---
title: "Prediction"
chunk: 4/4
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prediction"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:44:50.620904+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

Predictions have often been made, from antiquity until the present, by using paranormal or supernatural means such as prophecy or by observing omens. Methods including water divining, astrology, numerology, fortune telling, interpretation of dreams, and many other forms of divination, have been used for millennia to attempt to predict the future. These means of prediction have not been proven by scientific experiments.
In literature, vision and prophecy are literary devices used to present a possible timeline of future events.  They can be distinguished by vision referring to what an individual sees happen. The book of Revelation, in the New Testament, thus uses vision as a literary device in this regard. It is also prophecy or prophetic literature when it is related by an individual in a sermon or other public forum.
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual. It is an integral part of witchcraft and has been used in various forms for thousands of years. Diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a querent should proceed by reading signs, events, or omens, or through alleged contact with a supernatural agency, most often described as an angel or a god though viewed by Christians and Jews as a fallen angel or demon.

=== Artificial intelligence in astrology ===
In the 21st century, astrology has increasingly intersected with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. 
Academic research has explored the use of AI models for astrological predictions, 
while media outlets have noted the rise of "astro-tech" startups and apps using chatbots and algorithmic models to deliver personalized readings. 
Examples include AI-driven astrology chatbots such as KundliGPT, which use natural language processing to generate birth chart readings and answer user queries.

== Fiction ==
Fiction (especially fantasy, forecasting and science fiction) often features instances of prediction achieved by unconventional means. Science fiction of the past predicted various modern technologies.
In fantasy literature, predictions are often obtained through magic or prophecy, sometimes referring back to old traditions. For example, in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, many of the characters possess an awareness of events extending into the future, sometimes as prophecies, sometimes as more-or-less vague 'feelings'. The character Galadriel, in addition, employs a water "mirror" to show images, sometimes of possible future events.
In some of Philip K. Dick's stories, mutant humans called precogs can foresee the future (ranging from days to years). In the story called The Golden Man, an exceptional mutant can predict the future to an indefinite range (presumably up to his death), and thus becomes completely non-human, an animal that follows the predicted paths automatically. Precogs also play an essential role in another of Dick's stories, The Minority Report, which was turned into a film by Steven Spielberg in 2002.
In the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, a mathematician finds out that historical events (up to some detail) can be theoretically modelled using equations, and then spends years trying to put the theory in practice. The new science of psychohistory founded upon his success can simulate history and extrapolate the present into the future.
In Frank Herbert's sequels to 1965's Dune, his characters are dealing with the repercussions of being able to see the possible futures and select amongst them. Herbert sees this as a trap of stagnation, and his characters follow a so-called "Golden Path" out of the trap.
In Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness, the humanoid inhabitants of planet Gethen have mastered the art of prophecy and routinely produce data on past, present or future events on request. In this story, this was a minor plot device.

== Poetry ==
For the ancients, prediction, prophesy, and poetry were often intertwined.  Prophecies were given in verse, and a word for poet in Latin is “vates” or prophet. Both poets and prophets claimed to be inspired by forces outside themselves. In contemporary cultures, theological revelation and poetry are typically seen as distinct and often even as opposed to each other. Yet the two still are often understood together as symbiotic in their origins, aims, and purposes.

== See also ==
Expectation – Anticipation that a future event or consequence is likelyPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
Forecasting – Making predictions with available data
Futures studies – Study of postulating possible futures
Omen – Future-predicting phenomenon
Oracle – Provider of prophecies or insights
Predictability – Degree to which a correct prediction of a system's state can be made
Prediction market – Platforms for betting on events
Predictive modelling – Form of modelling that uses statistics to predict outcomes
Prognosis – Medical term for the likely development of a disease
Prognostics – Engineering discipline
Reference class forecasting – Method of predicting the future
Regression analysis – Set of statistical processes for estimating the relationships among variables
Thought experiment – Hypothetical situation
Trend estimation – Statistical technique to aid interpretation of dataPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

== Footnotes ==

== Further reading ==
Ialenti, Vincent (2020). Deep Time Reckoning: How Future Thinking Can Help Earth Now. The MIT Press. ISBN 9780262539265.
Rescher, Nicholas (1998). Predicting the future: An introduction to the theory of forecasting. State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-7914-3553-9.
Tetlock, Philip E.; Gardner, Dan (2016). Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction. Crown. ISBN 978-0804136716.