  We propose a method to predict the value of the external strain where a
generic amorphous solid will fail by a plastic response (i.e. an irreversible
deformation), solely on the basis of measurements of the nonlinear elastic
moduli. While usually considered fundamentally different, with the elastic
properties describing reversible phenomena and plastic failure epitomizing
irreversible behavior, we show that the knowledge of some nonlinear elastic
moduli is enough to predict where plasticity sets in.
