2020 Predictions for the next decade and Beyond - EndFatigue
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2020 predictions
By Eric J. Leech
2020
Predictions for
the Next Decade
and Beyond
Synthetic blood made from ‘plas-
robot woman Photo: sarah
tic’ hemoglobin will save lives, ro-
bots will aid surgeons in delicate
procedures, bones will be healed
in 24 hours thanks to protein
building bone injections, and tam-
pering with DNA could become the
newest form of steroid abuse.
From the beginning of the millennium through 2010, we saw a lot of changes. We read about
rising pollution, rising temperatures, and the inevitable depletion of natural resources. We
experienced a landslide of new technologies, ranging from high speed 3G wireless to the in-
troduction of consumer-based electric vehicles. Dave Evans, the Cisco Futurist of IBSG, Cisco
Systems Inc., reminds us that in all our technological glory, we actually only know five
percent of what we will know in the next 50 years. “In other words,” describes Evans. “In
50 years, 95 percent of what we will know, will have been discovered in the past 50 years.”
Abstract Architecture Interior Photo: urban glimpses
Personal Cyber-Software
& Products Fingerprint and iris (eye) crime. According to Frank we will all be given a
Predictions
Thanks to popular scanning could replace Sowa, futurist and CEO of starring role. In addition,
Computers
social networking sites, the common wallet, but The Xavier Group, crimi- improved capabilities of
According to Dave Evans,
the next generation Esther Swilley, assistant nals in the year 2025 data storage will allow
in terms of information
of teenagers will find professor of marketing at may have the choice to such captured footage to
saved and spent, we can
themselves with more Kansas State University, undergo emotion control be stored indefinitely.
expect our own personal
friends (cyberfriends) believes consumers will chip implants to correct
computer storage needs
around the world, than also be pushed towards behavioral disorders. Medical
to escalate from today’s
in their own city/school. using wallet phones. While nanotechnology
128 gigabytes, to 130
By 2020, almost every These combination According to Gene has been given a bad
terabytes by the year
electronic device will cell phone, credit card, Stephens, author of name by conspiracy
2020. Also in 2020, he
be capable of universal (electronic) car keys, Cybercrime in the year theorists, in the medical
believes a run of the
language translation. etc., will not warm up 2025, while our own field it will allow drugs to
mill, $1,000 quantum
Thanks to accelerated to consumers easily, personal security may be distributed to specific
computer (harnessing
3D software, we will considering misplaced be compromised with areas of the body where
the power of atoms and
no longer be limited cell phones are an all too technology, the security they can do the most
molecules) will contain
to web-cams and chat common occurrence. of businesses and gov- good. This will decrease
the raw processing
rooms, but will use our ernment will only grow the amount of side
potential of the human
avatar’s (digital image Security, Crime, stronger as they discover effects normally caused
brain. Once these
of self) to meet up with and Privacy new ways to bring mass by destructive chemo-
systems have been fully
other friend’s avatars to Speaking of misplaced surveillance to society. therapy, such as Taxol.
integrated (2050), the
shop, travel the world, phones, identity theft Nothing we say or do Synthetic blood made
raw processing power
and engage in romantic and personal security will go unseen/unheard. from ‘plastic’ hemoglobin
of that same $1,000
dating. Such popular will become one of the Millions of nanodevices will save lives, robots will
system, will match
websites as Second Life number one threats/ will weave across tele- aid surgeons in delicate
the neural computing
and Weopia have already crimes in North America. phones, IP addresses, procedures, bones
power of the entire
opened these opportuni- Millions of consumers walls, and possibly will be healed in 24
world (which in terms
ties, but such interac- will have their checking even our own bodies hours thanks to protein
of 2050, will be about 9
tions will only become and savings accounts (implants), creating a building bone injections,
billion brains).
more commonplace. threatened by cyber- center stage from which and tampering with
64 || summer 2010
DNA could become the Global water short- While China and India of the world will have Global Warming
newest form of steroid ages will continue to hit are currently the fastest electricity, which is a 10 The MET office (UK’s na-
abuse. countries hard, due to growing world powers, percent improvement tional weather service),
both drought and the they will also become from 1970. has released reports on
According to Frank Sowa gradual rise in sea level. one of the most polluted the likelihood of global
and Forecasting Inter- It is estimated by author and dangerous to live in. Over the next decade, warming, and worst case
national, doctors will be Lester R. Brown that This is due to their rapid the world will harness scenario temperatures
able to fully regenerate fresh water could be industrialization, which new energy like never could rise as much as
artificial limbs in 2022, reduced an additional is growing faster than before. Large propellers 4°C by 2060. This may
infectious diseases not seem like much, but
will be eliminated by consider an increase
2028, and artificial brain of 3°C could transform
implants will become a Amazon rain forests into
reality by 2030. As far as
advancements in den-
Experts desert, and 4°C could
melt Alpine glaciers,
tistry go, Sowa believes predict submerge low-lying
nanobots in toothpastes
could be programmed to water will landforms, and acceler-
ate drought and mass
liquid ball Photo: Serp
attack plaque (2020). eventually animal/plant extinction.
Some experts predict
Doctor/patient relation- replace oil scientists may look
ships will be forever
changed with the addi- as the most towards such short-term
solutions as injecting
tion of online consulta-
tions aided by web-cam.
valued sulfur dioxide aerosols
into the atmosphere
Jacob Teitelbaum M.D.,
author of the iPhone
commodity to reflect sunlight, or
fertilizing oceans with
application, Natural for the iron (Geritol Solution)
Cures, believes patients
will start the process at
21st to bolster algae growth
(extract more CO2). Most
home entering all symp-
toms into an analysis
century. agree, however, that the
hidden effects of such
program. “The computer solutions would prove
will analyze (this infor- far worse than doing
mation) and determine nothing.
the likely treatments and
tests needed,” explains Transportation
Dr. Teitelbaum. “Then By the year 2025, most
it makes a complete experts agree that the
medical record of your number of vehicles in the
case, which your doctor 50 percent of what safety/pollution controls situated above highways world will rise from their
has in hand when you had been previously are being put into place. could collect power from current 800 million, to
see them.” thought. Fresh water Not only will these coun- passing vehicles, power- over a billion. Hydrogen
will become an increas- tries suffer from more ing lights and signs. may be the fuel of choice
ingly valued commod- acid rain, deforestation, Architects may incor- by 2020, considering
World Predictions ity, offset slightly and toxic pollution porate special flooring its ease of liquification
Natural Resources by the adoption of levels, citizens will be in new buildings, which and clean, nitrogen
vs. Conservation desalination plants. five times more likely to will harness electricity emissions, but the zero
The measure of natural Experts predict water die of pollution-related through the vibration/ emissions of electric
resources and our ability will eventually replace pulmonary disease, than friction of walking. vehicles should also be a
to conserve them has oil as the most valued the average Canadian. Nanodevices, used for consideration. The battle
been a big topic over commodity for the 21st Ultimately we will all suf- personal electronic of hydrogen vs. electric
the past decade, and century. fer from this negligence, devices (MP3 players, has only begun, but Chel-
will continue to be. considering the earth’s cell phones), may use the sea Sexton (Who Killed
ozone will be depleted an flow of our own blood to the Electric Car) believes
additional three percent recharge. electric will win out. “I
by 2017, according to don’t personally believe
the National Center for Solar, wind, and ocean we will see hydrogen
Atmospheric Research. current, which are on a mass scale for
currently considered decades,” says Sexton,
New Forms of Energy ‘alternative’ forms of en- referring to their trillion
Organizations today are ergy, will become more dollar infrastructure.
working harder than ever mainstream, powering “Hydrogen is the perfect
to place electricity in 30 percent of the world example of just because
impoverished countries, (as compared to today’s you can, doesn’t mean
such as Uganda, which 17 percent). By 2025, as that you should.”
currently has only 3.7 many as 1,000 nuclear
percent of its country- power plants could be By 2020, bio-diesel
side electrified. The operational. Without made from soybean,
modern day miracle of alternatives, the world’s wheat, corn, sugarcane,
light will allow many thirst for oil will continue and algae, will be used
parts of the world to draining its dwindling for 30 percent of all
work, read, and do supply (which will have commercial/consumer
homework during the peaked by 2020) by an vehicles, according to
evenings. It is estimated additional 40 percent global market surveys.
that by 2030, 83 percent each year. While flying cars have
summer 2010 || 65
environment, and worshiping Mayans—
politics. “This is not occult writings or
Nanobots the beginning of a war
waged by machines
sayings of people like
Nostradamus—(and)
in tooth- against men, or vice
versa,” says Dr. Thaler,
information encoded
in the Bible.”
pastes reassuringly.
According to Kling,
could Dr. Thaler is the father
of the “Creativity
there are 5 signs
before Armageddon
be pro- Machine,” which is an
A.I. program capable
will occur. One, a
declaration of Peace,
grammed of composing music,
inventing products
followed by a nuclear
attack. Two, the
to attack (Oral-B CrossAction
toothbrush), and
formation of a one
world government,
plaque even training robotic
cockroaches. But the
caused by the nuclear
disaster. Three, an
most interesting end to all religion.
(2020). concept here is that Four, world wide un-
while Dr. Thaler may rest, and finally, a sign
be the mastermind in the sky (most likely
behind the ‘machine’, the comet as foretold
the machine has since by Nostradamus).
been predicted by for territory. In addi- creasing dominant taken over, and is
futurists since the tion, if warming trends world power over now the mastermind Many clairvoyants
1960s, their weight uncover new habitable this next decade. The behind its own inven- from California
to propulsion ratio has areas in the Arctic, new world powers tions. What will they Psychics, believe
limited such technology smaller countries will to watch for are the (computers) think of 2012 will not have any
to only the very wealthy. not be the only ones Dragon (China) and next? significant meaning
This decade, with the interested. Larger the Tiger (India). Over to our lives. “It will be
Terrafugia Transition world powers may not the short haul, the The Question of much like the scare
and M400 Skycar care as much about ad- Dragon will easily Whether or Not of 1999,” says Joey.
($200,000+) leading the ditional territory, but dominate the first We are Alone There are also those
way, personalized flight they will be interested half of the century, Many scientists that predict only a
may one day become in their untapped oil building its military, believe that with the slight disturbance. “A
affordable for all. resources. negotiating the rapid advancement mass power outage
world’s remaining of telescopes and due to a solar flair,
Population Trends As far as the warfare oil supplies, and space missions, we but the government
According to Statistics itself goes, the great- educating their youth will have an answer could prevent it.”
Canada for Canadian est threat in the future to prospective lead- by the end of this says Rondalafay.
Heritage, by 2031, over a will be terrorists and ers, scientists, and decade, as to whether “We might have a
quarter of the Canadian bio-attacks. According doctors. The Tiger’s or not we are alone. computer glitch—have
population will be for- to author, Marvin J. democratic leanings, There have been over some money on hand,”
eign born. This is nearly Cetron, most extremist diplomatic freedom, 300 planets discov- warns Sherie. One
double the proportion terrorist groups will and concentration on ered; exemplifying psychic sees a slightly
reported by the 2006 acquire the technology defense rather than everything needed larger disturbance.
Caduceus Medical Symbol Photo: Bob Hemphill
Census. Vancouver and of nuclear weapons by military dominance, for life, according to “There will be a major
Toronto will house the 2020. Bio-attack will will offer more Harvard astronomer, physical catastrophe
majority of these explod- involve nanoparticles, economic viability/ Dimitar Sasselov. It is (climate change),”
ing populations (growing bacteria, and/or stability over the long likely one will offer says Winter. “(But) it
at 4X the rate of the rest viruses sent undetect- haul, making India the the proof we’ve been will spark more human
of the population), which ably through the air, more likely dominant looking for. compassion and kind-
will equate to about 60 reaching behind enemy power for the second ness.” Another psychic
percent of both cities’ lines and/or populated half of the century. Armageddon: sees very positive
total population. cities, killing large 2012 change. “There will be
amounts of people A.I. A big scare over the a significant increase
War with minimal manpow- Artificial Intelligence next two years will in the spiritual aware-
Many experts believe er. According to Frank (A.I.) is always a hot be ‘Armageddon’, ness of our world,”
the possibilities of Sowa and Forecasting topic, and while some or what others are says Riley.
‘Hot Wars’ could be International, robotic predict such technolo- calling the prophecy
escalated due to global warriors may become gy is on its way, others, of the Mayans: 2012. “2020—will be
warming and diminish- the foot soldier by the such as Dr. Stephen “We have uncovered business as usual
Futuristic Hallway Photo: Spectral-Design
ing resources. Accord- year 2022. In addition, L. Thaler, President many prophecies for the human race,”
ing to a CNA (Center ‘optical cloaking’, a & CEO of Imagination about the last days says Dr. Stephen L.
for Naval Assessment) technology capable of Engines, claim it is of this world,” says Thaler. “The battle
report, there are two bending light around already here. Despite Peter Kling, author for gold and pleasure,
factors which will objects (invisibility) is countless warnings of Letters to Earth... lots of new gadgets,
increase the threat currently under design from futuristic movies, You Can Survive conflicts galore, and
of war, crowding and and testing. such as Terminator and Armageddon! “These plenty of spin control
competition for habit- iRobot, we are moving prophecies come to convince us that we
able land. As global World towards a world of from many peoples in are in a new and won-
warming depletes land Domination artificial intelligence, many lands and have derful age, helping to
and resources, smaller According to Frank which will one day been the basis for channel the gleaming
countries will battle Sowa, North America control our finances, religious beliefs of yellow metal in the
neighboring countries will find itself a de- health, education, cultures like the sun right directions.”
66 || summer 2010
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