction was only a year early. — 00:01:51
“I'm not bragging, but I'm bragging.”
-
The timeline elects the first woman president just three years after the first black president. — 00:02:21
“so something hinky happened here.”
-
Hank reads the 2012 prediction of superior fish beings. — 00:03:13
“I don't know what they do, but they are there. They exist.”
Threads in this video
- told · 10-year-old Hank writes an essay and timeline predicting life up to 2020 (1990) — Topping John's look back at his 2020 goals, Hank says that at 10, in 1990, he wrote an essay predicting life in 2020, and reads it with his year-by-year timeline. (00:00:00)
- first use · Superior fish beings: 10-year-old Hank's prediction for 2012 (2021) — For 2012 the timeline predicts superior fish beings; Hank does not know what they do, but they exist. (00:02:50)
- proved wrong · Hank: by 2020 there will be cures for almost every illness and people will be 200 years old (1990) — The essay predicts cures for almost every illness and 200-year-old people; Hank notes the math fails, since the oldest person in 1990 could only be 140 in 2020. (00:00:29)
- recalled · Hank: by 2020 alien races will have brought new technologies to Earth (1990) — The essay also predicts aliens bringing new technology to Earth and ways to revive the dead, which turns out to mean no more extinct animals. (00:00:58)
- partly came true · Hank: by 2020 the dead will be made alive again, so there will be no more extinct animals (1990) — The essay also predicts aliens bringing new technology to Earth and ways to revive the dead, which turns out to mean no more extinct animals. (00:00:58)
- came true · Hank: Iraq will release hostages in 1991 (1990) — The timeline's first prediction, Iraq releasing hostages in 1991, actually happened in December 1990, so Hank says he was close. (00:01:20)
- partly came true · Hank: a way of living in space will be invented in 1992 (1990) — For 1992 the timeline predicted a way of living in space; the ISS launched in 1998, so not far off. (00:01:20)
- proved wrong · Hank: there will be peace in the Middle East in 1993 (1990) — The timeline predicted peace in the Middle East for 1993. (00:01:20)
- proved wrong · Hank: there will be a first community on the Moon (1990) — The timeline's first community on the Moon has not happened yet. (00:01:51)
- came true · Hank: electric cars will arrive in 1995 (1990) — The timeline predicted electric cars for 1995; the GM EV1 came out in 1996, which Hank brags about. (00:01:51)
- proved wrong · Hank: people will go to Mars in 1996 (1990) — The timeline's 1996 trip to Mars did not happen, unless one counts the 1997 Pathfinder mission. (00:01:51)
- recalled · Hank: in 1998 there will be 100 television stations without a satellite (1990) — For 1998 the timeline predicted 100 television stations without a satellite, which Hank says was what he worried about. (00:01:51)
- came true · Hank: the US will have its first black president in 1999 (1990) — The timeline put the first black president in 1999, not an election year, but Hank notes that did come true. (00:01:51)
- proved wrong · Hank: cancer will be cured in 2000 (1990) — The timeline cured cancer in 2000; Hank apologises to little Hank that there turn out to be many cancers. (00:01:51)
- proved wrong · Hank: the US will have its first woman president in 2002 (1990) — The timeline gave a first woman president in 2002, three years after the first black president, and a true ghost discovered in 2004, which did not happen. (00:02:21)
- proved wrong · Hank: a true ghost will be discovered in 2004 (1990) — The timeline gave a first woman president in 2002, three years after the first black president, and a true ghost discovered in 2004, which did not happen. (00:02:21)
- partly came true · Hank: in 2008 an oil line will break and many animals will suffer (1990) — The timeline's 2008 oil line break hurting many animals came close: the Deepwater Horizon spill was in 2010. (00:02:21)
- proved wrong · Hank: the rainforest will be lost forever in 2009 (1990) — The timeline predicted the rainforest lost forever in 2009; Hank notes he expected a cool 2020 without rainforests, so their survival is a win. (00:02:21)
- partly came true · Hank: Burt Reynolds will die of a heart condition in 2011 (1990) — The timeline had Burt Reynolds dying of a heart condition in 2011; he died of cardiac arrest in 2018, so Hank says it was not that wrong. (00:02:50)
- recalled · Hank: superior fish beings will emerge in 2012 (1990) — For 2012 the timeline predicts superior fish beings; Hank does not know what they do, but they exist. (00:02:50)
- proved wrong · Hank: thousands of aliens will come in peace in 2016 (1990) — The timeline's 2016 entry, thousands of aliens coming in peace, has not happened, but Hank says we are still holding out hope. (00:03:13)
- proved wrong · Hank: Garfield will turn 80 in 2020 (1990) — The 2020 prediction, Garfield turning 80, was wrong: Garfield turned 42 this year (2021), which Hank could have looked up. (00:03:13)
Where the stories that moved here went next
- Superior fish beings: 10-year-old Hank's prediction for 2012 (2021) — running joke (last seen 2024); last: callback, 2024-10-11
- Hank: by 2020 there will be cures for almost every illness and people will be 200 years old (1990) — proved wrong
- Hank: by 2020 the dead will be made alive again, so there will be no more extinct animals (1990) — partly came true
- Hank: Iraq will release hostages in 1991 (1990) — came true
- Hank: a way of living in space will be invented in 1992 (1990) — partly came true
- Hank: there will be peace in the Middle East in 1993 (1990) — proved wrong
- Hank: there will be a first community on the Moon (1990) — proved wrong
- Hank: electric cars will arrive in 1995 (1990) — came true
Mentioned
Central: What I Think Life Will Be Like in the Year 2020
Also: People: Barack Obama · Burt Reynolds · Steve McQueen
Concepts: cancer · de-extinction · deforestation · Electric car · extraterrestrial life · life extension · Oil spill
Places: International Space Station · Iraq · Mars · Middle East · Moon
Events: Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Characters: Garfield
Products: General Motors EV1 · Mars Pathfinder
Only in the description or credits: hankschannel
Replies to
- continues · Looking Back at My 2020 Goals — “In the last video, you walked us through what you thought 2020 was going to be like a year ago and how you feel like you did.”
Later videos replying to this one
- 2021-01-05 · SUPERIOR FISH BEINGS (John) — continues (callback on Superior fish beings: 10-year-old Hank's prediction for 2012 (2021); mention on 10-year-old Hank writes an essay and timeline predicting life up to 2020 (1990)) — John says Hank's video last week (week of 28 December 2020) almost skipped his childhood prediction that 2012 would bring the emergence of superior fish beings. (00:00:00)