Wild card (foresight)
Wildcards are sudden and unexpected random events in the history and nature, which have a very low probability, but substantial changes, like a joker in the deck of cards ( in the American: wild card = Joker ). Very often they appear as disruptive events in the usual sequence.
Examples are:
Possible in the future:
- Impact of a comet
- Failure of the system of nuclear deterrence ( Mutual assured destruction )
- The first contact with an intelligent extraterrestrial species, see also Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Historical phenomena:
- Inventions ( wheel, radio, road transport, microelectronics )
- Charismatic personalities that act by altering their appearance
Examples from the past: