I have a copy of the Peoples Almanac from 1975, by Wallechinsky and Wallace. I bought it from a second-hand bookstore about the early 1980's for $5.
I've got more laughs from that Almanac for $5, than anything else that I've paid more money for.
One chapter is devoted to the prominent scientists, seers, and soothsayers of the day - and their forecasts for the future.
It's a real giggle looking back on those predictions now.
Half the civilised world was supposed to be wiped out by a nuclear holocaust by 1983. China and America were going to start a World War in 1987 and billions were going to die.
There were wars predicted with Russia, with a dozen other belligerent nations - Armageddon in the Middle East was supposed to happen by 1999. World peace was going to happen in 1998. It goes on and on.
Funnily enough, not one future forecaster or seer predicted the 9/11 hit on the U.S. Not one predicted the rise of ISIS or radical Islam or the increase in terrorism.
We in the West won't go to war with Russia, the Russians have more sense than that.
The signs of extreme militarism within a country have to happen over a decade, along with a verifiable substantial increase in military production.
Neither is happening in Russia today, despite Putins chest beating.
Russia has numerous internal economic problems to deal with, and there's little sign of a major and serious increase in militarism towards the West. However, there's little doubt that extremist Islamics will continue to feel the heat from Russia.
The greatest single worry as regards a nuclear attack comes from the one rogue state who can rightly be described as belligerent, un-cooperative, and intent on increasing militarism towards the West, towards Japan, and towards South Korea.