In 50 years?

[ReverseLunge]

What do you guys think the world will be like in 50 years? this is what I think:

1. Everyone will speak English. It will be their first language.
2. Every nation will basically be more or less another America
3. Fossil fuels will be replaced by other stuff. Possibly no more combustion engine or even automobile age.
4. No more full-time jobs or manual labor jobs since most stuff will be automated and there will be robots doing all the hard work.
5. No more animal or plant products including food since everything can be replicated from the most basica materials.
6. Aging process can be reversed or stopped so we can live for as long as we want. New mental insanities may develop because of this.
7. All nations (if there still are any) will have a Anti-Technology Reservations where people hate technology can visit or even live. These places will have no electronic devices or any other modern luxuries.

That is all I can think of right now. What about you guys?

[UTEpee]

think back to the 1950's

is society really all that different?
people speculated we would have flying cars and the like by now. for the most part, humanity has not changed much. sure, more emphasis is placed on the individual instead of the family. wars have taken on a different meaning, but american soldiers are still dying in regions many people believe to be unimportant to our home life (i.e. isolationism). of course techcology has proceeded, but nothing absolutely remarkable (computers existed, albeit much larger, space flight was a reality, etc etc)

economically, the focus is, and usually has been to make money, and to do whatever is necessary to do so.

socially, people seek out others similar to themselves for friendship, or the opposite sex for ramantic interests, not much difference between then and now

politically, in most aspects, not much has changed at all. there will always be disagreements in fundamental philosphies between groups

in my opinion, not much will change anytime soon including the next 50 years.

[ReverseLunge]

A lot has changed since the 1950's. Look at how much the changes has occured from 1900 to 1950. Different eras evolve in different ways. I'm talking more about lifestyle and technology than humanity or human nature. The main changes in humanity over the last 50 years is general education and less class distinction.

What I am asking is for your vision of the lifestyle and technology in 2055.

[Epee_Pox]

Let's see, I'll be a crotchety old man then. So the world will be going to hell in a handbasket, from my point of view.

In reality, though, the trend towards improved education, productivity and opportunity worldwide will continue. The trend towards greater prosperity, liberty, self-determination and human rights worldwide will continue.

The global economy, with its strong incentives for transparent accounting and business practices, international sourcing, low tariffs, minimal artificial price and wage supports, etc., will have grown by leaps and bounds. Free nations trading freely will have little reason to go to war against each other.

Meanwhile, other countries will have resisted the pressures to grow up. There will still be dictatorships and tyrannies here and there. They will be sources of instability and threats to the security of the grown-up countries. Economic pressure and the threat of military action will still be required to prevent them from causing harm.

All in all, life will be better for most people in most places.

Oh yeah, we'll all have portable jet-packs and lightsabres, there will be an Earth embassy on Mars and Europa, and the FIE will have a clear commonsense rulebook.

[LordTofuDog-jnr]

Three world powers; America, India and China, the end.

[Pauli]

I'll be 85 and possibly will be happy to just live my happy life, fencing with my buddies (that are still alive by then ), having coffee and cookies (maybe with my fourth teeth) and still being able to think straight without having to worry about what else is going to happen to the little patch of land around me.......

[lochinvar]

Massive pandemics of new viruses and new strains of existing viruses will sweep the planet like a raging wildfire, leaving millions upon millions dead in their wake. Additional opportunistic plagues will follow on the heels of not being able to dispose of the dead fast enough.

Communication and transportation infrastructures will collapse as gaping holes are torn in the technological, educational, and scientific communities. No longer possessing the skills necessary for subsistance living, the remnants of the United States and European Union will suffer from starvation and exposure, killing millions more.

Wars will break out as entire populations try to mass-migrate away from centers of disease or foodless areas while other populations attempt to defend what few resources and land they have left.

India and China will emerge as the two new superpowers--or as much of a superpower as can exist, anyway--and reign over a planet utterly devastated beyond the imaginations of those living today with a population reduced by 50-75 percent.

[RebelFencer]

It will be like Futurama. Hell, I just want a beer guzzling, wise(safe)cracking robot sidekick.

[ReverseLunge]

I was hoping you guys would have more imagination. Maybe you guys don't deserve to be alive in 50 years. haha

[Fencergrl]

In 50 years I expect three possible scenarios:

a) I will be long dead, my tombstone will say “I wish I learned to resist things that are shiny”

b) I will be in some bar in some place warm with much younger men around me and I will hear “Madame, your credit card has been declined”, and I’ll know I should have waited a little longer before I bumped him off.

c) I will have recently died under terribly scandalous circumstances and there will be people grinning and smirking and yes even scowling at my funeral.

How would these three possible scenarios come about? Well settle in for a long post and I will tell you.

My husband and I have been plotting each other’s demise from the very beginning. It started in the first six months of our relationship. When he expressed a desire to never go through another divorce . I responded that I have every intention of being a widow…. in divorce you have to settle for half but widows get everything (yes I have a gentle way of comforting men). He swore to outlive me…

So we carried on from there…I expressed an unusual amount of joy when he acquired his fourth hunting rifle. The way I saw it, I had one for each corner of the room and all I needed was some fishing line and something valuable like a remote control or girly magazine. He sets snares around the house with shiny things in them (remember scenario “a”?).

He told my family he has a tattoo on his butt that says “Suspicious death, do autopsy” I include ways I think my husband’s trying to kill me in letters to his mother. The last time was when he told me I didn’t need a tetanus shot after stepping on a nail. He said he stepped on lots of nails as a teenager and never got tetanus.

I did my own research. Most people get their tetanus shots as teenagers and they last for 10-20 years. I pictured myself with my jaw locking up while he makes travel plans to fly off and enjoy the insurance money with his arms around some bimbos….. very clever!

I think we have a truce after I convinced him that I have a great deal of earning potential left in me and he would be a fool to bump me off to early. He reminded me that cougars need adequate funds and that his pension and survivor benefits grow with every year he works (scenario “b”).

I agreed and challenged him to make me a million dollars ,as I want to die from exhaustion after having a string of men much to young for me which brings us to scenario c……….

[ThatReallyHurt]

Hmm... 50 years, eh?

- What's left of the world's easily accessible petroleum stocks are being fought over.
- People are still arguing over whether batteries, solar, or hydrogen will be the next fuel.
- People are still buying SUV's because hey - they've got to be able to get their kids to soccer practice and pick up milk, and there's no way you can do that in a regular car.
- Smoking has been banned all over the planet.
- 85% of the developed world is morbidly obese.

but...

- HIV vaccine is in wide circulation.
- The number of people dying from cancer is cut in half as new therapies and preventions are made available.
- The UN, through some incredible magic and willpower remakes itself into a credible, powerful, just body that quickly enforces and solves problems (with the exception of the oil thing).

So yeah... good and bad.

Oh, and there are still going to be Reliant and Aries K-cars on the road.

[lochinvar]

I was hoping you guys would have more imagination. Maybe you guys don't deserve to be alive in 50 years. haha

If you're still around in 50 years, I hope I'm not.

[ThatReallyHurt]

I was hoping you guys would have more imagination. Maybe you guys don't deserve to be alive in 50 years. haha

Oh, I also forgot the possibility that all humans everywhere will be serving either our robotic or alien overlords.

[LUDICROUS]

Gotta agree with Lochinvar.

Also, I think Europe will be one country united through force of arms.

NK will be no more, just a nuclear wasteland.

Taiwan won't exist. Neither will most of the USA, because People like Bin Laden will have acquired nuclear weapons.

I also think Africa will cease to exist because of epidemics - Let the lions flourish!

On a closer to now note, I believe China is gearing up for a war. They've been jacking up their military lately. But then again, doesn't military growth almost always follow economic growth?

[ThatReallyHurt]

On a closer to now note, I believe China is gearing up for a war.

But with whom? And for what?

[Moses]

The United States will have a series of strong Presidents and Secs. of States that follow the Bismarckian model of international diplomacy, carefully calibrating international alliances to avoid all-out-war with an emerging superpower. Russia will crumble from within, the E.U. will be an economic failure due to lack of a sufficient labor force, removing them from the international economic theater, thus increasing tensions between the two greatest competitors, the U.S. & China.

Of course, none of it will matter when, in 50 years, the combined consumption rates of the Chinese and Americans will drain this planet's supply of petroleum, causing China to invade the Spratly islands, leading to an escalating conflict which eventually destroy all of human society except for one Inuit tribe and a pack of carnival freaks from New Zealand.

It's possible!

-Da Mose

[Moses]

But with whom? And for what?

To say that China is gearing up for war does not necessarily imply that they are planning an actual conflict. In the complex game of international politics, careful posturing to ward off the Japanese from interests in which both nations have taken interest could be helped by a strong military reputation. Also, China could easily be trying to expand their sphere of influence (they are wooing the Uzbeks and the Indonesians), essentially kicking the Americans out of the Pacific so China can pursue its socio-economic interests across the Eastern hemisphere.

Plus there are some Chinese conservatives who still want to invade Taiwan (there's a reason why they practice the invasion every year).

-Da Mose

[Moses]

On a closer to now note, I believe China is gearing up for a war. They've been jacking up their military lately. But then again, doesn't military growth almost always follow economic growth?

Your earlier analysis is correct. Though countries typically develop military strength in times of sustained economic progress, China has not only been expanding its military, but rapidly updating its rather dated equipment. The only force in the world which it would need to match in this manner is the United States.

Add that to the fact that China has been developing missiles which have the express purpose of being fired from inland positions and destroying large ships far out at sea. It makes our billion US$/day aircraft much less awe-inspiring.

Ideologically the United States and China have been set for war for many years. Logistically, they have not been. China can't get to the U.S., and the U.S. has no reason to go to China. Each nation can sit back in their corners of the globe and say "I'll leave you alone if you leave us alone". Of course, neither country has been planning to stay that way forever.

I only wish that either side will have a dependable Bismarck to foster peace in the future.

If not, I sure hope America has a good Frederick or Scipio to lead the charge.

-Da Mose

[rmyounis]

Advanced communication technologies will allow people to form communities, even societies and cultures, that are not defined or even bounded by geography. The consequences for the way we organize and govern ourselves are massive

[LUDICROUS]

Your earlier analysis is correct. Though countries typically develop military strength in times of sustained economic progress, China has not only been expanding its military, but rapidly updating its rather dated equipment. The only force in the world which it would need to match in this manner is the United States.

Add that to the fact that China has been developing missiles which have the express purpose of being fired from inland positions and destroying large ships far out at sea. It makes our billion US$/day aircraft much less awe-inspiring.

Ideologically the United States and China have been set for war for many years. Logistically, they have not been. China can't get to the U.S., and the U.S. has no reason to go to China. Each nation can sit back in their corners of the globe and say "I'll leave you alone if you leave us alone". Of course, neither country has been planning to stay that way forever.

I only wish that either side will have a dependable Bismarck to foster peace in the future.

If not, I sure hope America has a good Frederick or Scipio to lead the charge.

-Da Mose

That was a joy to read, rep to Moses!