In the 1960s and 1970s, some writers and university professors called themselves “futurists”. These futurists tried to predict the future. Only a few of their predictions were right, and all of them missed something that was just around the corner: the revolution in computers and information technology. The problem was that none of these futurists were scientists or engineers. So, while they knew the future would have more powerful computers, they had no clue what these computers would look like, what they could do, or what impact they would have on our lives.
This should make us hesitate before we try to predict the future. Having said that, we can make some good guesses about future technology by looking at current scientific and technological advances. We can also ask the real experts: the scientists and engineers who are bringing us these advances.
According to experts, in the future computers will be so common that we may no longer even notice them. Forget smartphones and smart watches—we will have smart clothes that adjust to the weather and our body temperature, and change size to fit our body shape. We will also have smart contact lenses. Using these smart contact lenses, we can access the information and power of computers in a way that far exceeds anything currently possible.
Because so much of our daily life will be integrated with computers, virtual reality will become an actual, real reality for many of us. Technology will not just allow us to see a world that is thousands of kilometres away—or which only exists in a computer—but will also allow us to touch and smell that world. This virtual world will at times seem as real as—if not more real than—the actual world around us. Without leaving home, you will be able to take tours of foreign countries, or even get a medical exam by a doctor in another city.
Speaking of medicine, through new technology, people who have brain or spinal injuries will be able to find new hope. There is already, for example, technology which will allow blind people to see using cameras and deaf people to hear using microphones that are connected to their brains. Future technology will allow people to overcome all sorts of physical disabilities.
Much research is being done to unlock the human mind. Using technology that is being developed now, people in the future may be able to not just read someone else’s mind, but also record their thoughts like one would record a movie. Some other research involves using robotic technology to replace human functions. For example, robot hands are being developed for people who have no hands. These artificial hands are connected to a person’s nerves so that the person’s brain tells the hands what to do. In the future they will work just as well as real human hands. Indeed, they may even be better. Not only can they be made stronger and faster than human hands, but also sturdier so they will not break or get injured as easily.
As a result of such advances, in the future, some people who are badly injured may become more robot than human. That is, their brains will control their robotic body parts so they can live their lives fully without being handicapped. Many new parts will be made to replace human body parts that break down, meaning it may be possible to use this technology to extend our lives long past the time of normal death by old age.
These are just a few of the things that are already being explored in science and technology. There will also be advances in transportation and space travel. Of course, there is a lot that we still do not know about the future. Science and technology may provide a road map for the future, but they cannot tell us what we will find along the way. But if we knew everything about the future, then where would the mystery and excitement be? We should all eagerly view the future as a great adventure—a new world waiting to be explored. Who knows exactly what we will find?