Life in the Future

a not too serious look at life in 2010 and beyond



In 1964 I attempted to take a serious look into the future. That was a time when most people assumed that everything would keep getting better, and that future generations would enjoy life in a much better world. At that time, I read a few books which made predictions about the positive impact of increased mechanization. Many of those predictions eventually proved to be false.

This taught me not to take predictions of the future too seriously. It also taught me that with the important issues of today, like climate change, health, and violence, we can't afford to sit back and assume that things will automatically get better; nor should we assume that the leaders we elect will automatically take us in a direction that is best for us.



Mother Nature Will Speak To You In The Very Near Future:

I was tempted to make a serious statement here about climate change, but have realized that it is far more effective to just let the weather speak for me. Every few years, Mother Nature speaks to the world with such consistency and force that almost everyone is getting the message.



The Dead Can Live Again:

About 50 years from now, it will be possible to use virtual reality to bring the dead back to life. People will drag out their old and boring home movies and choose a relative to bring back to life. The visual will be combined with records about that person to create a virtual relative.


Then the family can have a chat with that relative, keep it running, and live with it. The experience will be like living with a ghost.

People who died long ago will be resurrected so they can take on new roles. In 2030 the great people of the 20th Century will be brought back alive virtually and be presented on television.


The world will look on in awe as they watch the famous interact at a party. They will watch Richard Nixon make out with Margaret Thatcher, the Three Stooges try to pick a fight with Hulk Hogan, Elvis (the king) Presley trying to impress Queen Elizabeth, and Albert Einstein exploring reality with Marilyn Monroe.



Permanent People:
Over the next 20 to 50 years, it will become harder to tell the difference between the human and the machine. All body parts will be replaceable. A computer will function like the human brain with the ability to recognize feelings and respond in a feeling way. They will then produce fake people.




We will then be able to create a machine duplicate of ourselves so we will appear to be alive long after we are dead. Maybe a few decades later, a way will be found to transfer our spirit (including our memories and thoughts) to the new body. Then we can choose to live for as long as we want.




It might be expensive. Maybe it will cost you an arm and a leg.
[Note: There's another change; we will have to change the language we use. By then, arms and legs will be a dime a dozen.]
[Note: by then, dimes will probably be obsolete, and we won't have any idea what the word dozen means.]



Duplicated People (maybe by 2070):

Once one of you is duplicated, you will just have to press control "D" and you will have two of you, unless you have placed yourself on a clipboard, then press control "V". If you want 500, select 500.

Naturally, when duplicates are running around all over the place, there will be a food problem. Modifications will have to be made with how you eat. Your duplicates will have to combine vitamins with something we have in abundance.


The most practical choice would be garbage. Your modified duplicate will be designed to eat garbage like a goat. But don't worry, your taste buds and sense of smell will be modified so you will really enjoy it. You will want to eat lots of garbage.

When it becomes possible to do a spirit transfer, they will figure out how to do them automatically. So you will be able to reside within whichever duplicate you want, whenever you want and as long as you want.

Skip the duplicate that is in the middle of doing a jigsaw puzzle and choose one that is just completing one. After enjoying putting in the last few pieces, switch to another duplicate that is eating garbage, then to the one that is playing in a raging rock concert, then to the one that is scoring the winning goal. You will be so busy enjoying so many things that it could drive you crazy. When it is predicted that things will be better in the future, it doesn't necessarily mean that things will be easier.





Sample of a Super Sidewalk:





This thing above is not the information SUPER HIGHWAY, it's a Super Sidewalk, an illustration of a moving sidewalk. You can start by stepping onto the top sidewalk and when you want to move faster, step into the faster lane. On your way back you will be experienced, so take the speedy lane.

[Yes, they already have these today, but today's moving walkways are not
as exciting and colorful as the one above.]



From Couch Potatoes to Blobs:

After television became popular we soon had the couch potato. In recent decades advertising has helped us develop a preference to use fast food restaurants where we can "biggie" our fast food and "family size" everything. In addition, we have gradually gained an appreciation for the growing selection of irresistible packaged food, including junk food.


There is currently a battle going on which will determine the shape of the human race. The food industry (that wants people to be fat) is up against the fashion industry (that wants people to be skinny) and the porn industry (that wants people to be lumpy). For most of us it is easy to see that the food industry is going to be the clear winner.

As well, our preferred activity has become sitting: sitting in front of the TV or computer. It is not surprising that obesity has become a national problem.


As we spend more time sitting and eating, forget what our real needs are, and so lose control of our lives, many of us will become not much more than a blob.
[Some food for thought is offered below, near the bottom of this page where I comment on inline skating, river raft races, dancing, tobogganing, snow boarding, and team sports (modified to suit your personal needs).]


Using Nanobots:
Miniature nanobots will be built to travel through your blood stream and repair damage. Also, larger nanobots will be used when you are sick. When you have an upset stomach, you will swallow a very small cherry tasting robot which will travel through your stomach taking video of the mess.

It will be set up like a video game, so you can control the exploring and the selection of images. Then you can replay the video to help a doctor diagnose your problem, or to prove to your employer that you really were sick.



Oct. 25/06:
At an Edmonton hospital, the Royal Alex, a blinking wireless pill is currently being used to take photographs of the inside of a patient. After fasting overnight, the patient swallows the capsule which then travels through the body taking 2 pictures per second. The data is transmitted to a recorder that the patient wears with a harness. The tiny camera takes about 57,000 images which pick up subtle changes in the small bowel: inflammations, blood vessels, and abnormalities. The one time use pill was expelled 8 to 72 hours later. The cost for one pill in 2006 was about $1,000.
[source: Carrie McFadzean, Edmonton
Examiner, Oct. 25/06]




AND NOW:
Daring Predictions For 2010 and 2011 !

Adding a month of summer by voting for "Summer Savings Time ! "

In 2010, parts of our world will still deny the facts of global warming. In response to a cool summer, those same people will vote to adopt "Summer Savings Time!"


So on February 1st, they will spring ahead one month, and on August 1st, they will fall back one month.


In this way they will completely eliminate one month of winter, and joyfully add one full month of beautiful summer.

Adapting To Global Warming By Building a Huge Resort On the Arctic Ocean:

They will soon fast track a new resort at Tuktoyaktuk, on the Arctic Ocean. It will be extremely popular, mainly because it will be the only beach resort left where people can enjoy a nice cool swim. A six lane highway will be built so people from across North America can easily access the resort with their SUV's and Winnebagos.

By 2011 parts of the southern States will be abandoned due to the heat and the extreme weather. Much of Los Vegas and Phoenix will be moved to Tuktoyaktuk.


Immediately next to the Tuktoyaktuk beach they will place a huge iceberg, made out of non-glare white plastic. Penguins and pandas, by popular demand, will be positioned on the top; and elephants and giraffes will be imported to run around on a platform at the base of the iceberg. Unfortunately the plastic, of course, will soon damage the feet of the animals, so they will all have to be outfitted with pink booties. So, as all the animals proudly prance around in their booties, all the Americans will agree that, although Tuktoyaktuk isn't a Disneyland or a Los Vegas, it certainly is a nice cool place.


In late June, tourists in Tuktoyaktuk will love to suntan for 20 hours a day in real sunshine (which will be mostly smog free, as long as the wind blows from the north). In the winter, Tuktoyaktuk will be even busier. It will attract people from around the globe who want to adapt to global warming by escaping.

The escape will last all night long; and in Tuktoyaktuk in December, that means the party goes on for 24 hours. At the end of the night, as the party comes to an end, everyone will have a chance to pause and relax, momentarily, then they can plunge into the next night's party. The coliseum they will import from Phoenix will be used for a drunk tank. Tuktoyaktuk will be the most popular resort on the planet.



Genetic Engineering:
Eventually, genetic engineering will allow us to create the perfect human. It will be hard to get used to. Parents will order a baby who will grow up to do a slam dunk or to have a Barbie doll appearance. But after the 2082 winter Olympics, some babies will be created aerodynamic, so they can sail like ski jumpers. Soon, powerful little motors will be added so they can fly, and a new fad will really take off. Billions of slam dunkers will jump for joy, while billions of Barbie dollers will become totally depressed.


Also, genetic engineering will allow us to mix plants and animals. So, should we allow a female researcher to cross a man with a tree? She would then have something much more stable and dependable, and he wouldn't run around as much. But who would want to be a tree? If that was allowed, then what would the male researchers come up with?



Comparing the Computer to The Human:

As computers have advanced, they have helped us remember, calculate, organize, and clarify. So it has become easier to deal with things, and much quicker. At this point in time, some would claim that the computer has become about as smart as George W. Bush.

However, keep in mind that today's computer can find and change a mistake in less than a millisecond. With George Bush, it might take about 8 years.


[ 10/24/08 But as it turned out, it took George Bush about six years before he began to listen to the right advisors and so did a few things right. But will the world ever forget the brutal and costly blunders of George W. ? ]

In time, more advanced computers will be able to be creative, respond to feelings in a feeling way, develop intuition, recognize patterns, and suggest innovative alternatives. When this happens, trying to compare them with George Bush would be a total waste of time.


Shaping Who We Are:
Unfortunately, television feeds us with impressive attack ads, appealing PR ads, and sometimes repulsive propaganda. Even when we agree with what we view, it is vital that we become harshly critical of those who attempt to control our minds. Attack ads warp the facts and use lies to control what the viewer thinks, a sickening and undemocratic process. In the future, we need to be free from manipulation, so we can make logical decisions about what is best for us.

Our system has controlled our way of life, and will continue to control it for decades to come. The advertising and marketing strategies in our profit driven system have a big impact on what we want in life, what we tolerate, and what we value. It has had an impact on the desire of people to smoke, to become overweight, to use prescription drugs excessively, to accept an unhealthy lifestyle, and to believe we must be buying wonderful things in order to enjoy life. In addition, television ads pick on the vulnerable. They manipulate children, control the types of toys they want, and make them want breakfast cereal that isn't much better than candy.


So, instead of getting what we want, we wind up with the way of life that our system has created for us. Most people are willing to accept a garbage lifestyle, because that's what they're used to, that's what their friends do, and that's what advertising messages subtly pressure everyone to do.

Can we change our system? Our system won't get better if we tear things apart. In spite of major flaws, our system has proven to be better than other systems.
We can improve things by working within the system. We need to take the situation seriously, face the negative information, decide what needs to be done, and then actually do something about it. It's a difficult task, so my hope is that you will find items in this file which are helpful.


World War lll (?):

By 2010 people will finally wake up to the horrors of the late 1900's. They will see that the cigarette companies got away with mass murder (statistically speaking).


The cigarette companies invaded our lives with seductive advertising. They deliberately added poison to the cigarettes, and then didn't tell anyone. Statistically, hundreds of thousands of smokers died. Around the world, millions of years of life have been lost. History might record that we unknowingly fought World War lll against the cigarette companies.


Responding to the Problems of Today and the Future:

As we witness more extreme weather, key countries continue to do little to decrease the deterioration. Pressure must be brought to bear on all countries to sign environmental agreements. We must all be ready to understand, to compromise, and to change our ways. It is unfortunate that when huge changes are required, instead of beginning the process, many people prefer to deny the problem.

Some industries will find major changes difficult and costly, so they will be eager to pore money into the political party that promises to take minimal action on climate change. In exchange for a plan that protects their favorite industries, a political party will discover they have lots of money to buy slick PR ads and damaging attack ads (this will allow them to win elections based on lies).


As well, it is important for our future that we broaden our concerns. (As we now look at more negative, we need to use detached awareness, so the negative nature of the negative doesn't become our greatest problem.) We need to be aware of the toxic chemicals in our indoor environments, and the chemicals we feed our bodies.
[valuable information is provided by this website: Guide to Less Toxic Products.]

In addition, many of us live in a culture of violence, feeding our minds with garbage: with movies, television programs, and computer games that make every part of our being know that shooting and violence is fun and exciting (and therefore, it becomes a more acceptable way of behaving). For many, it is their first impulse. Unfortunately, while they might talk of avoiding violence, deep inside they feel like it's the best way to solve problems, the only way that will get real results.


It is easy to respond to all of this negative information with denial, or by simply criticizing the system.
But there is hope if we choose to take action. We can select Internet information wisely, choose healthy computer games, limit our exposure to television commercials, select television programs carefully, keep active, get outside, take a walk, ride a bike, plan to make a major sacrifice the next time we buy a car, take the bus, make environmentally friendly choices, shop wisely [every purchase is like a vote for more of that type of item], eat healthy, and help build a healthier society by shopping at better stores that sell better food.

After writing this, it impressed me so much that I was off to the local Organic food store to buy some healthy junk food. So, I bought a "Cosmic Power Cookie." It was a good start; quite painless. Many of the changes that are needed probably won't be as painful as we think.
[2/21/08 This winter, I rode the bus and found it
less expensive, and warmer than driving my car.]

A Jan. 3/07 Canadian Government Report
tells us it is time to worry about our own personal chemical soup:

That Report Says: that four members of our parliament had themselves tested for chemicals, and it was found that each had between 49 and 55 pollutants in their blood. The conclusion drawn in this report by the Environmental Defense's Toxic Nation campaign was that pollution affects everyone, regardless of where they live. All these chemicals mix together, creating a chemical soup in our body. So minor exposure to a chemical may not harm any of us individually (unless you are pregnant) but it is unknown what effect all the combined chemicals have.

The chemicals that were found in the blood of the four MP's include: stain repellents, pesticides, flame retardants, heavy metals, PCBs, and air pollutants. The report notes that these pollutants are associated with cancer, developmental problems, respiratory illnesses, damage to the nervous system, and hormone disruption. So, while more testing is done, the Canadian government has BEGUN working with companies to eliminate these chemicals from their products.
This report was posted at CTV.ca and newswire.ca



Strengthening Our Foundation:

By 2010, most people will be aware that a healthy, happy, loving family is a joy to be part of, and that it is a necessary foundation for building a strong society. But for most, awareness will not become reality. People will be subjected to increasingly more diverse and complex influences. Advertisers will create new desires and turn them into necessities. This will leave people feeling confused about their values and priorities.


Too many people are already hooked on the beliefs of the "me generation" so they fail to appreciate that there is a time in life when they must get hooked on sacrifice and commitment. At a time when adults need to become focused on the needs of their family, they will be subjected to other influences. Some will use bad timing as they proudly sacrifice for a more powerful car or a luxury house, some will be hooked on taking risks, and others will recite phrases like "I must become the best I can be" or "I don't want to be tied down." The needs of their family will be lost in a complex set of priorities.


Many people have not actually experienced a solid positive family life, so they will tend to deny its worth (and unfortunately, some will even believe it doesn't exist). Many people have always experienced family life as a struggle, so they won't find time and energy for a workshop, and probably won't even recognize the need.

But it is extremely important for our future that we maintain a healthy perspective. We need to value and appreciate the importance of what can be achieved by loving and committed parents. People need a strong foundation, so it is vital for our society that we encourage parents to work at creating love, joy, and happiness for their children in a decent, stable, and productive atmosphere.



Dealing with future wars:
Maybe if we had a different way of looking at our
leaders, conflicts, and war, then we could more
successfully avoid having history repeat itself.

When we look back, we could say that many wars were optional, unnecessary, or avoidable. However, human history has been full of angry people who, instead of taking an anger management course, decided that war was the answer. They failed to reach the point where they could properly understand the opposition, and failed to realize the obvious; that things need to be fair for both sides. Both sides need to develop a mindset of compromise. Although both sides will find giving in to be a painful process, it can lead to a win win situation.

It is tragic that some extremists don't respond to understanding and fairness. Instead, some extremists create their own set of beliefs. Even though those beliefs are based on flawed information, are irrational, emotional, and potentially destructive, many times, history has shown that millions of people are willing to ignore common sense and share their emotions. When they all feel the same, they sense they must be right; so they follow their leaders like sheep.

Hitler is the best example. He was able to develop a tremendous amount of support, and what they did was sickening. Although Hitler was stopped in 1945, he still caused hundreds of millions to suffer; and
ABOUT 45 MILLION DIED!
It was unfortunate.
Instead of doing what he did,
he should have taken two weeks
of puppet therapy.






By 2015, it will be widely accepted that schools and pre-schools have an extremely important role to play in the future of our world.

Saddam Hussein should have spent time in a kindergarten when he was young. Then he could have learned how to do "show and tell." This is an important skill that needs to be developed for use in the adult world where some people have minimal interest in playing "look and see."

Also, George W. Bush should have spent time in a quality daycare. That is where he could have learned how to respect other children, especially those who are younger, weaker, and not as well developed. When George was 4 years old, he could have learned how to respond to a 3 year old who whacks him over the head from behind, then runs and hides. It doesn't make sense to respond by making up lies as an excuse, then attacking a different group of 3 year olds. So when George was 4 years old, a quality daycare could have taught him how to use common sense, and how to be a good person. While they were at it, they could have also taught George how to not leave behind a big mess.





Notes: The factual content came from a variety of television
and print sources; some of it from the Canadian magazine
Maclean's: Aug. 21, 2000 and Aug. 20, 2001 issues, from
articles on the future written mostly by Chris Wood.

There are a lot of experts who know far more than myself, so
ideally they should be the ones running this website. Unfortunately,
they are aware that probable flaws like misconceptions, biases, and
misunderstandings will be delivered by a simple presentation that
simplifies the problems of the world. Complex problems have
complex solutions. If an expert attempted a file like this, their
colleagues would probably look upon them as a fool.

However, in our complex and busy world, my impression is that a
file like this has practical value. It can help the reader gain awareness,
knowledge, and insights, and aid in assembling opinions. So when I chose
to begin this project, it was because it needed to be done, and I had the time;
it was not because I'm packed with knowledge, insight, and education.
My suspicion was that after extensive mulling and many rewrites,
then things which made sense would emerge. So, please don't
take anything here as the plain truth or a final solution
to a complex problem; but rather work with it,
and turn it into something constructive.