Time for some theoretical time traveling!

The goal of this topic is to share and discuss views on what you think the future of humanity will be like.

Here's mine:

Present-2020

As oil depletes and prices rise, people switch to more alternative means of energy. This is already occurring, but I think that in this time alternate fuel cars will become the majority. Hopefully the "war on terror" will end and more money will be put into science. Green activism will help clean up the environment. The U.S. space program will lose some funding and might not make it to the moon before the decade is over. China or Russia may come to the forefront in manned space flights. A space probe will be sent to explore Jupiter's moon Europa. Technology, as usual, will expand rapidly, giving way to even cheaper and faster electronics. Quantum computing should have some breakthroughs, but it will still be mainly used in academia and research. Obviously, all TV will be digital, come Feb. 2009. Nanotechnology and research in medicine will cure AIDS and some forms of cancer. Late in the decade population growth will start to level out as resources shrink. America will fall behind even farther in debt and the education will stay about the same but may get worse unless some major overhauling is done. More people will drop religion and evolution will be more accepted by the masses, especially the younger generation.


2021-2030

Oil will be slim and won't be used for anything. The use of alternative fuel will shown to have been a great boon for the Earth. Quantum computers will be mainstream and the average desktop will be about the volume of a soda can. Some country, or probably a consortium of nations, will have formed a Moon base used primarily for research and getting vehicles to Mars, but may have a few commercial venues. By the end of the decade, manned missions to Mars and various asteroids will occur actively. Nanotechnology will be the latest and greatest in medicine but will cost more than other solutions. It will probably the technology that cures cancer. Life expectancy will increase to about 90-100 years. Europe will become the hub of technology and the nonreligious will be the 80% majority in most countries (this is already true of Sweden).


2031-2050

Nanotechnology will become mainstream for medicine and most diseases will be cured. Space travel will be the main focus of humanity and science will reign. Intellect will be prized and valued in society. There will be an active base on Mars conducting research and various moons of the planets will be explored as a new frontier which will provide useful resources.


2050 and beyond

Space technology and the controlling of planets will be the forefront of the future. Mars will be terraformed and fit for ordinary habitation by 2070 or 2080. By about the dawn of the 22nd century, the first manned vessel will be sent to the far reaches of the solar system and will land on Pluto or some other body in space. Asteroids in the Asteroid Belt and the Oort cloud will become space laboratories (thanks to the fuel they have). By 2110 a robotic mission will be sent to another planet in another solar system, and will reach it within a reasonable time due to advances in space travel. At the dawn of the 23rd century, humanity will have extremely advanced technology and will send a manned mission to another solar system. We have a potentially beautiful future.


"We are at the very beginning of time for the human race. It is not unreasonable that we grapple with problems. But there are tens of thousands of years in the future. Our responsibility is to do what we can, learn what we can, improve the solutions, and pass them on." - Richard Feynman

2050's fusion replaces fossil fuels for power
2080's teleporters replaces cars for transportation
2150's clones replace robots

That's a great thread!
Unfortunately, the future is never as we imagine.

Here are my predictions.

Most people in the world will be using "green cars" by 2020.
Quantum personal computers by 2030.
Maybe some teleportation by 2100 ? It seems to be pretty hard to teleport things.
There will be at least one war.
Are we going to see something about time travel ? maybe around 2050-2100. Perhaps they'll find some stuff about time travel when studying teleportation.
For space travel, I would say, first mission to Mars in 2025.

By the way, welcome back kid, long time no see.

Num7

__________________
Not as easy as it used to be.

Thanks, I'll try to be active. Most forums I just lurk, but I'll try posting some here.

The future really is never what we imagine. Take a look at Erroneous Predictions for some examples of what people thought would happen. In the words of Einstein, "I never think of the future - it comes soon enough."

Cool, here are a list of the world's worst predictions.
World’s Worst Predictions Offbeat Enough

I hope the future will not be as Titor predicted.

Num7

__________________
Not as easy as it used to be.

Cool list. As for Titor, I doubt his predictions will come true, considering how he's most likely a hoax. I will, however, save that debate for the Titor thread

Some people were thinking that in the year 2000, there would be flying cars, teleportation, that food would be replaced by pills, and stuff like in Star Trek movies.

We're far from that in my opinion. We got personal computers instead, but we're still using our cars, eating food, etc.

Num7

__________________
Not as easy as it used to be.