In 1931, The Times celebrated its 80th birthday by inviting Henry Ford and seven other American innovators to predict what life would be like in 80 years.
W.J. Mayo, the founder of the Mayo Clinic, said that by 2011, the average life span, then only 54, would rise to 70 (it is 77.9). The physicist Arthur Compton, noting China's rise, said "science will no longer be a monopoly of the West." William Ogburn, a sociologist, said "people will become more nervous and mental disorders will rise for a time, but by 2011 mental hygienists will probably have the upper hand."
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