6 'Back to the Future' predictions we can't believe came true

As every good sci-fi nerd knows, today is Back to the Future Day! But what even diehard fans of the classic time-travel comedy may not realize is that quite a few of the movie’s predictions for the near future came true.

Which of the film’s prophecies came to pass? We’re glad you asked!

1) Skynet became self-aware

As the Daily Dot reported in July, humanity’s cutting-edge robotics technology has begun to rebel against its makers—with deadly consequences. And much as in Back to the Future, a woman named Sarah O’Connor (just plain Sarah Connor in the movie) warned us.     

2) Most of the Earth is covered in skulls

Have you looked around your neighborhood lately? Skulls everywhere! Some people would chalk that up to a “holiday” called “Halloween,” but to us it seems more like the iconic opening scene from Back to the Future.

3) Arnold Schwarzenegger got naked    

Who could forget this hilarious (and NSFW) moment from Back to the Future when Arnold Schwarzenegger walks into a bar naked?

Years later, it turns out Arnold did do some things naked! Per the Daily Mail in 2012: “Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed he regrets having an affair with his housekeeper, declaring it as 'the stupidest thing' and admitting he 'inflicted tremendous pain' onto his wife and children.” Crazy!

4) Police are bad

The villain in Back to the Future, as we all know, was a police officer willing to murder just about anybody for any reason. Now, in 2015, police in America are killing more people than ever—despite it being the safest time to work in law enforcement in 25 years. Coincidence? No way.

5) Everyone says “Hasta la vista, baby”

“Hasta la vista, baby” is undoubtedly the single most famous one-liner from Back to the Future. No wonder it became the de facto sign-off for an entire generation of fans, many of whom say it up to a dozen times a day.

6) Time travel turned out to be complicated 

If there’s one thing that Back to the Future made clear, it’s that going back in time to try to change the future-present is a lot harder than it seems on paper. When a couple of guys invented time travel in a garage laboratory in 2004—as seen in the acclaimed documentary Primer—they confirmed that it’s indeed a confusing business. In fact, the duo was so bad at describing the science behind their technique to a lay audience that people have been trying to explain their explanations ever since. What a headache.

Photo via Mooshuu/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)