In the early 1900s, people made outrageous predictions of what life would be like in the new millennium. While some ideas were well and truly rather “out there” they weren’t too far off with others. Take this French postcard from 1910 depicting the classroom in they year 2000, for example:
While books aren’t being processed into audio as it is depicted in the postcard, they are being replaced by other forms of technology at a rapid pace.
On the assumption that, despite our best guesses, we probably don’t know what the future will hold, and our predecessors will probably think our predictions were less than accurate, there are some predictions that are too exciting and riveting to not consider. Have a look at these 5 TED talks for predictions about the future that will blow your mind.
1. We are all cyborgs now
In this talk from 2010, Amber Case explains how technology will infiltrate every part of our lives. Just 8 years later, a lot of what she says rings true, but it’s not all bad.
2. A roadmap to end aging
Aubrey de Grey explains that ageing is just a disease, which might be cured in the future.
3. This computer will grow your food in the future
Caleb Harper, director of the Open Agriculture Initiative at MIT talks about how tech can change the way we farm. In an era where food security is still not a given, this is an important thought.
https://www.ted.com/talks/caleb_harper_this_computer_will_grow_your_food_in_the_future?referrer=playlist-what_does_the_future_look_like
4. What happens when our computers get smarter than we are?
Futurist Nick Bostrom has some interesting views about the impending singularity that may await the human race.
5. The next species of human
Juan Enriquez believes that the next phase in human evolution is already on our doorstep. Here’s why our children might be quite different from this generation.