Latest news with #Nostradamus
Forbes
20 hours ago
- Science
- Forbes
How To Quickly Improve Your Ability To Predict The Future
A few individuals have a heightened ability to forecast what will happen next. What traits do they ... More share? (Photo by) The need to predict is omnipresent. Every time you buy a stock, choose a partner, pick a president, or bet your brother-in-law that the 49ers will finally win it all, you're making a decision based on a prediction. And yet, despite all the big data, algorithms, learning models, and AI assistants, we're still not very good at predicting the future. But, turns out, there are a few techniques that will help you get better fast. The human desire to improve our ability to predict the future isn't new. Nostradamus was one of the original prognosticators to receive acclaim. Yet, on further reflection, his writings are so open to interpretation that they could be describing either the fall of Rome or the next global pandemic. In recent decades, predicting the future of everything has become a growth industry, especially in politics. Cable news needs experts who sound cocksure about everything, even if their accuracy is less than dart-throwing chimps. As long as the ratings are good, bring on the blather. A few individuals have a heightened ability to forecast what will happen next. What traits do they share? University of Pennsylvania professor Philip Tetlock has spent decades trying to answer this question: Spoiler alert: It's not fame, credentials, or wearing a bowtie on TV. Determined to find out what does make someone a good predictor, Tetlock launched a bold experiment. With funding from DARPA, he hosted forecasting tournaments known as the Good Judgment Project. Tens of thousands of ordinary people—teachers, engineers, pharmacists, and even a Canadian underwater hockey coach—competed to see who could best predict the outcomes of real-world events: Will the president of Tunisia go into exile next month? Will the price of gold exceed $3500 by the end of Q3? Tetlock identified a small percentage—about 2 percent—who consistently made remarkably accurate predictions. He dubbed them 'superforecasters.' They weren't clairvoyant. They didn't have access to classified information. But they do have certain traits in common: What You Think Versus How You Think Tetlock puts it this way: 'What you think is much less important than how you think.' Superforecasters don't get attached to their opinions. They revisit assumptions. They seek out dissent. One participant even wrote code to curate news articles from across ideological spectrums so he wouldn't fall into an echo chamber. They also tracked and scored their predictions over time, treating it not as a parlor trick, but as a craft. If you want to improve your ability to anticipate the future—and let's be honest, who doesn't—Here are a few suggestions: 1. Start with the base rate. Ask yourself: What usually happens in situations like this? Don't be seduced by the drama of outliers. Begin with the average. 2. Break it down. Instead of 'Will AI take my job?' ask: 'What tasks in my role are automatable?' Then assign probabilities to each. 3. Toggle perspectives. Use both the inside view (your specific context) and the outside view (what's happened in similar situations). 4. Stay flexible. Your assumptions are not sacred scrolls. Update them when new information arrives. Bonus points if you can admit you were wrong without needing therapy. 5. Use numbers, not vibes. Avoid vague terms like 'probably.' Go with: 'I'm 70% confident.' It sharpens your thinking—and makes you easier to argue with at dinner parties. 6. Keep a prediction journal. Write down your forecasts and your reasoning. Revisit. Learn. Repeat. (Optional: give yourself gold stars.) 7. Seek disconfirmation. Don't just look for information that proves you right. Hunt down what might prove you wrong. It's called 'growing.' 8. Diversify your info diet. Read widely. Follow smart people you disagree with. Cross-pollinate. Avoid becoming the human version of a YouTube algorithm. In the end, getting better at prediction won't make you omniscient, but it will make you wiser, calmer, and a better decision-maker. And maybe, just maybe, the next time someone at work says, 'Nobody could have seen this coming,' you'll be able to smile and say, 'Actually… I kind of did.'
National Geographic
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Geographic
Who was Nostradamus—and why do his predictions still rile us up?
Michel de Nostredame, famously known as Nostradamus, is depicted on a 1810 wood print by Charles Canivet. The French physician and astrologer is famous for his prophecies, but many are vague and open to interpretation. Photograph by INTERFOTO / Alamy Stock Photo What's in the future…and how does the world end? They're tempting questions—and one that, centuries ago, doctor and self-styled prophet Nostradamus always claimed to answer. His famed predictions range from confusing to creepy, and his acolytes believe his 16th-century predictions still ring true today. His supposed 2025 prophecies include long wars, plague, and a fireball that may destroy Earth. In fact, Nostradamus is so well known for his predictions that a 1672 reference to him is among the first documented uses of the word 'prognostication' in the English language. But the man some think of as a prophet was no divine being. He was a real-life French physician, apothecary, and author whose bold predictions earned him a name in the tumult of Renaissance Europe. Here's what to know about Michel de Nostradame, better known as Nostradamus. Who was Nostradamus? Michel de Nostradame was born in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, in December 1503. (Historians disagree on the exact date.) His parents were the son of a notary and the daughter of a prominent local physician. Nostradame would marry twice during his lifetime, ultimately fathering eight children. Renaissance France, like the rest of Europe, was seized with religious strife during his lifetime, with important ramifications for young Nostradame. His family was Jewish but had converted to Catholicism after Provence became part of the kingdom of France in 1486. Though Jews had a long history in the region, they were told by local authorities in the late 1400s to either convert or be expelled, so Michel was raised Catholic. Young Nostradame studied Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and medicine and began attending the University of Avignon while still a teen. He received his bachelor's degree in medicine in the 1520s, though his school closed because of the bubonic plague while he was a student. Plague doctor and inquisition After finishing his formal education, Nostradame spent time traveling France studying herbalism and treating victims of the plague, one of the era's most feared diseases. Historians believe he was expelled from the University of Montpellier, where he next studied, due to having practiced in the 'manual' trade of an apothecary; they disagree on whether he returned to receive his full doctorate. Practicing medicine in Renaissance France meant treating diseases like plague. But the era's medicine also involved practices now deemed unscientific, like alchemy, astrology, and prophecy. Those practices couldn't save Nostradamus' wife, whose name has been lost to history, nor his two children. They died in the 1530s, likely of plague. (Why plague—one of history's deadliest diseases—still afflicts U.S. wildlife.) The devastated doctor now faced other problems, too. In 1538, he was overheard roundly criticizing the craftsmanship of a religious statue—words that got him accused of heresy and dragged before inquisitors in 1538. A heresy accusation would have destroyed his reputation locally, and a conviction would mean he was executed. But the court acquitted him, and he took up his travels again, specializing in plague medicine. Some of Nostradame's remedies seem to have worked, for he found steady work. The success of some of his remedies likely relied on hygienic practices like recommending clean drinking water. Others, like his rose pills, used herbs and flowers. His practice also would have involved alchemy, astrology, and other esoteric practices now seen as unscientific. But his patients were satisfied enough with the results to spread the word about his skill. Scientific or not, the doctor's plague treatments took him throughout France in the decade that followed—and both his work and his writing began to gain fans in high places. Nostradamus' poetic predictions The doctor and French astrologer, whose name was widely Latinized as Nostradamus, began writing annual almanacs in the 1550s that drew on his supposed 'knack' for making accurate predictions on the events and weather conditions of the year to come. These cheap, popular publications became known for their poetic prognostications and introduced Nostradamus to a wider audience. Nostradamus's fame earned him some extremely high-profile clients eager for a personal and political forecast. In 1555, he predicted that a 'young lion'—thought to be code for the coat of arms of King Henry II of France—would fall in combat, and the next year Henry's wife, Queen of France Catherine de Medici and her son Charles IX visited the prognosticator. When Henry II did indeed die on July 10, 1559 of an injury sustained during a jousting tournament, it sparked what historian Denis Crouzet called 'a sense of imminent catastrophe.' The doctor's vague, flowery language protected both himself and the person at the center of the prophecy from mistakes, humiliation, and accusations of charlatanism, adding to his reputation and mystery over time. As Oxford University historian Michelle Pfeffer writes for The Conversation, astrology and prognostication were commonly practiced at the time and were especially popular among the elite. By then, Europe was already in the grip of religious and social strife as the Reformation unleashed tensions between Catholics and Protestants, social inequality stirred unrest, and prophecies and rumors gripped the public. Many of these divisions would boil over into conflict, including civil war, during Nostradamus' lifetime. (How Martin Luther became the father of the Protestant Reformation.) Criticized by Catholics and Protestants alike, Nostradamus stood by his prophecies, publishing a large book of them and continuing to release his popular almanacs even after being briefly imprisoned for publishing his work without the Church's permission. He died on July 1, 1566, likely of gout. Historians and the public have argued about the thousands of predictions he made during his lifetime—and seemingly validated them—ever since. What did Nostradamus predict—and what actually happened Though Nostradamus' seeming prediction of the death of Henry II gained him fame during his lifetime, his name has persisted thanks to other prophecies some believe have been fulfilled. Perhaps the most astonishing of his predictions was his specific forecast around 1558 that 'The Senate (Parliament) of London will put their King to death.' In 1649 , exactly that happened: Charles I was beheaded for treason after a conflict with Parliament that ended up sparking civil war in England. 'As even skeptics must acknowledge, this is a most remarkable statement,' wrote biographer Ian Wilson in. In the same prophecy, Nostradamus predicted that London would 'be burned by fireballs in thrice twenty and six.' In 1666, a fire did occur in London, destroying huge swaths of the city. People of the era hadn't forgotten Nostradamus's prophecies—and they didn't stop looking for events that potentially fulfilled them in the years that followed. Fans of the far-seeing doctor have attributed everything from the French Revolution ('a married couple' who will result in 'tempest—fire—blood'), the rise of Napoleon (an Emperor 'who will cost the Empire dear'), and the rise of Hitler ('the great enemy of all the human race') to Nostradamus. (Was Napoleon Bonaparte an enlightened leader or tyrant?) But just as many of his vague prognostications have not come true, and there is a long history of political and cultural figures reinterpreting and even misinterpreting Nostradamus to further their own goals. Among those eager to use Nostradamus' prophecies were the leaders of the Third Reich. Propagandist Joseph Goebbels incorporated prophecies into his propaganda, using them to sow doubt and build support for the Nazi war effort. Nostradamus has also been invoked by extremist groups, serving as a way to transmit ideologies to others. Nostradamus is also credited with predicting the end of the world, however that prophecy is yet to come true. He prophesied that in July 1999, 'from the sky will come a great King of terror.' His prediction further fueled doomsday fears as concerns rose about how the supposed Y2K bug would affect computer systems. The French astronomer is still being interpreted, read, and studied by those with an interest in prophecy and prognostication. More than 500 years after his death, Nostradamus continues to entertain and confuse—and interest in his prophecies remains strong. 'Prophecy continues to shape hopes and fears for the future of individuals, groups, states, and the whole world,' writes historian Stephen Bowd in the Encyclopedia of Millennialism and Millennial Movements. After all, who doesn't want to know the future—or think it's possible to see?
Hindustan Times
22-07-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Baba Vanga's chilling predictions for 2025: Natural disasters, diseases, aliens and more
The world seems to never stop being fascinated by Baba Vanga, the blind mystic from Bulgaria who rose to fame for her spooky and strangely accurate predictions. Known as the 'Nostradamus of the Balkans,' she lost her eyesight as a child after being swept away by a tornado. People believe it was around that time when she started to 'see the future.' Baba Vanga's 2025 predictions are getting viral Though she died back in 1996, Baba Vanga's name keeps popping up, especially now, in 2025, when some of her predictions start to feel oddly relevant again. While many of her prophecies were vague, they still manage to send chills down people's spines when they appear to line up with real events. Baba Vanga's predictions for 2025 Bad news for Asia One of her scariest forecasts was about a massive natural disaster in Asia, possibly an earthquake followed by a tsunami. While she did not give a specific date, it is enough to make people in disaster-prone regions uneasy. Collapse of economy Another bold prediction involved the collapse of major global markets. She said there would be a serious economic meltdown that would lead to mass unemployment and financial instability. With growing fears around inflation and debt, this one does not sound that far-fetched. Let's meet some Aliens Baba Vanga also mentioned contact with extraterrestrials, suggesting humans would encounter life from other planets. Given the recent buzz around UFOs and alien research by NASA and other groups, this idea does not sound as crazy as it once did. No more caste system On the more hopeful side, she predicted an end to social divisions like race and caste. She believed humans would eventually accept each other, regardless of background, appearance or culture. Also Read: Will Baba Vanga's 2025 predictions come true? Experts say panic over prophecies unfounded New diseases but also new cures She also foresaw new diseases spreading across the world. But in the same breath, she spoke of medical breakthroughs, including prosthetic organs and cures for previously untreatable conditions. With rapid advances in bioengineering and anti-ageing research, parts of this could actually be within reach. Europe's dwindling population And then there is her warning about Europe's shrinking population. With birth rates falling across the continent, this prediction too feels uncomfortably close to reality. Some people roll their eyes at Baba Vanga's prophecies, but others cannot help but wonder, was she really onto something? Or is it just another hoax? FAQs: 1. What does Baba Vanga predict for 2025? Baba Vanga's 2025 predictions include a global economic crisis, a rise in new diseases, potential contact with extraterrestrial life, and a decline in Europe's population. She also foresaw advances in medicine, like artificial organs, and even the fall of social systems like caste. 2. What is Baba Vanga's prediction? Baba Vanga, known for her past predictions like 9/11 and Barack Obama's election, is said to have predicted events such as natural disasters in Asia, global financial instability, breakthroughs in medical science, and interactions with alien life in the near future. 3. Did Nostradamus predict anything for 2025? While Nostradamus did not list exact years, some believe his cryptic verses can be interpreted to hint at major events around 2025, including political unrest, natural disasters, and shifts in world power.
News.com.au
22-07-2025
- General
- News.com.au
How did mystic Baba Vanga lose her eye sight?
She's known as the Nostradamus of the Balkans, a blind Bulgarian psychic famous for her eerily accurate prophesies. But the reason behind Baba Vanga's blindness has only just been revealed. The late mystic was born in 1911 as Vangelia Pandeva Dimitrova, in the town of Strumica – what is now known as North Macedonia. The blind clairvoyant has been credited with foreseeing the Indonesian tsunami in 2004, the fall of the Soviet Union, the death of Princess Diana and the September 11 terrorist attacks. It's commonly said she has an 85 per cent accuracy rate. She made predictions all the way up until 5079, when she claimed the world would end. But what was her life like before she became a cult figure among conspiracy theorists? It's believed that Baba Vanga's mother died at an early age, and her father went off to fight in World War I for the Bulgarian army, The Mirror reported. It's also been reported that when she was just 12, a tornado hit her village. Baba Vanga was allegedly thrown into the air by the weather phenomenon and her eyes were filled with dust. She was then dumped in a field by the storm. Her eyes were so damaged from the dust that she could no longer open them without being in excruciating pain. She lay in the field for days while her family tried to find her, Daily Mail reported. It was after this alleged event she began to lose her vision, and then began making predictions. It wasn't until the 1940s that Baba Vanga discovered she had 'psychic abilities' and she allegedly used those powers to help people find lost soldiers towards the end of World War II. After the war, her fame grew. Viktoria Vitanova-Kerber, an academic who has studied Baba Vanga for years, told last year' 'People were consulting her, not only the people from her town, but also from the whole country and people from abroad. 'And by the 1960s, people were queuing in front of her door.' Many questions were of a personal nature; people asked when they will have children and if they will ever get married. But, there is no proof that Baba Vanga – who died in 1996 at the age of 84 – made predictions such as humans will make contact with aliens in 2130 and that there'll be some kind of war against the aliens in 3005. 'She wasn't the type of person who had a diary or was documenting a lot,' Ms Vitanova-Kerber told 'The prophecies are not documented … so we will never know what she really said or not, because as I said, there are almost no documents about anything in her life.'
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Baba Vanga's chilling 2025 predictions are turning real — What's coming next?
Baba Vanga, often called the 'Nostradamus of the Balkans,' continues to capture the imagination of millions worldwide with her chilling predictions for the year 2025. Decades after her death in 1996, the blind Bulgarian mystic is again dominating social media and news cycles as several of her alleged forecasts for 2025 begin to echo contemporary global developments. Her reputation stems from past prophecies, including the 9/11 attacks and the election of former U.S. President Barack Obama, that many followers believe came true. Today, her forecasts for the current year are being interpreted as warning signals of global instability, extraterrestrial contact, and rapid technological change. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Product Management Data Science PGDM MBA Project Management Finance Leadership Digital Marketing others Management Technology Artificial Intelligence MCA Cybersecurity Healthcare Others Data Science CXO Operations Management Public Policy healthcare Data Analytics Design Thinking Degree Skills you'll gain: Product Strategy & Competitive Advantage Tactics Product Development Processes & Market Orientations Product Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making Agile Development, Design Thinking, & Product Leadership Duration: 40 Weeks IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Product Management Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Product Strategy & Roadmapping User-Centric Product Design Agile Product Development Market Analysis & Product Launch Duration: 24 Weeks Indian School of Business Professional Certificate in Product Management Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Creating Effective Product Roadmap User Research & Translating it to Product Design Key Metrics via Product Analytics Hand-On Projects Using Cutting Edge Tools Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business ISB Product Management Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details Rising Fears over Natural Catastrophes in Asia Among the most unsettling Baba Vanga predictions involves a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Asia. Though she reportedly did not assign a specific date to this disaster, growing seismic activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire and increasing oceanic temperatures have lent her warnings renewed attention. While the scientific community maintains a cautious stance, residents in earthquake-prone regions remain alert following recent tremors in Southeast Asia. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like End Season Sale: Special Discount Luxury Watches Buy Now Undo Economic Collapse and Unemployment Crisis Loom Another alarming aspect of the Baba Vanga predictions for 2025 is a severe collapse of the global economy. The mystic foresaw a scenario where major financial markets would crash, prompting a domino effect that leads to widespread unemployment and poverty. Observers have drawn parallels between her forecasts and the current state of the world economy, where inflationary pressure, rising national debts, and volatile markets are placing growing strain on households and institutions alike. Alien Encounters Capture Public Fascination Perhaps the most bizarre and sensational of Baba Vanga's prophecies for this year is the prediction of contact with extraterrestrial beings. While such a scenario has long been the realm of science fiction, recent public disclosures by military and government agencies in several countries about unidentified aerial phenomena have reignited debate. Live Events Some interpret this as the beginning of the 'contact' Vanga foresaw, an event that, if realized, would mark a turning point in human history. Hopes Rise for an End to the Caste System In contrast to her darker visions, Baba Vanga also predicted a global shift in human consciousness, leading to the breakdown of racial and caste divisions. In India and several other nations, movements advocating for social equality have gathered momentum. Scholars point to generational change, education, and increased inter-caste marriages as signs of this transformation, suggesting her foresight may be manifesting subtly in society's evolving fabric. Emergence of Strange New Diseases Among the more chilling Baba Vanga predictions is the appearance of new, unknown diseases. Although no specific illness has emerged yet in 2025, public health experts remain vigilant. The mystic's followers have linked this vision to the continued environmental degradation and mutation of pathogens, both natural and artificial. Nonetheless, global health authorities stress that while preparedness is essential, no current evidence indicates a looming global health emergency of unprecedented scale. Rapid Progress in Organ Replacement Technologies Vanga's forecast regarding artificial organs by 2026 is inching closer to reality thanks to advances in regenerative medicine and bioprinting. In leading biotech hubs like Japan and the United States, researchers have already printed liver and kidney tissue in labs. If clinical trials remain successful, 2025 may indeed serve as the launching pad for a revolution in human biology and medicine. Medical Breakthroughs Raise Life Expectancy Another optimistic forecast points to cures for previously untreatable diseases and a notable increase in human lifespan. While these claims may sound exaggerated, remarkable progress in genetic therapies and immunological research is underway. Baba Vanga's followers view the increasing success of clinical gene editing tools like CRISPR as proof of her vision coming to life. Europe's Shrinking Population: A Grim Prediction Confirmed? In demographic terms, Baba Vanga predicted a decline in Europe's population by 2025. This year, statistics from Eurostat have revealed that several EU nations, including Italy, Germany, and Hungary, are grappling with declining birth rates and an aging population. Policymakers have expressed concern about future workforce shortages and economic contraction, aligning closely with the trajectory Vanga had foreseen. Warning of Rising Sea Levels by 2033 Although not strictly a 2025 prophecy, Baba Vanga's prediction that sea levels would begin rising drastically by 2033 is increasingly drawing relevance. Global scientists, including those from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), have been raising alarms over glacial melt and thermal expansion in the world's oceans. Current satellite data show an accelerating trend in sea-level rise—an observation that lends weight to the mystic's environmental warnings. Who Was Baba Vanga? A Glimpse into Her Life Born in 1911 in the region that is now North Macedonia, Baba Vanga lost her eyesight at age 12 following a tornado accident. It is claimed that she developed psychic abilities thereafter. Despite skepticism from the scientific community, her followers regard her as a spiritual guide whose visions were divinely inspired. She died in 1996, but her predictions, often vague and open to interpretation, are still dissected and discussed globally. Caution and Interpretation: Scholars Urge Balanced View While Baba Vanga predictions continue to enthrall the public, historians and researchers urge caution. Many of her prophecies are oral in origin, lacking verifiable transcripts. Furthermore, interpretation plays a large role in aligning world events to her forecasts. Some experts believe that the human tendency to search for patterns in chaos may amplify her influence far beyond what evidence warrants. Prophecies in a Time of Uncertainty In a year already rife with geopolitical tensions, climate concerns, and economic instability,As the year unfolds, many are left wondering: are these events mere coincidence, or is there something deeper guiding the course of global affairs? FAQs Who was Baba Vanga? Baba Vanga, born in 1911 in what is now North Macedonia, was a blind mystic often referred to as the 'Nostradamus of the Balkans.' After losing her sight at age 12, she was said to have developed psychic abilities. She passed away in 1996, but her prophecies continue to generate global interest. Why are Baba Vanga's predictions trending again in 2025? Several of Baba Vanga's alleged prophecies are being interpreted as aligning with recent global events, including natural disasters, economic instability, and rising discussions about extraterrestrial life, drawing renewed attention to her legacy.
