Predict the Future

[Crow]

Lets here your ideas on what the future holds. Take it as seriously as you like but give reasoning to why you think that future may come true.

As OP I will go first:
This is a relatively safe one. Within 20 years nearly all animal products will be removed from official recommended dietary consumption charts and will be seen more along the lines of alcohol.

The study of animal products relating to negative health effects have been going on for approximately 50 - 40 years but only over the last 20 years has the independently variable evidence really started to pile up in relevance to cancer, heart diseases, malnutrition, diabetes, arthritis, strokes, and other diseases that we are all familiar with with. There is a significant lack of counter evidence for the other argument regardless of the massive amounts of money spent on disputing the findings as well as having the far longer focus of study. The first signs of this have already started to appear with the US government ignoring the scientific recommendation of reducing the amount of meat products consumed and a small backlash due to that, the World Health Organisation announcing that processed meats (most meat people consume is processed) are in the same category as cigarettes and alcohol and a lot of the studies show very similar/same findings with non processed meats as well as a good amount of evidence against milks and eggs so is only a matter of time before nearly all animal products get flagged.

But why 20 years. That is usually the time frame it takes for medical advice to filter from a working theory to the public, then considering it is a highly controversial subject and most of the most compelling work has been done in the last ten years it is going to take longer but seeing as it is already at the point where the rich, elite athletes, and body obsessed individuals are doing it as a norm and there are many experimental human trials it shouldn't be too far off.

However it will largely be ignored due to cultural and historical significance of animal produce.

[joeactor]

That's a pretty bold prediction, Crow. Not sure the evidence will sway the masses (much less those in charge) to change. I might give it another couple centuries.

Here's my take on the future (from a past blog, oddly enough):
http://www.joesdump.com/2014/03/24/future-sucks/

[Crow]

That's a pretty bold prediction, Crow. Not sure the evidence will sway the masses (much less those in charge) to change. I might give it another couple centuries.

Here's my take on the future (from a past blog, oddly enough):
http://www.joesdump.com/2014/03/24/future-sucks/

Nice it has a slight feeling of the jingles by Raymond Scott.
[youtube width=700]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwaeGKuTpCc[/youtube]

[Magdalena]

This is what I see:

We're always coming up with things to made our lives easier and this makes us less physically active. Some things are good, but some are just too much, like: The Clapper, you clap and it turns the lights off, you don't have to get up anymore. There's also the air conditioner remote control, what the hell?

The other day I saw a woman on her cell phone and a toddler on her lap, the kid was being entertained by a tablet. There was no human interaction there. I always see people sitting next to each other but they don't talk, they're on their cell phones unaware of what's going on around them. What happened to reading, processing information and talking about it? Some people now just shove their cell phone in your face and say, "Look." I'm just thinking about our communication skill in the future if we keep doing this, or maybe I'm just old and that's why I'm complaining--I'm one of those who still says, "Back in my days..." And people just roll their eyes, it's like they're saying, "Could you just email me the story, so that I can read it later?"

[OldGit]

A hundred years from now the small population will be back to stone axes and spears.  There are several trends which point to this; not all mutually exclusive, but whatever the route, that's the destination.

[Crow]

A hundred years from now the small population will be back to stone axes and spears.  There are several trends which point to this; not all mutually exclusive, but whatever the route, that's the destination.

You think the less informed will survive and metallurgy and basics of physics will be forgotten?

[joeactor]

Nice it has a slight feeling of the jingles by Raymond Scott.

Cool video... love that era of broadcasting.

[solidsquid]

I would say that in the future we are headed for a large-scale disaster at some point, one which will be a paradigm shifting event.  What might that be?  I really don't know.  I know all the usual items will come along again - wars, arms races, political upheavals, national lines redrawn - war is a given.  Also economic instability - recessions and depressions are a given as well.  However, just how hard hitting they are is hard to predict - realistically the world, especially the U.S. is STILL recovering from the 2008 fall.  Both those things are a pretty sure bet to happen in the future - even the near future.  There is also the occasional natural disaster that rocks places like massive earthquakes, hurricanes and volcanoes.

Many of the things I think about in regard to the future aren't nice but I'd much rather focus on those things and be prepared in some fashion than attempting to figure out what the iPhone 10 will look like and what features it will have.  Although there are some good things I've seen pop up that I think will be great for us in the future...if we live that long.

Bad Stuff:

1. Multi-national War - Many areas of the world are unstable and power is shifting away from the old adversaries and finding a place in near states and bodies of people rather than sovereign states.  I think in the short term the battle with ISIS will escalate as well as with other problem areas in the middle east.  I think issues with Russia will keep popping up.  I think China and Japan may eventually escalate tensions as well as Pakistan and India.  A proxy war between superpowers is a safe bet.

2. Cultural Shifts - We live in a time of great cultural change.  We have massive patterns of migration such as refugees from the middle east coming into Europe and possibly becoming the majority and Europeans becoming the minority.  The U.S. continues to have a large influx of migrants from Mexico and other Latin America countries which will make the hispanic/latino population most likely the majority ethnicity in the U.S. in the future followed by Americans of European descent.  I see a lot of immigration and migration but unlike previous mass movements such as to the U.S. around the turn of the 20th century we also see a lack of assimilation to the host country's established traditions, cultural norms and so forth, causing a cultural divide as well as a problem in attempting to "be fair" to all - the old adage "you can please all the people all the time" will take on a much more poignant meaning.

I think it may lead and already has led to cultural clashes - interpersonal violence, protests and people doing generally dumb things.  My fear is that it may escalate further causing large rifts leading to a new type of segregation - one of a somewhat voluntary nature borne out of lack of cultural common ground and refusal of either side to change or accommodate.

I think a rift politically and ideologically between people may eventually lead to at least small instances of armed revolts.

3. Economic Problems - Insolvency will be an eventuality due to the accumulation of massive debt.  We may see more institutions fail and governments default without any way to help them.  In the U.S. and other European countries I see income disparities grow even larger and jobs divided between high pay and nominal pay.  The disintegration of the middle class will eventually come to pass.

4.  Plague - We see the possible beginnings now in what some scientists have called the post-antibiotic world.  There are bugs that we cannot successfully treat.  Strains of viruses mutate at an alarming rate.  With a global community of over 7 billion people - a huge pandemic reminiscent of the Spanish Flu pandemic (but worse) is long overdue.  I think that could single-handedly be a global game changer itself.

5. A New Generation Full of Fear - Children raised by the Generation Xers (children of the Baby Boomers) are graduating and coming into adulthood and they are very different from their parents and their grandparents and very far removed from the Greatest Generation.  They have some good attributes - less religious, more open to new ideas and ways of thinking, more receptive to Earth friendly practices (green energy for example).  However, they are also by and large more narcissistic, less mindful of civic responsibilities (one large poll found that 60% of Millennials in the U.S. favor a strong military but over 62% said they would never join), possess a greater overall anxiety of adulthood and tend to cling closer to their parents - so much so that some developmental psychologists have suggested extending adolescence to the age of 24.  A recent article in Psychology Today told of the problem of many new college students not being able to handle the stress of college - being away from family, juggling classes and sometimes work and the devastation of academic failure (or even near failure) which has, in some cases, led to suicide.  Once they inherit the world, it will be a vastly different place than the ones established by the Greatest Generation post-WWII.

Good Stuff:

1. Energy - I see a continued development and transition largely to greener energy practices.  Such as more focus on solar, wind, hydro and wave sources of power.  I see a move away from large power grids and much more compartmentalized and localized with smaller energy companies competing locally (and successfully) against large energy corporations.  I see the oil patch downsizing even with the U.S. shale boom and less dependence upon petroleum for fuel.  I see large advances made in nuclear energy such as fusion and for it to be safer and more commercially viable.

2. Food - I see a change away from the largely processed junk which has been happening already.  I see places like McDonald's having to revamp their focus entirely to more "natural" food rather than the mass produced, assembly line fast food we've known for so long.  This is evident by the popularity of primarily vegetarian/vegan/organic restaurants and similar offerings becoming more available in larger commercial chains.  I see the beef industry see a drop eventually in consumption of red meat and a movement more into sustainable poultry and seafood and a huge movement of the plant-based substitutes.  As a personal example - I am a meat lover, especially Texas BBQ.  However, as I grow older I have found myself eating less and less meat on a daily basis and open to more plant based substitutes.  I tried some chicken nuggets that are made from a microfungus - they taste exactly like regular, plain old chicken nuggets.  I have yet to try the beef substitutes but a company named Beyond Meat claims that you cannot tell it isn't beef.  I have some beef sliders that I will try soon.

I also see a movement toward more locally grown produce and the eventual moving away of huge farms owned by corporations.   I see Farmer's markets making a big comeback and even people getting more into growing their own food especially in relation to uncertain times.

3. Technology Advances - I see leaps made with the advent of quantum computing.  I see the internet becoming (moreso than now) an almost necessary part of daily life.  I see holographic technology pursued and coding being taught in schools as early as late grade school.  I see technology assisting the medical field with nanotechnology possibly replacing our usual medication.  I also see such things making advances in military technology as well and leading the advances in the energy sector.

4. Realizing We Only Have One Planet - I think eventually even the hardline anti-climate change, pro-fossil fuel folks will give some ground and accept that we must do what we can to not damage our planet as much as we have.  I see more organized efforts to deal with the issue of our massive amounts of garbage and efforts to fix what the previous decades have broken.  I see a renewed affinity for the outdoors and nature and the enjoyment and preservation of forests and nature parks.

Anyhow, that's about all I have at the moment and that was pretty much thought up on the fly.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

1. Hillary Clinton will be the next President of the USA.  (The country will see no better choice in the end).

2. Donald Trump will not be the next President of the USA.  (The country will come to its senses).

3. I will be dead by 2052. (None of my ancestors made it to 100). 

[Icarus]

Mags you are on the right wavelength. We humans are doomed if we do not wake up to reality.  An article in todays newspapers said that our citizens are cursed by technology. It said that a large segment of the population is now incapable of intelligent discourse with other humans.  The article said that People who might be otherwise involved in social interchanges,  consult their I phones eight times an hour regardless of the conversation that they presume to be having. Look around at your favorite restaurant. How many people do you see fiddling with their I Phone instead of participating in a friendly dinner conversation. 

[Magdalena]

Mags you are on the right wavelength. We humans are doomed if we do not wake up to reality.  An article in todays newspapers said that our citizens are cursed by technology. It said that a large segment of the population is now incapable of intelligent discourse with other humans.  The article said that People who might be otherwise involved in social interchanges,  consult their I phones eight times an hour regardless of the conversation that they presume to be having. Look around at your favorite restaurant. How many people do you see fiddling with their I Phone instead of participating in a friendly dinner conversation.

[Magdalena]

I would say that in the future we are headed for a large-scale disaster at some point, one which will be a paradigm shifting event.  What might that be?  I really don't know.  I know all the usual items will come along again - wars, arms races, political upheavals, national lines redrawn - war is a given.  Also economic instability - recessions and depressions are a given as well.  However, just how hard hitting they are is hard to predict - realistically the world, especially the U.S. is STILL recovering from the 2008 fall.  Both those things are a pretty sure bet to happen in the future - even the near future.  There is also the occasional natural disaster that rocks places like massive earthquakes, hurricanes and volcanoes.

Many of the things I think about in regard to the future aren't nice but I'd much rather focus on those things and be prepared in some fashion than attempting to figure out what the iPhone 10 will look like and what features it will have.  Although there are some good things I've seen pop up that I think will be great for us in the future...if we live that long.

Bad Stuff:

1. Multi-national War - Many areas of the world are unstable and power is shifting away from the old adversaries and finding a place in near states and bodies of people rather than sovereign states.  I think in the short term the battle with ISIS will escalate as well as with other problem areas in the middle east.  I think issues with Russia will keep popping up.  I think China and Japan may eventually escalate tensions as well as Pakistan and India.  A proxy war between superpowers is a safe bet.

2. Cultural Shifts - We live in a time of great cultural change.  We have massive patterns of migration such as refugees from the middle east coming into Europe and possibly becoming the majority and Europeans becoming the minority.  The U.S. continues to have a large influx of migrants from Mexico and other Latin America countries which will make the hispanic/latino population most likely the majority ethnicity in the U.S. in the future followed by Americans of European descent.  I see a lot of immigration and migration but unlike previous mass movements such as to the U.S. around the turn of the 20th century we also see a lack of assimilation to the host country's established traditions, cultural norms and so forth, causing a cultural divide as well as a problem in attempting to "be fair" to all - the old adage "you can please all the people all the time" will take on a much more poignant meaning.

I think it may lead and already has led to cultural clashes - interpersonal violence, protests and people doing generally dumb things.  My fear is that it may escalate further causing large rifts leading to a new type of segregation - one of a somewhat voluntary nature borne out of lack of cultural common ground and refusal of either side to change or accommodate.

I think a rift politically and ideologically between people may eventually lead to at least small instances of armed revolts.

3. Economic Problems - Insolvency will be an eventuality due to the accumulation of massive debt.  We may see more institutions fail and governments default without any way to help them.  In the U.S. and other European countries I see income disparities grow even larger and jobs divided between high pay and nominal pay.  The disintegration of the middle class will eventually come to pass.

4.  Plague - We see the possible beginnings now in what some scientists have called the post-antibiotic world.  There are bugs that we cannot successfully treat.  Strains of viruses mutate at an alarming rate.  With a global community of over 7 billion people - a huge pandemic reminiscent of the Spanish Flu pandemic (but worse) is long overdue.  I think that could single-handedly be a global game changer itself.

5. A New Generation Full of Fear - Children raised by the Generation Xers (children of the Baby Boomers) are graduating and coming into adulthood and they are very different from their parents and their grandparents and very far removed from the Greatest Generation.  They have some good attributes - less religious, more open to new ideas and ways of thinking, more receptive to Earth friendly practices (green energy for example).  However, they are also by and large more narcissistic, less mindful of civic responsibilities (one large poll found that 60% of Millennials in the U.S. favor a strong military but over 62% said they would never join), possess a greater overall anxiety of adulthood and tend to cling closer to their parents - so much so that some developmental psychologists have suggested extending adolescence to the age of 24.  A recent article in Psychology Today told of the problem of many new college students not being able to handle the stress of college - being away from family, juggling classes and sometimes work and the devastation of academic failure (or even near failure) which has, in some cases, led to suicide.  Once they inherit the world, it will be a vastly different place than the ones established by the Greatest Generation post-WWII.

Good Stuff:

1. Energy - I see a continued development and transition largely to greener energy practices.  Such as more focus on solar, wind, hydro and wave sources of power.  I see a move away from large power grids and much more compartmentalized and localized with smaller energy companies competing locally (and successfully) against large energy corporations.  I see the oil patch downsizing even with the U.S. shale boom and less dependence upon petroleum for fuel.  I see large advances made in nuclear energy such as fusion and for it to be safer and more commercially viable.

2. Food - I see a change away from the largely processed junk which has been happening already.  I see places like McDonald's having to revamp their focus entirely to more "natural" food rather than the mass produced, assembly line fast food we've known for so long.  This is evident by the popularity of primarily vegetarian/vegan/organic restaurants and similar offerings becoming more available in larger commercial chains.  I see the beef industry see a drop eventually in consumption of red meat and a movement more into sustainable poultry and seafood and a huge movement of the plant-based substitutes.  As a personal example - I am a meat lover, especially Texas BBQ.  However, as I grow older I have found myself eating less and less meat on a daily basis and open to more plant based substitutes.  I tried some chicken nuggets that are made from a microfungus - they taste exactly like regular, plain old chicken nuggets.  I have yet to try the beef substitutes but a company named Beyond Meat claims that you cannot tell it isn't beef.  I have some beef sliders that I will try soon.

I also see a movement toward more locally grown produce and the eventual moving away of huge farms owned by corporations.   I see Farmer's markets making a big comeback and even people getting more into growing their own food especially in relation to uncertain times.

3. Technology Advances - I see leaps made with the advent of quantum computing.  I see the internet becoming (moreso than now) an almost necessary part of daily life.  I see holographic technology pursued and coding being taught in schools as early as late grade school.  I see technology assisting the medical field with nanotechnology possibly replacing our usual medication.  I also see such things making advances in military technology as well and leading the advances in the energy sector.

4. Realizing We Only Have One Planet - I think eventually even the hardline anti-climate change, pro-fossil fuel folks will give some ground and accept that we must do what we can to not damage our planet as much as we have.  I see more organized efforts to deal with the issue of our massive amounts of garbage and efforts to fix what the previous decades have broken.  I see a renewed affinity for the outdoors and nature and the enjoyment and preservation of forests and nature parks.

Anyhow, that's about all I have at the moment and that was pretty much thought up on the fly.

Wow! That future almost has everything the Bible says in the Book of Revelation. I like it. 

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Conquest, war, famine, and death. Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, volcanos exploding, fire from the sky. Infectious disease and plague. Empire division, empire oppression, empire destruction.

A third of mankind will be killed and those who survive will enjoy renewable energy, healthy food, more advanced college courses, beautiful weather, clean streets, and a renewed affinity for forests and nature parks--Well, for the few trees left standing after the apocalypse, that is. 

[Firebird]

Good Stuff:

1. Energy - I see a continued development and transition largely to greener energy practices.  Such as more focus on solar, wind, hydro and wave sources of power.  I see a move away from large power grids and much more compartmentalized and localized with smaller energy companies competing locally (and successfully) against large energy corporations.  I see the oil patch downsizing even with the U.S. shale boom and less dependence upon petroleum for fuel.  I see large advances made in nuclear energy such as fusion and for it to be safer and more commercially viable.

This unfortunately will lead to some instability too. We absolutely need to move towards green energy and I think we're well on our way. So what happens once we do? Think about how certain countries rely almost exclusively on exporting oil to fund their economies (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Venezuela, etc). Or natural gas like Russia. What happens when that source of income dries up? I don't know, but knowing Russian culture's desire for a strongman leader and their loss of influence once natural gas is not a needed commodity, it doesn't bode well. Not to mention the Middle East. Hopefully we'll duck the worst effects of climate change with the Paris agreement, but temperatures will still increase and now they won't have oil to export. What happens to those governments? I predict increased turmoil there, hopefully not catastrophic. And especially in Israel, once they're a majority-Arab country and the moderate Jews have all decided they can't take it anymore and leave. Though perhaps once the West no longer has a need for their oil and stops meddling, any situation there can be contained.

As for antibiotic resistance, hopefully the reduction of factory farming will help, as will things like these new discoveries.

[Lark]

That is all very dismal but hard to refute. Humans are ruining our wonderful planet but money does not see that.  I think that eventually nature will prevail and humans alter life style a lot or perish.  That is probably a fair way off but I worry a bit about my greatgrandchildren !  What kind of world will they live in ?  The best I can hope is that they will see whatever it is like as normal and just get on with it like everyone else.

[jumbojak]

A hundred years from now the small population will be back to stone axes and spears.  There are several trends which point to this; not all mutually exclusive, but whatever the route, that's the destination.

You think the less informed will survive and metallurgy and basics of physics will be forgotten?

It's a distinct possibility. Think about it, how many people would have any idea as to the process involved in iron smelting? Then you have to wonder how many of them would know how to find the ore, make charcoal, find clay for a furnace, and actually build a useable structure. You can pick any metal you like and the results would be the same, most likely. Even if they knew all of that it's the sort of process that takes a few tries to get right.

Then who's going to work the finished product? How many people would be caught up in the idea of not having the right tools - something that's disturbingly common amongst amateur smiths - and give up? What would they make? Stone tools might take a while but there's less thought involved in the construction.