December 19, 2004: Predictions for 2005 - Part 1

Art Bell opens the first of two annual prediction shows by reviewing listener predictions made for 2004. He tallies the hits and misses, noting standout calls including a correct Red Sox World Series pick and a prescient HAARP prediction. Among the bonks are several failed forecasts about bin Laden's capture and the Pope's passing.

Callers then begin registering numbered predictions for 2005. Contributions range from 100,000 additional troops in Iraq to a free energy breakthrough, from the death of Johnny Carson to a major earthquake west of Los Angeles in August. Art presses each caller on whether their prediction comes from a genuine psychic center or is merely a political opinion disguised as prophecy, rejecting several entries that fail his standard.

The predictions grow darker as the night progresses. An Israeli strike on Iran triggering wider war, a Bigfoot discovery in Alaska, a Chernobyl-style meltdown near Cleveland, and a semi-truck explosion in a major city all find their way into the Bell Family Vault. Art reflects on why nearly all predictions skew negative, drawing a parallel to the relentless negativity of mainstream news coverage.