2100: What will life be like by then? What will humanity have accomplished by then?

[Danoff]

I'm hoping for a major materials breakthrough by then. Nanotubes is currently what my money is on, but it seems almost more likely that it'll come from some area we don't expect.

It's hard to even fathom what such a breakthrough could entail. Much like people in the 1800s trying to get a handle on what life would be like when the light bulb was invented before it was invented, or the airplane. I mean, if you're living in the late 1800s, you'd think people were out of their minds if they told you that a few short decades later people would be fighting wars with something called an airplane. You'd think they were out of their minds. It'd be like trying to describe the internet to someone from the early 80s.

Nanotubes have the potential to completely change... well... basically everything. Space travel, air travel, ground travel, architecture....

As the internet improves, I think less traveling will occur and humanity will spread out into largely unpopulated regions. You may never meet your employer face-to-face, your company may not even have a single building. Commuting could easily be a thing of the past. Fuel consumption could drop extraordinarily low.

I'm also really hoping for a breakthrough in solar panels. It's an area with intensive research that, with a little luck, could also change just about ever facet of life. I think it's entirely possible that by 2100 your house could be in the middle of nowhere, without a single power or telephone line connected to it (which means I'll lose a fortune in real estate). You'll go to work in your living room via webconference, your kids will go to school in their living room via webconference. Your food will be delivered to your door - having been ordered by your refrigerator on amazon.com. Your car will never need gas, will weigh very little, and will run a battery charged by your roof.

It's funny just how connected and yet completely disconnected that lifestyle is. Far from everyone. Not interacting personally with many people - yet in touch with people all over the world at the push of a button.

 

[Philly]

As the internet improves, I think less traveling will occur and humanity will spread out into largely unpopulated regions. You may never meet your employer face-to-face, your company may not even have a single building.

...

You'll go to work in your living room via webconference, your kids will go to school in their living room via webconference.

It's funny just how connected and yet completely disconnected that lifestyle is. Far from everyone. Not interacting personally with many people - yet in touch with people all over the world at the push of a button.

Facebook? GTP? We are quickly headed in that direction. We will probably all be hermit socially incapable losers before too long. Never see a real person. Never meet your girlfriend. Never have kids unless they set up something like the "mating meetings" like they describe in every communism novel?

And I would expect two, maybe three or four breakthroughs as, or mroe important as aviation, the internet or gasoline engine. I think it will be these inventions that prevent us from thinking about imagining what the future will be like.

 

[superberkut]

There will likely be a large increase of the population with brain tumours, what with most of the North American/European contingents having them. The worst will be for those whom really use their minutes...

A crazy Ace Combat fan will erect that giant laser, saving us if the asteroid hits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur_%28laser%29#Excalibur

 

[Danoff]

There will likely be a large increase of the population with brain tumours, what with most of the North American/European contingents having them. The worst will be for those whom really use their minutes...

...and you're basing this on...???

 

[Dave A]

By 2100 we'll have killed ourselves to near extinction. That's what I tihnk anyway. The more advanced we get, the more destructive war and armed violence is.

 

[superberkut]

...and you're basing this on...???

Well, I know you'll shoot down my ill-conceived argument, but cellphones release a form of radiation with each use, and to be exposed to that for elongated periods of time (hence, the worst will be for those whom use their minutes...), would mutate brain cells over time, and this would result in cancer cells. Their reproduction would cause the tumour, as they try to develop as normal cells do, and... you know the rest, or I assume you do.

However, I should take that back to some degree, but this is apparently a tremendous problem in Samsung cellphones, especially. I think a study was done on this; I'll find it now...

Edit: Never mind, it was only classified as a hypothetical risk than a real threat.

 

[Danoff]

By 2100 we'll have killed ourselves to near extinction. That's what I tihnk anyway. The more advanced we get, the more destructive war and armed violence is.

Yet fewer people seem to be dying in those advanced wars.

 

[F1GTR]

Teleportation maybe?

 

[Philly]

Yet fewer people seem to be dying in those advanced wars.

But we haven't had a large scale war since Vietnam. Get a billion peoples' worth of countries fighting each other and I'm sure we will see casualties similar to previous wars fought over the continent of Europe. Tactics might not make it as much of a slaughter as the Russian front of the 40s, but I'm sure weapons will make it worse. What if the US and USSR had gone to war with each other?

 

[Danoff]

But we haven't had a large scale war since Vietnam. Get a billion peoples' worth of countries fighting each other and I'm sure we will see casualties similar to previous wars fought over the continent of Europe. Tactics might not make it as much of a slaughter as the Russian front of the 40s, but I'm sure weapons will make it worse. What if the US and USSR had gone to war with each other?

That's kinda my point. The development of technology actually prevented large scale war between the US and USSR. In fact, it directly enabled the financial war.

 

[Philly]

That's kinda my point. The development of technology actually prevented large scale war between the US and USSR. In fact, it directly enabled the financial war.

OK. So as long as the deterrence strategy works, we will all be fine. But as soon as it breaks down I will be the first to place my bets on destruction like we have never seen before.

 

[Michael88]

I imagine overpopulation growing and growing until war begins caused by political reasons or famine. Because there are so many enemies to kill thanks to overpopulation new mass-destruction weapons will be created.
As the technology increases the deadlyness of weapons also increases. I bet my butt that before we reach the year 2100 biological weapon in whatever war will snuff out all human beeing inclusive a lot of animal species and thats it. Biological weapons used in the war will wipe out 1/2 of earth population so fast that there is no time for medicine - like the ''black death hundreds of years ago.
Only very rich people will get the rare medicine to survive the disease so the overpopulation-problem is solved in a matter of days. The unimportant and poor people will die

If the big war will be fought in the future the weapon of choice is going to be biological weapons. Cheap to produce, very easy to use, absolutely disables any kind of enemy in a matter of hours, no damage of the valuable infrastructure of enemy territory, no expensive battles, no expensive weaponry like bombs or tanks, you dont even have to anything except waiting. War won in a week.
Of course there will be a ''arms race'' before creating the perfect biological weapon which kills very fast and the production of medicine takes longer than it takes the virus to kill you.
So you create the medicine to protect yourself and then you use the bio-weapon against the enemy.
Ebola would be the perfect start.

Thats my imagination how the ''future'' is going to be.

 

[SolidSnake15]

If Earth survives until 2100. Some people expect the world t be destroyed in 2012. That's when the sun reaches the exact center of the universe!

But if we do reach 2100 I expect there to be:

hover cars, hover sports, more C average US presidents, quintuple the world population,, Brittany Spears 35 great great grandchildren, people who can lift 20,000,000 lbs, homework done telepathically,👍,
2 more big mountains(tectonic plate action), giant box sitting on Haily's Comet that contains all of the worlds nuclear waste, even more trouble finding Osama Bin Ladens great great grandchild: Yomammas Bin Laden, 600 yard football fields, , the whole 30,000,000,000 people listening to Disturbed and Bon Jovi, 👍, elimination of all computer viruses, Jordan's great great grandchildren getting rich off of GTPlanet!!!!, 👍, Gran Turismo 35. WORLD PEACE!!!!!!

Well it's a rather long list... But there you go!

 

[Michael88]

Gran Turismo 35.

No, I bet it will be called ''Greatest Turismo'' !

BTW, Jesus promised to return when? Hope he wont take his revange, maybe the mayas were right.

 

[SolidSnake15]

No, I bet it will be called ''Greatest Turismo'' !

BTW, Jesus promised to return when? Hope he wont take his revange, maybe the mayas were right.

He will come "like a thief in the night." We won't expect him and it will be too late when we discover he's here.

 

[High-Test]

I hope that ignorance, hunger, and extreme poverty will be eradicated worldwide.

If we take out those three, we're on the path to coexisting peacefully. The problem is, the more volatile areas of the world probably don't want to see this happen. It gives them reason to indoctrinate their young into hating the west.

By 2100, theocracies better be extinct.

And there will be at least one W124 and a Toyota pickup chugging along somewhere in the world. Odds are Kalashnikovs and Zippo lighters will still function by then as well.

 

[Danoff]

I imagine overpopulation growing and growing until war begins caused by political reasons or famine.

You realize that food is probably easier to come by now that it ever has been right? In the US, food is so plentiful we actually pay people NOT to farm.

I hope that ignorance, hunger, and extreme poverty will be eradicated worldwide.

It's not possible or desirable to eliminate any of those things. Some will always choose to be ignorant, hungry, or poor. Taking away that choice hurts everyone.

If your response to that is "well, as long as it's by choice", I would say in many developed countries that point has already been reached.

 

[Shannon]

Hopefully some sort of colonization on Mars, because quite frankly, in 100 years Earth will be horribly over populated. Well, unless a generation or two put their hands up to not procreate...

 

[TopHat]

I hope that ignorance, hunger, and extreme poverty will be eradicated worldwide.

Who's ever seen Idiocracy?

By 2100, theocracies better be extinct.

Trust me, there will always be religion. Some people just refuse to accept science.

And there will be at least one W124 and a Toyota pickup chugging along somewhere in the world. Odds are Kalashnikovs and Zippo lighters will still function by then as well.

What about Volvo 240's? I've seen 90 year old lighters work, so I wouldn't doubt it.

 

[Matt R]

If Earth survives until 2100. Some people expect the world t be destroyed in 2012. That's when the sun reaches the exact center of the universe!

But if we do reach 2100 I expect there to be:

hover cars, hover sports, more C average US presidents, quintuple the world population,, Brittany Spears 35 great great grandchildren, people who can lift 20,000,000 lbs, homework done telepathically,👍,
2 more big mountains(tectonic plate action), giant box sitting on Haily's Comet that contains all of the worlds nuclear waste, even more trouble finding Osama Bin Ladens great great grandchild: Yomammas Bin Laden, 600 yard football fields, , the whole 30,000,000,000 people listening to Disturbed and Bon Jovi, 👍, elimination of all computer viruses, Jordan's great great grandchildren getting rich off of GTPlanet!!!!, 👍, Gran Turismo 35. WORLD PEACE!!!!!!

Dumbest thoughts on the future I've ever heard. It wasn't even funny, if that's what you were trying to be. Hovering cars, maybe. Hovering sports, no. C student presidents, wouldn't doubt it. Giant boxes of waste on a comet? It'd be easier to just toss it all in space don't ya think? People will never be able to lift 20,000,000 lbs. The Osama bit is dumb. There will never be a 600 yard long football field because it wouldn't be football. 30,000,000,000 will never like Bon Jovi, much less 30,000. Computer viruses completely eliminated, def not. They'll only grow more complex and destructive. Jordan's posterity, possible. Gran Turismo 35...not at the rate they currently release games at. By 2100 we'll be lucky to have a Gran Turismo 10.

I had to have a separate line for the world peace bit. It'll never happen.

Your post could have been interesting if you didn't ruin it with stupidity.

 

[Danoff]

Hopefully some sort of colonization on Mars, because quite frankly, in 100 years Earth will be horribly over populated. Well, unless a generation or two put their hands up to not procreate...

Jebus you guys are worried about overpopulation.

BTW - I'm pretty sure it would only take 1 generation

 

[Lee]

Right I'll try and stay away from the obvious war path..

First of all, I reckon Africa's landscape may change dramatically in the next century, Central Africa is currently under developed but could have huge potential. With long days under the sun, Solar Power would become king there and communites would thrive. A 'boom' in Africa wouldn't surprise me and some countries could become the scale of what say, an Western European country is like today. Plus tourism would probably hike up with (hopefully) advances in medicine meaning disease could be a problem fo the past for the region.

Elsewhere I agree with everyone who has said our lives will be near enough wholly based on the Internet. It could get to the point where you wouldn't even have to drive your car, just grab your TomTom, punch in your destination.. And then take a nap! On Top Gear last sunday, Jeremy 'drove' a BMW 330i that infact drove itself around the test track, no controls needed by the driver. Now think of how much safer this could make the roads, (Like that Zurich advert) unless computers can get drunk, drink driving will be a thing of the past, road rage will be non-existant, speeding will be greatly controlled.

Whilst on the automotive topic, it's gonna be very intresting to see how Motor Sport disaplines will change, Rallying for example will have to go super green at some point with all the forests they drive through. Formula 1 has already pitched the energy recovery movement for 2011, come 2050, could the cars infact run on just the air it sucks in?

Lastly, I don't think our food will change much, but if anywhere, ready meals will actually become slightly appealing rather than just a pool of sauce and 'meat'.

 

[Kylehnat]

Jebus you guys are worried about overpopulation.

Seriously. The world's population is self-stabilizing. You can't have 20 billion people if the 12 billionth person keeps dieing due to lack of resources. I suspect the world's population will struggle to surpass 8 or 9 billion.

 

[Omnis]

Nanotubes have the potential to completely change... well... basically everything. Space travel, air travel, ground travel, architecture....

The interstate... is a series of tubes!

 

[Solid Lifters]

I'd like to see advancements in electrical engineering. Specifically, nanotube 'supercapacitors' or batteries so storing electricity wouldn't but such a drawback to current electrical vehicles and devices, like it is now.

In the past 100 years, we haven't advanced at all in the storage of electricity. We need to do better than that. It appears nanotube technology is changing all that.

Also, as mentioned before, solar panels haven't progressed far enough for what we need. Hopefully, nanotube technology will change that too. However, there are a lot of 'speed bumps' down the road.

 

[Omnis]

I remember watching a show about some dutch guys working on 80% efficiency solar panels by using special color-absorbing crystals. If they can perfect that, it would be amazing. I believe they were saying that they needed to figure out how to place the crystals in an array where they can be perfectly tessellated or something.

The oil companies won't let anyone bring this stuff to market until they use up all the oil and bring out the new tech in their names, though.

 

[YSSMAN]

Yet fewer people seem to be dying in those advanced wars.

Ah, but the weapons have only become that much scarier...

Remember the power outage on the US East Cost a few years back? How about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? Could you imagine what a well-placed EMP device in a city like Los Angeles or Miami could do?

Sure, it doesn't directly kill people, but the mass chaos that would occur would be unfathomable. Detonate an EMP in a financial city like New York, Zurich, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, etc... Wow, the devastation would be incredible on the economic basis alone...

Then you get into things like neutron bombs, magnetic rail guns, lasers, GPS jammers, among other things... These "less lethal" weapons are getting absurdly dangerous.

 

[Perfect Balance]

Who's ever seen Idiocracy?

That's one of my favorite movies because of the sheer amount of stupidity.

 

[Alex.]

.


I wanna hear the music though, maybe it will actually be good.

Not over here in the UK. It'l still be the same chipmunks singing old macdonald farm with intensely sped up talentless drumming in the background.

 

[Alfaholic]

If Earth survives until 2100. Some people expect the world t be destroyed in 2012. That's when the sun reaches the exact center of the universe!

Serious? I thought we were whizzing away from the centre of the universe (Big Bang being ground zero, presumably) at a very impressive rate. Got a linky?

@ wars not being so bad because modern weapons are good deterrents: The only reason you need deterrents is if someone actually wants to attack you. As long as that person feels that way, they'll think up ways to achieve their goal. One day, they'll get a solution and either be able to attack without fear of retaliation, or they'll get fed up and say "stuff everyone, I've had enough. I'm doing this and I'm taking those b:censored:s with me". It's already happening in a small scale in terrorist attacks. If we get another world war, it will be slaughter on a huge scale.