Ever wondered why "The Simpsons" always gets it right when predicting world events, such as Donald Trump becoming US president? A college professor offers an answer, which may or may not surprise you: it's all purely coincidental.
When Donald Trump won the election against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, many people remembered an episode of "The Simpsons" that mentioned a "President Trump." The said episode aired 16 years ago. While it was purely comical back then, it now seems to be eerily prophetic
"The Simpsons" also predicted the 9/11 attack, the outbreak of the Ebola virus, the discovery of the Higgs Boson particle and the 2014 Super Bowl results, according to Uproxx. Viewers and the news media have called the predictions of the animated series in its 27-year run scary and disturbing. Some even go as far as saying that it could be part of a bigger conspiracy theory.
Dr. John Donaldson, a professor at the University of Glasgow, begs to disagree. For him, there's nothing skeptic or dubious about "The Simpsons" accuracy. On the contrary, it is simply a case of life imitating art.
Donaldson of the university's Philosophy Department will hold a one-day class on Jan. 17, 2017 to explore various philosophy topics with "The Simpsons" as a guide. Donaldson told the Business Insider that the animated show, famous for being prescient, is a perfect tool for teaching philosophy.
Donaldson explained that what started out as a joke about Trump by "The Simpsons" became reality because "it just so happened" that political circumstances changed in recent years and paved the way for the billionaire businessman to ascend to politics.
However, the Philosophy professor noted that it should not be surprising that some of the cartoon's predictions have come true. Because "The Simpsons" is a "show about life," he said it tackles situations and life themes that are close to people's hearts and they are familiar with.
Now we know that at least from the standpoint of philosophy, "The Simpsons" does not employ clairvoyants among its pool of writers. Do you buy the professor's philosophical explanation? Or would you rather believe there's a conspiracy behind "The Simpsons"?
Share your thoughts with us, leave your comments below!
