A hundred years ago, cars were pretty rare. Functioning aeroplanes were only in their infancy. The internet hadn't been invented.
In that time we've seen space travel, home computers, mobile phones, cloning, transplants, robotics, jet engines etc etc
So what for now fantastic developments can we expect or predict?
Cloned versions of ourselves to which we could download our brain's "hard drive" to achieve a form of eternal life maybe ?
What do you predict?
Or will we blow it all up before long?
|
Well, in more recent times, we have simply been refining the way existing things already work.
If sea levels rise ( although I read today a report is coming out suggesting they might not be now ), maybe floating cities to cope with overcrowding. I suspect alot will go into housing in clever ways.
|
In the year 6565
Ain't gonna need no husband, won't need no wife
You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long glass tube, whoa-oh
|
|
Well thats gonna take you fun out the day init.
|
...well thats gonna take you fun out the day init...
Not so sure about that, 99 per cent of it is only in his dreams.
|
|
OK then, too big a question maybe. Let's limit our predictions to the next 100 years. What manner of technological development or innovation seems likely or possible within that timescale?
|
In the year 5555
Your arms hanging limp at your sides
Your legs got nothing to do
Some machine's doing that for you
|
I predict that Zager & Evans will form the next coalition.
But more seriously, I'm waiting for 2012 - we're nearly there ... 744 days until 13.0.0.0.0
|
Dave,
That's as maybe but Humph's ex-Mondeo will still be doing the rounds !
|
|
Stu will be on his 200th shed.
|
I think travel, in particular business travel will reduce. Advances in hologramatic presentation possibilities could replace some sales visits. Already many meetings which would have required a visit can be conducted over the internet with the use of detailed graphics. The leisure travaller could equally gain a very good experience of a far off location by similar methods. Neither will be fully replaced of course, there will always be a need or deisre to physically travel but I suspect it will become more optional.
I also see a continued demise in traditional shopping. The exponential rise in internet shopping shows no signs of abatement while bricks and mortar retailers continue to founder.
Some traditional careers are almost certain to change. In particular those which require specialist data based knowledge. Accountants, solicitors etc will see much of their work being taken over by "clever" computers.
Society will become ever more monitored and regulated. I predict that it will at some point be no longer possible to exceed a speed limit for example. Your car simply won't let you.
I think that alcohol will become much more strictly regulated and maybe banned as tobacco almost certainly will be in due course.
As for technology, self driving cars? A watch which is your phone, your credit card, your passport, your medical records etc....
Man made, functioning, replacement eyes for blind people? Knowledge implants for your brain? Who knows...
|
In the year 9595
I'm kinda wonderin' if man is gonna be alive
He's taken everything this old Earth can give
And he ain't put back nothin', whoa-oh
|
Thank you for your most interesting and useful contributions Dave.
:-)
|
Travel needs to be reduced it is the only way. I think we will start to see trains replacing planes. This is already happening and the Chineese are already talking about building a direct rail link to London.
The internet will continue to grow, there will be a lot of portable IP gadgets all synchronised with each other.
Induction charging will be common doing away with plug sockets for all but high current applications such as washing machines.
|
>>Chineese are already talking
>> about building a direct rail link to London.
They might have a slight problem
Most of Asia and Europe is in the way.
|
|
It will go via Russia to Europe with stop offs on the way. The Chineese realise that the plane won't be around for ever but as longs as we can still generate electricty the train has a big future.
|
|
You must admit it is kind of fascinating that in 1964 Zager and Evans predicted we'd be having test tube babies in 6565 and only 12 years later Louise Brown was born.
|
>> You must admit it is kind of fascinating
Its kinda fascinating that they had little grip of reality and were only 4589 years out.
|
If you want to see how buisiness will be conducted, meetings, shopping, etc
check out second life. A virtual world.,
|
The one i can't get my head around is work from home / freelance contact centre work, why isn't this widespread already? It seems really obvious.
Half tempted to have a bash at it myself, setup a virtual contact centre staffed by work from home folks.
Lots of up sides, from easy employment of disabled persons who would otherwise struggle to find suitable work paying at anywhere near fair market rates, to making resourcing flexible hotline hours cheap for business. It's not ideal for every type of contact centre work but it's perfect for loads. I think. Maybe not.
|
>> The one i can't get my head around is work from home / freelance contact
>> centre work, why isn't this widespread already? It seems really obvious.
>>
>> Half tempted to have a bash at it myself, setup a virtual contact centre staffed
>> by work from home folks.
Your about 3 years too late. Voice over IP (Voip) was more or less created to fulfil this business need. All over the country thousands of workers are connected in virtual call centres.
|
Yeah exactly, all the technology is in place, its even at the stage now it's mature, reliable and even cheap -- it's just so obvious now to take the next step and ditch the expensive office from the balance sheet.
I'm not aware of any contact centres that dont operate out of large central offices though, if there are any they dont seem particularly big or common. Why?
|
>> I'm not aware of any contact centres that dont operate out of large central offices
>> though, if there are any they dont seem particularly big or common. Why?
>>
One word.
Control.
For one thing, you can't make sure people stick to your script if their not on site...
|
There are loads, and expanding.
How do you think supervisors know how staff stick to scripts? They monitor the calls. Just as they do for home workers. Everything is monitored and controlled just the same as it is in a call centre shed.
|
|
There is a company that does just that. It pays well as well, lots of links to it on the money saving website.
|
What the future holds? - Stuu
