-Caveat Lector-
Forecasts for living in 21st century
Changes expected
Forecasts for living in 21st
century
Jan. 1, 2000
Imminent:
Exercise will promote mental
well-being as well as a healthier
body, helping people fight chronic
pain, depression, chemical
dependence and even
schizophrenia.
The 21st century could see
widespread infertility and falling
birth rates.
Farmers will become genetic
engineers, growing vaccines as
well as food.
The end of blue-collar work may be
near in the United States, as the
economy continues to move from
a heavy manufacturing base to a
knowledge base.
Cybergambling will continue to
spread because of consumer
demand and because it is almost
impossible to enforce local laws
against it.
Scientific progress will change our
concept of God rather than
extinguish faith.
New non-lethal weapons will offer
the military and police a greater
range of options as they confront
more complicated operations and
decisions in the post-Cold War
world.
The future of business lies not in
selling products but in selling
dreams and emotions.
Businesses may increasingly
abandon company picnics and
office parties as American society
becomes more and more litigious.
Diamonds will become future
engineers' best friend, making air
bags smarter, factories cleaner,
computer screens thinner, and
aircraft faster.
As the American population ages
and some adults are obliged to
take care of elderly parents as
well as their own children,
employers may offer more
elder-care facilities to go along
with child care.
A growing trend toward behavioral
medicine means physicians will
increasingly prescribe responsible
pleasures such as artistry,
sexuality and satisfying work.
Superterrorism may rise as
biological, chemical and other
weapons fall into the hands of
growing numbers of the world's
disenfranchised. Citizens may
increasingly trade civil liberties for
safety and security.
Parents' resources may be
diverted from their children to
aging relatives, as people live
longer and longer.
Public schools will lose influence
to private educational efforts as
venture capitalists move into the
lucrative education market.
Professional educators may quit
the public system and go into
business for themselves.
Microbe prospecting in Mexico
may yield many important new
drugs and industrial products.
Mexico contains more than 14
percent of the world's plant
species in its richly diverse
habitats.
As farmland shrinks and
populations expand, meeting
future demands for food will
require more-productive use of
land. The only way to do this
without destroying the planet is to
bioengineer better foods.
Down the road to 2100
2003: Life-saving artificial blood
will become a reality.
2006: A new political party may
arise in the United States that
combines the Republicans'
emphasis on personal
responsibility and discipline with
the Democrats' commitment to
charity and compassion.
2007: The mutual fund industry
won't even be called that. The
term mutual fund will be much too
confining to encompass the
various types of mixed investment
vehicles that will be available to
investors around the world.
2009: Personal computers will
have a whole new meaning:
people will have a dozen or so
computers on, in and around their
bodies. These computers will
monitor health; aid in navigation;
and perform functions similar to
cellular phones, Web browsers and
pagers.
2010: Biomonitoring devices that
resemble wristwatches will
provide wearers with up-to-the
minute data about their health
status.
2014: The wealthy of the
developed nations will enjoy major
organ replacements with
astonishing medical warranties.
Vaccines and other drugs will
become a normal ingredient in
foods and beverages.
2015: The number of
telecommuters will rise above 100
million, helping to distribute
worldwide wealth more rapidly,
reduce global pollution, and
transfer real estate values.
2016: Field-powered temporary
incapacitation devices will be
surgically implanted in criminals
who are repeat offenders.
2020: Look for electronic tutors
with encyclopedic knowledge of
dozens of subjects and the ability
to download instructional
information and interactive
assignments in dozens of
languages, at a cost of 1 penny
per course.
2025: Water scarcity could
threaten 1 billion people.
2029: Brain implants will so
enhance people's perceptual and
cognitive abilities that those who
don't use them won't be able to
participate in meaningful
conversations with those who do.
2035: The human population will
level off, while pet populations will
increase dramatically.
2049: Genetically engineered
plants or bacteria will provide us
with many substances - such as
ingredients for plastics and paints
- that used to be made in chemical
processing facilities.
2065: Hermetically sealed mall
cities where people live and work
become a popular means of
alternative housing to cut down on
commuting, environmental decline
and viral outbreaks.
2080: Flying machines that
feature automated piloting and
collision avoidance will be
available at a price almost anyone
can afford.
2100: By now, 90 percent of the
world's 6,000 languages could be
extinct.
* * *
Compiled by Thomas Ropp of The
Arizona Republic, with reports from
The Futurist Magazine and JRM&A
Webflux Magazine.
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