Sometimes a Systems Engineer is called upon to make long-term predictions about the future so they can then start the actual process of creating the devices which will then make these predictions come true. Of course, predictions can be fought with our own prejudice and wrong-headed opinions. Take the famous example of the Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, in 1943, who said, "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
But every now and then we get close but not in the way we first thought. In 1967 Philco-Ford Corporation came out with a short film called 1999 A.D. which missed by only a decade some of the idea's put forth. Take a look here . Of course, we don't have "Split second lunches, color-keyed disposable dishes" but we do have ultra-cool flat screens.
