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FUTURE PERFECT: PREDICTIONS FOR THE YEARS 2030 - 2045 AND SO ON ...

Earth 2030 – healthier, safer, more enjoyable

By Dick Pelletier

            What will life be like in 2030? Those who ponder such things, futurists and other visionaries, suggest exciting and sometimes fantastic possibilities. As we begin our trek into the world of tomorrow, predictions of things to come rush towards us at breathtaking speeds.

            Experts predict that between now and 2020, we will see more science and technology advances than we experienced during the entire 20^th century – and from 2020 to 2100, developments will outpace the last 20,000 years of human progress.

            Nobody knows for sure what will happen in the future, but by projecting present-day knowledge, we can make plausible guesses. Hollywood creates fantastic futures, but they always talk about worlds gone mad, or make it sound so negative that none of us would ever want to live there.

            But from research that’s underway today, and scientific projections of things to come, we can piece together a probable future world, and what life might be like living in that world. Readers are invited to track me down in 25 years and tell me whether I was right or wrong.

People

            World population has climbed to 9.3 billion, and most people look forward to a life expectancy of 200 years or more. Advanced nanotech has eliminated world hunger in 2030 and could, experts say, provide a comfortable life on Earth for up to 100 billion people in the future.

            A 2004 Scientific American magazine article projection that one in five Americans would be senior citizens by 2030, proved far too conservative. Biotech breakthroughs have provided tremendous improvements in health care, which has slashed death rates far beyond what most pundits had predicted; and during this same time, public apathy towards creating children simply to "continue the family line” has resulted in fewer births. Nearly half the US population is over 65 in 2030.

The world death rate has decreased annually from 55 million in 2004 to 35 million in 2020, to 5 million in 2030. Accidents are the leading cause of death in 2030, and forward-thinkers believe that by 2040 or before, all unwanted deaths will be eliminated; providing an indefinite lifespan for everyone.

            Most senior citizens opt for genetic rejuvenation, which provides stronger internal organs, bones and muscles; and a more resilient, youthful looking skin. Those who have undergone this procedure do not consider themselves old – they have the look and feel of a 20-something. Seniors, with their vast memories, strong minds, and youthful bodies, are envied and respected everywhere. China has revered their older population for centuries – now, the rest of the world is following suit.

            Earth is safer and more enjoyable in 2030 than it was during the turbulent ‘teens and early 20s. Mind-expanding sciences eventually gained the upper hand on terror threats bringing peace to nearly all the world.

            The U.S., China, and European Union have maintained a united bond over the last 10 years, which has spurred freedom and growth in most of the world’s under-developed regions.

Energy

            Most of the world’s energy will soon come from fusion reactors. Industrial development of this inexhaustible energy is in full swing everywhere. However, in 2030, driverless cars still operate with electric motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells that last for the life of the vehicle.

Weaponry

            Non-lethal arsenals make up most world defense systems. These nanotech humanitarian weapons do not injure or kill; they use special procedures that temporarily disrupt the enemy’s thoughts – taking away all desires to fight. However, most countries will soon be manning their war machines with robots – removing humans completely from risks of war.

Biotech

            2010 to 2020 was heralded as the "golden age of biotech”. Stem cell and other gene therapies made replacement organs affordable to nearly everyone. Most people now live in a healthy body immune from disease and aging, with a life expectancy of 200 years or more.

Nanotech

    2020 to 2035 is considered the "golden age of nanotech”, and it has taken center stage throughout the world in 2030.

 Nano-replicators have been perfected over the last five years, and are beginning to appear on kitchen counters everywhere. These "miracle” machines provide food, clothing, and appliances for families at little or no cost. Replicators are affecting world commerce unlike anything ever before in history. Old economics based on scarcity and prices have mostly disappeared. This has transformed the workplace – eliminating most human labor – while raising living standards around the world.

Most inventors provide replicators free, and charge a small fee for software that gives the machine its building instructions. Receiving food and household items at little or no cost has dramatically cut living costs. Workers spend less time on the job because they need less money to live on. This results in more time for fun and recreation with family and friends.

Software costs represent the largest family expense in 2030. To replicate a new car, TV, food, or other items desired, software is ordered via the Internet which instructs replicators to build the item(s) using raw materials such as dirt, air, and seawater.

Also, recently developed nanobots – tiny cell-repair mechanisms that roam throughout the human body to locate and correct health problems before they start – are beginning to appear. Nanotech is revolutionizing manufacturing, health care, travel, energy, food supply, and warfare – it’s no wonder people refer to this amazing technology as "the most hyped science of all time”.

Beyond 2030

The Singularity: Researchers anxiously await the arrival of the singularity, a point in time expected around the mid-2030s, when many believe that computer/robots will surpass humans in intelligence. As silicon creations reach this critical level and learn to duplicate themselves; they will add more brainpower to each succeeding generation they construct. This will cause an explosion of information, unlike anything the world has ever seen. Experts predict these super-intelligent robots will maintain a strong bond with their creators and share this newly-gained information with humans through human-machine interfaces.

 Mind Uploading: By 2035, advanced quantum computing has enabled researchers to unravel the mysteries of our 100 billion neurons and the trails each neuron leaves when it communicates with approximately 10,000 other neurons. Memories, personality, and feelings – non-physical elements that describe a human being – can now be scanned and uploaded into a robot, or newly-cloned human body, enabling life to continue indefinitely. Although few people want to live forever, most believe the choice of life, or death should be theirs – not left to some accident.

Restoring the Cryogenically-Suspended: Advanced nanotech and neuronal research have enabled resuscitation of cryonic patients whose brains have been neuro-preserved. This new life-sparking procedure captures complete past memories and personality traits and processes them for upload into a new body with an enormous increase in brain power. By 2039, many formerly deceased "cryonics” have experienced happy reunions with loved ones and descendants. Restored patients undergo extensive counseling that helps them adjust to 2030s Earth life. Scientists feel confident that procedures to revive all cryonic-preserved patients will soon be developed.

Are we alone? Humans have never accepted the idea that only Earth harbors life. Most experts believe that humanoid-type life, with sense organs like ours, has probably developed in other places and times – although skin type, facial arrangement, number of digits etc. could differ from ours.

The question of whether alien planets have intelligent beings on them is still unanswered in 2030. Experts even disagree that intelligence of human quality is the normal culmination of evolution. But the proposed "worm-hole” project – which will enable instant information exchange to vast distances in space – is expected to get underway sometime between 2040 and 2050. People are hopeful that alien life forms will be discovered sometime during the last half of this century.

Will this future happen?

British Telecom’s Ian Pearson suggests that advances in genetics and nanotech expected by 2030 will be sufficient for us to make a realistic stab at ending death.

Clearly the road to this mind-boggling future winds around unknown, possibly even dangerous turns. But strong commerce and government support is driving this optimistic vision forward – and it promises to unfold in our lifetime. Get ready to enjoy!

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome

11 predictions for the year 2030

The website I Look Forward To has released a list of 11 predictions for the year 2030. Bear in mind that these are predictions from optimistic futurists, who believe in things like singularities and living forever.

Nevertheless such predictions always make for interesting reading. And to spark a discussion, after the list, I’ve picked the three predictions I think will definitely happen, and the three that definitely won’t. I invite you to do the same.

1. By 2030, learning a second language will no longer be necessary thanks to machine translation.

2. By 2030, thousands, perhaps millions, of people will have a life expectancy of 150 years.

3. By 2030, only 2 percent of the world’s population will live in extreme poverty.

4. By 2030, the best food will be grown in skyscrapers.

5. By 2030, driverless cars will be commonplace.

6. By 2030, 18 cities will have more than 20 million inhabitants, and New York City will be the 16th largest city in the world.

7. By 2030, automated flying drones will transport humans.

8. By 2030, space tourism will be common, and 40,000 humans will be working in orbit.

9. By 2030, most film actors will be out of work due to competition from cheap computer animated actors.

10. By 2030, China will have 250 cities with more than one million inhabitants.

11. By 2030, a large number of people will have robot lovers.

THREE   THAT   WILL   HAPPEN:

Driverless cars: I definitely see this happening soon, at the very least on highways. It just makes too much sense from a safety and traffic management standpoint.

18 cities with 20 million people: A no brainer. Urban growth in developing countries is staggering.

No second language: This — a computer that fits in your ear or perhaps even directly interfaces with your brain — is going to happen fairly soon. Look at the evolution of smart phones. The iPhone 24 is going to kick some serious butt.

THREE   THAT   WON’T    HAPPEN:

Space tourism: While I agree that there will probably be a viable space tourism market by 2030, I have a very hard time seeing 40,000 humans working in orbit, let alone 400. The costs of access to space during the last couple of decades have increased, not fallen, and given our current budget mess I’m disinclined to think the federal government is going to give commercial space a significant nudge any time soon. Hope I’m wrong.

World poverty: It will take extraordinary technological and political changes to raise the 1.5 billion around the world from extreme poverty (they live on $1.25 a day, or less), and 20 years isn’t enough.

Automated drones: Forget the technological hurdles to this one, I’m thinking security issues make it highly unlikely that we see hordes of automated, flying drones traversing the skies above our cities any time soon.

2035 - Biostasis in Space

As technology accelerates, space travel is expected to become as prevalent and easy as people expected it to be by now. In the 1930s, some people expected humans would have accomplished intergalactic travel by the year 2006. While that was not the case, it is expected that by 2035 it will be possible for astronauts to travel extremely far distances to visit other planets without aging.
If teleportation has not yet been accomplished at this point, humans will enter into a state of hibernation for long journeys. The body's metabolism will be slowed to prevent aging on trips that last several decades. The astronauts or travelers will sleep the entire trip while being connected to drips that will provide them with nutrients and vitamins necessary to live.

2045 or Beyond - The Singularity

The Singularity is a phrase that describes a time at which the simultaneous acceleration of nanotechnology, robotics and genetics change our environment beyond the ability of humans to comprehend or predict. At this point, new realities will prevail and there will be a new norm. Scientists, including National Technology Medal winner Ray Kurzweil (author of "The Singularity is Near") say economic, social and political structures will completely change - possibly overnight. Vernor Vinge, a scientist and teacher, says The Singularity could arrive as instantly as an earthquake and completely change all terrain as we know it.
"When greater-than-human intelligence drives progress," Vinge writes, "that progress will be much more rapid." This accelerating loop of self-improving intelligence could cause a large jump in progress in a very brief period of time - this is being called a "hard takeoff" by people interested in this theory of development.
Kurzweil sees a more gradual acceleration - a "soft takeoff" - one in which humans work to also extend their intellectual capacity to keep up with artificially intelligent entities. Still, he predicts that The Singularity could come as soon as 2045.
The Singularity presents the idea that biological life may eventually be replaced by self-engineering, self-replicating intelligences. Some people posit the extreme, "grey goo" scenario, in which nanotechnology - not the sleek, humanoid robots seen in popular films, but a mass of gunk - displaces humans. Some researchers say that matter could be engineered to embody vast computational capacities - that entire planets or stars may be converted to what is sometimes called "computronium," a form of matter that is an intelligence.

2040 to 2045 - Space Elevator/Moon Base

Planning has already begun for a carbon nanotube cable to run from one or more floating ocean platforms to one or more satellites, connecting Earth to space. Cargo and passengers will be sent up and down the cable as on a really, really tall elevator. The orbiting station to which each cable connects can be used as a launching area for further space exploration, a space-based observation post and a facility for accomplishing experiments and manufacturing efforts that are best completed in zero gravity. A village on the moon will also be established.

Other Possibilities by 2026-2045

The following are excerpted from the British Telecom Technology Timeline (information was compiled f by Ian Neild and Ian Pearson from worldwide sci-tech reports in 2005):

• AI entity sets up higher-level prize for advanced intelligence
• Learning superseded by transparent interface to smart computer
• Robots physically and mentally superior to humans
• Emulation of bio life form inside the computer using protein emulation
• Living genetically engineered teddy bear
• Production, storage, and use of antimatter
• Space factories for commercial production
• First war without any casualties from friendly fire
• Robots outnumber soldiers on battlefield
• Smart bacteria used as military threat to mankind
• Attacks based on facilitating natural disasters
• Smart-bacteria weapons
• Gated cities for civilized people
• Use of solar wind deflectors to set fire to cities
• Nanotech-based virus communicable between machines and people, sent over net
• Asteroid diversion used as weapon
• Moon base the size of small village
• Insect-sized robots banned in gardens due to effects on wildlife
• Robotic delivery for internal mail
• Robotic exercise companion
• More robots than people in developed countries
• Android gladiators
• Genetic modification used to make organic robots
• i-Robot-style robots with polymer muscles and strong AI
• Emotion transmission and conversion (feel love or anger)
• Digital image overlays enhance relationships
• Global voting is held on some issues
• Network-based telepathy begins to take place online
• Language teaching decline due to machine translation services
• Learning superseded by transparent interface to smart computers
• 95 percent of people in advanced nations are computer literate
• VR extensively used in retirement homes
• Restricted capability home genetic engineering kits
• Experience recording allows retention of complete set of sensations
• "Running man"-style entertainment shows using androids
• Widespread use of sensors in the countryside
• Artificial precipitation induction & control
• Global environmental-management corporations
• Electronic memory enhancement
• Many new forms of plants and animals from genetic engineering
• Nanobots in toothpaste attack plaque
• Fully functioning artificial eyes
• Electronic brain implants
• Genetic, chemical, and physiological bases of human behavior understood
• First Bionic Olympics
• e-babies, genetic conception
• DNA compression used to create optimal organisms
• Virus crosses over from machine to human
• Synthetic immune system
• Artificial peripheral nerves
• Sims game using real genetics

1. China & North Korea will be free from the communist rules so will be smaller states like Vietnam, Laos, etc.
2. China will be more accommodating to the needs of other nations to fulfill her role as a leader in the world theater.
3. Pakistan will be a terror free state. A union of South East countries of Indian subcontinent in likes of European Union will be formed.
4. European Union shall be more united, cohesive to counter the weights of China-India.
5. USA will be one among equals but her dominance will be reduced.
6. There will be several world currencies instead of one i.e. US $
7. African Nations will be awakened. More dictators will be in power. Enormous wealth of African nations will bring China-India-European countries and USA to their doorsteps.
8. Equality and freedom of women shall be established in Muslim countries.
9. Stem cell therapies will replace most surgeries as unnecessary.
10. Technology will be developed to read human and animal thoughts rendering smartphones of today as museum items.
11. Water will be a more precious commodity than oil. De-salinization of ocean waters will be an absolute must for all countries.
12. People across globe will be using micro- gardening to grow their own food.
13. Processed food will be a fact of the history.
14. Current education system from primary to college shall fail on its own burden. Instead world knowledge hubs shall be developed worldwide as distribution system to all who need them. Parents will be teachers in new systems. College education shall be through technology via world knowledge hubs.
15. Current marriage system shall survive but on a need basis only.
16. Visa system to travel shall be abolished but passports shall survive.
17. Travel across globe shall be much faster, cheaper and comfortable. Commuting around the world would be more common.
18. Many office chores will be taken over by robots.
19. Corporations shall be required to have board members from consumer groups and public at large.
20. Influence of the lobbyists shall be minimized with credible election reforms and the public financings of election candidates. (This is on my wish list)
21. I will be a dead person so you will not have to beat me up for not being correct on any of the above prophesies. Now its your turn to add your prophesies below.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 18th, 2011 at 6:11 pm and is filed under Just for Fun. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.