It's almost 2007, 50 years ago there were some new technologies...the television, ball point pen, copy machine, Chevrolet Corvette becomes the first car to have a all-fiberglass body, polio vaccine, 184 pound satellite was launched by the Russians, the first plastic Coke bottle appeared. I find myself wondering...What technological achievements will we have 50 years from now? Here is my take: Some things to look forward to: Future cell phone: will be able to do everything today's computer's do plus much more, including making video calls, projecting movies on walls, projecting a monitor and keyboard for you to use, streaming live TV, provide a gaming experience equivalent and beyond that found in the best PS3 and xbox360 games today. Future Cars: Flexible Fuel Systems, Active Tires, True Autopilot, Lane Changer Warning, Camless Engines, Self-Repairing, Self-Cleaning Paint, Navigation Systems With Real-Time Traffic Information, Self-Parking Cars, Electric Window Tinting, Keyless Entry and Ignition, Adaptive Brake Lights, Computer Center, Collision Mitigation Systems, Automotive Black Box, Economy Mode. Link Medical: Predictors of current and future risks for cancer and other diseases with just a drop of a baby's blood (DNA sample). - Handheld predictor for risk of certain cancers using saliva or blood samples (already in production = micro-array technology) Dental: Ever gone to a dentist for a filling or a crown, did he take an impression of your teeth with some bitter tasting stuff?...well soon there will be digital impressions of your teeth and the dentist will design the crown on the computer. - Lost a tooth, well no need to worry...we'll grow you a new one in a petri dish using some stem cells from you jaw. Other Stuff: - There will be state-wide wireless internet access. - No more paper books/textbooks/newspapers/magazines, people will use electronic readers to read (or have it read to them)...this is already out today. - Pets: small robot pets that look/feel/act like today's pets...already in development. - Home entertainment: Your wall is your TV/wallpaper/scenary and you control it with your voice or through a remote. Lets here your thoughts!
Future computers: Not anything like today's windows based computers...there is no need for a mouse/keyboard/lcd, everything is interactive with you fingers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fcKwelEayw
Who knows? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be around anymore! Hopefully, there won't be some great big nuclear war!
I envision more basic cybernetics Such as Cell Phone implants they experimenting with the Credit Card like implants now Computers will probably consist of at most a pair of glasses [or projector] and some special gloves Rocket River
There will be an automatic, inner spell check within everyone, so simple mistake will be avoided! Anti, 80 is the new 60 already....it'd be cool for 60 to be the new 30. I have no idea what advances we will make. I'd rather not make predictions because that would just get me riled up over nothing. I'm just gonna sit back, grow old, and watch.
Anyone ever get the feeling that the pace of technological advancement has been much slower the last 20 years than it should have been? Back in the 80's many envisioned flying cars and laser beams instead of bullets by 2006. Instead, things are still pretty much the same as they were in 1986. Pretty disappointing.
when something breaks down or needs help with it, we will end up calling the tech line, and some dude from India will pick up.
I think media as we know it will no longer exist the way we know it: books, movies, music, tv shows, video games. Eventually, there will be providers through cable or the internet that deliver whatever you want on demand. But I think it will work transparently...people will just turn on their TV's and search for a movie someone talked about at work...and there it is. Same for stereos, e-book readers, whatever. Just turn it on, and it just connects, and not necessarily the internet as we know it, they may be networks designed with protocols better suited for the delivery (TCP/IP is crap for video). Also, there will be a 24 hour cable channel of cats in space. You'll be able to watch cats humiliated by the rigors of zero g, doing common cat things, and yet it will be high comedy. No cats will be harmed in the process, of course. 50 years in the future there may very well be movies that are animated that look completely real. And eventually, SAG may have a problem with that, and keeping actors employed. I think movie theaters may die completely, but live theater will become more popular. I also think that that the line between amateurs and professionals in many fields will be blurred, like it is now for journalists and bloggers, unknown songwriters can become famous just for giving their songs away for free, and filmmakers may get popularity by doing the same with creative works. I think the age of 100 million dollar studio system movies will slowly die, and in its place will be a much bigger range of movies and series, that will be independantly made. There will be a million genres popping up as there is for music today. I think drum n bass will be a long forgotten genre of music, but people will still be listening to and making American music (jazz, blues, country, soul, gospel, rock). I think there will be odd economic unions created to compete with India/China/EU. I could see NAFTA expanded into a common currency and joining with the UK and Japan (and maybe Australia). Oceana anyone? I don't think fossil fuels will be used for transportation much, but what they end up using with is something far away from being imagined today. I also think most of the cities of the south and west of the US will eventually have public transportation systems (trains of some kind) because freeways and horizontal growth models will no longer work for cities like LA and Houston. I think at some point these things will come into fashion at some point in the next fifty years: bowties, skinny ties, charm bracelets, something resembling, but not quite nehru jackets, plaid jackets, and always something that as old people will think is too masculine for girls to be wearing and something too girly for guys to be wearing. I think there will be designer electronics, carrying a premium pricetag (stuff like cell phones, pda's computers, etc) that just are more stylish. I also think that there will be celebrity video gamers, as well as virtual brothels that will able to operate openly in most places. I also think there will be video game related deaths, and at least one personality disorder in the DSM-7 related to video games, as well as new physical ailments (something far and away from carpal tunnel) to describe common injuries from playing. I also think some drug company will develop designer drugs (recreational and medical), made specifically for a person's unique brain chemistry. I think paladium will eventually become very common for jewelry. There will be at least one professional sport that is in its infancy now that will be incredibly popular in 50 years. Last, I predict that as Spanish speaking people in the US (who are mostly Mexican) explode demographically and spread all over the country, some day, your grandchildren, or great-grandchildren will be able to have a decent Mexican meal in the Midwest or East Coast, maybe even in Japan or Europe. Americans will speak better Spanish and have informed opinions about soccer. That's enough for now.
