The Futurist magazine has ten predictions for 2013 and beyond (but mainly up to about 2020) Most of the predictions will not be very impactful even if they are true other than the one on space access and robots to help the elderly.
1. Neuroscientists may soon be able to predict what you’ll do before you do it.
NBF – too difficult to apply broadly and easily
2. Future cars will become producers of power rather than merely consumers.
NBF – slow to deploy. Electric cars have had trouble getting a toe hold in the market. More light hybriding seems more likely. Maybe ten to twenty million natural gas cars out of 2 billion cars by 2020.
3. An aquaponic recycling system in every kitchen?
NBF – not for a long time and not important
4. The economy may become increasingly jobless, but there will be plenty of work
5. The next space age will launch after 2020, driven by competition and “adventure capitalists.”
NBF – actually a lot will happen before 2020 with suborbital space tourism and progress from Spacex. A reusable rocket would be big and Spacex and Blue Origin could succeed with that before 2020.
6. The “cloud” will become more intelligent, not just a place to store data.
7. Corporate reputations will be even more important to maintain, due to the transparency that will come with augmented reality.
8. Robots will become gentler caregivers in the next 10 years.
9. We’ll harness noise vibrations and other “junk” energy from the environment to power our gadgets.
NBF- a lot more economical and efficient energy harvesting from heat is likely to have far more impact
10. A handheld “breathalyzer” will offer early detection of infections microbes and even chemical attacks.
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Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.