During the Next 100 Years…..
I expect we will have permanent bases on the Moon and on Mars.
We will probably have discovered life on other worlds that evolved independently.
We will have developed true Artificial Intelligence to a level at least as intelligent as we are.
We will have produced life in a laboratory from lifeless chemicals.
We will have used our knowledge of genetics to eliminate most heredity diseases.
Nuclear weapons will be used in a conflict either by nation states or terrorists.
We will finally realise that Global Warming is a ‘real and present danger’ and start doing something about it – but only after a series of warming induced disasters.
We will have figured out how to travel faster than light.
The average life expectancy will be in excess of 150 and much higher for the rich.
Nuclear fusion may have finally been developed to the point where it is producing usable energy.
The USA will no longer be the pre-eminent superpower after being passed by China.
About Me
- CyberKitten
- I have a burning need to know stuff and I love asking awkward questions.
9 comments:
I'd agree with all of these, except:
I don't think we'll figure out a practical way to travel faster than light and I strongly suspect we won't even get very close to it.
I suspect that the life expectancy for most people on the globe may actually decline signficantly.
I fully agree that computers will do things we can't imagine now. Once computational power is virtually limitless, computers will be able to sort through vast amounts of data to make, for example, predictions about things based on pattern recognition. I suspect that we will not only not be able to duplicate the processes ourself but that we'll scarcely be able to understand them.
I'd add that we may come to a point at which all the major testable hypotheses of science will have been answered and the scientific questions we'll be asking are trivial by current standards.
karlo said: I don't think we'll figure out a practical way to travel faster than light and I strongly suspect we won't even get very close to it.
Well, with our present technology we could probably get to 2 or 3%. We'd need something 'out of the box' to get any decent speed up, but I think our needs will push us to do it.
karlo said: I suspect that the life expectancy for most people on the globe may actually decline signficantly.
Why? Are you expecting hard times ahead? I think that we are leaving a tough legacy for our children & grand-children but I also think that they will be capable of rising to the challenge.
karlo finally said: I'd add that we may come to a point at which all the major testable hypotheses of science will have been answered and the scientific questions we'll be asking are trivial by current standards.
Eventually certainly. But I don't think it'll be anytime soon. Remember, at the end of the 19th century scientists thought that we'd pretty much solved all the hard problems - then came along Einstein. There's still quite a way to go yet.
I agree with most of your predictions except:
I don't believe we can achieve artificial intelligence without artificial consciousness.
Although I think global warming will be accepted as a reality, I don't think we'll do much to stop it, we'll more likely adapt to the consequences.
Light speed? It would take a major scientific breakthrough the likes of which we have never seen. Having said that... it could happen.
I'm not so sure it will be China, but there will be a great equalizing effect.
~Mike
I agree with Mr. A, I think AC will have to come with AI. I think we will see great strides scientifically, but I think our primitive natures will prevent us from being worthy of our creations. We'll find some way to "f" things up, we always do. Sorry, Eyeore reared his ugly head for a moment. Getting over a vicious cold and think maybe the drugs are getting to me. Ta-ta!
I think in 1000 years 90% of humans will be part Chinese.
wow, not too much for my kids to live up to then?:-)
I'm sure we will do oads of fantastic things in the next 100 years, but I seriously doubt that FTL travel will be sorted by then -a although faster than now travel will certainly be found!
I hope will will bases on the moon & mars - it' the obvious start to an expansion we need to look into properly, but without FTL I doubt we'll have made it to enough planets to find alien evolutions - even if we wer ble to recognis it.
Sadly I agree with the nuclear weapons scenario.
but hopefully most genetic disorders will be cured/curable & life expectancy will rise. I think this might be what pushes us off planet in the end.
I'm not sure bout AI & consciousness - I feel it's a subjective fear we are projecting unnecissarily. Computers are already more intellignt than us - can you do the calcultions even Mstr A's hand held game completes every second? But they are not aware of their surroundings in any way at all.
I don't pretend to guess hat amazing inventions will change the world over the next 100 years. Who in 1900 would've imagined mobile phones, the internet, washing ashines, £1 flights or plastic macs?
I think that hunger and poverty will increase dramatically as global warming reduces our abiblity to produce enough to feed the populace.
I think that there wil be a huge increase in unrest and violence world wide.
I also think that fundementalist Muslims and Christians will eventually throw us into a new dark ages, if the planet survivies at all.
And aren't I the Bluebird of Happness this morning.
mike said: I don't believe we can achieve artificial intelligence without artificial consciousness.
V V said: I agree with Mr. A, I think AC will have to come with AI.
Mrs A said: I'm not sure bout AI & consciousness - I feel it's a subjective fear we are projecting unnecissarily.
Personally I think that conscious self-awareness comes with complexity. The more complex we make our AI constructs the more conscious they will become.
Mike said: Light speed? It would take a major scientific breakthrough the likes of which we have never seen. Having said that... it could happen.
Mrs A said: I seriously doubt that FTL travel will be sorted by then -a although faster than now travel will certainly be found!
It'll certainly take a substantial brakthrough to go FTL. But I think that as our understanding of fundamental physical processes improves we'll be able to circumvent what seem like unsolvable problems right now.
BEAJ said: I think in 1000 years 90% of humans will be part Chinese.
Quite possibly.... After all they do say that every 4th child is Chinese - which is why my mother stopped @ 3. [grin]
GWB said: And aren't I the Bluebird of Happness this morning.
I hope your mood has improved as the coffee arrived!
I expect we will have permanent bases on the Moon and on Mars.
Quite possibly.
We will probably have discovered life on other worlds that evolved independently.
No chance, or next to no chance.
We will have developed true Artificial Intelligence to a level at least as intelligent as we are.
Doubt it.
We will have produced life in a laboratory from lifeless chemicals.
Probably.
We will have used our knowledge of genetics to eliminate most heredity diseases.
Probably
Nuclear weapons will be used in a conflict either by nation states or terrorists.
Probably
We will finally realise that Global Warming is a ‘real and present danger’ and start doing something about it – but only after a series of warming induced disasters.
Need a more intelligent US president than Bush then.
We will have figured out how to travel faster than light.
Not in the next million years.
The average life expectancy will be in excess of 150 and much higher for the rich.
Almost certainly not, too many people in the west already die of old age and not of illness. If average age was to rise to 150 we'd have a few people living to that age now.
Nuclear fusion may have finally been developed to the point where it is producing usable energy.
Not a clue.
The USA will no longer be the pre-eminent superpower after being passed by China.
Possibly but not likely, more likely to be as per the 60's.
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