I did a search through the 2007 news archives to see what other cures would be available now in 2012:
Daily Telegraph (London), 6 Jun 2007
“Cure for blindness ‘within five years’”
Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia), 28 May 2007
“Cancer genes identified – discovery paves way for screening within five years”
Daily Mail (London), 23 Feb 2003
“Cure for meningitis ‘within five years’”
Evening Standard (London), 12 Dec 2007
“Vaccine could save tens of thousands from diabetes” (“within five years”)
New Vision (Kampala, Uganda), 28 Oct 2007
“Trial Malaria Vaccine Works for Babies” (“useable vaccine within five years”)
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), 8 May 2007
“Beijing targets halving of HIV cases” (“cut the infection and death rate by half within five years”
What a time we live in! Although I can’t remember seeing the follow-up reports to these that they’re now ready and available to the public.
Don’t forget Al Gores predictions that global warming will destroy us all within 5 years.
You’ll go blind first...
“What a time we live in! Although I can’t remember seeing the follow-up reports to these that they’re now ready and available to the public.”
Articles are written to formulas. “The top 10 things you must know about (fill in subject.)”
“What your (fill in subject) doesn’t want you to know.”
“Cure for (fill in subject) within five years.”
Five years is close enough to grab the concerned reader, but comfortably far off so the writer can rest easy nobody will call him on it. The article’s source will call and complain that’s not what he said, but the check will be long spent. I’ve sold 57 articles, mostly to the local paper. I don’t recall ever using a formula because they were mostly written to the editor’s request.