In thinking about the year 2100, there are certain things a lot of people predict about the future that I don't see coming to pass.  Here are some big things that I see/hear that I have doubts about.  What are yours?

1) Life expectancy extension - The human body, under perfect circumstances, can only last around 120 years.  While improvements in medicine will help more people make it to 100, I don't expect we will ever see a time where people make it much past that.  People have been searching for the fountain of youth in various forms for centuries and they've never found it.  This idea that people will live to 200 in the near future is science fiction.  Even if it were possible (which I don't believe it is), I am not sure its even something that should be pursued on a planet with out of control population explosion and limited resources

2) Humanoid robots - while it seems like a great idea and works well in science fiction movies set in the future, I don't see humanoid robots ever becoming widespread.  Automation and task-specific robots will become more common for various tasks such as manufacturing.  However, I don't think humanoid robots are as practical as it might seem.  In addition, if they were to ever become widespread it would crash the economy as robots would take over most jobs that humans currently do.

3) Continued increase in intelligence and societal awareness - Our generation currently has the most access to information than any generation in world history.  Anything you want to know is at your fingertips.  However, there is a definite "dumbing down" that is occurring.  If you don't believe it, simply take a look at American politics right now.  Instead of becoming a more functional society, as we head towards 2100 I can see us becoming more dysfunctional as ignorance continues to be glorified and intellectualism continues to be demonized.  If we think Trump is bad, wait until we get somebody like Kanye West or one of the Kardashians in the Oval Office.  That is the type of society we are headed towards.

4) Continued increase in tolerance and individual liberty - Humans are by nature tribal.  I am all for multiculturalism, but I worry that it cannot last and will lead to the balkanization of our society.  You can already see it happening in this country with red areas becoming more red and blue areas becoming more blue.  Religion is a wildcard, but don't count out the possibility of a fundamentalist Christian theocracy a-la V for Vendetta.  The current administration in Washington already has echoes of that.  All it will take is one terrorist attack or major crisis and the great American experiment will be over.

With this said, three things I think that will happen are self-driving cars, increased urbanization, and some form of renewable, alternative energy to petroleum.

Living past 120 is a bit of a stretch. Rather I think the improvement of medicine will just make it more likely for the average human to live around 120 years. This also means that the age a human retires would also be pushed back by a few years.

Our bodies might not be able to make it past 120, but who says we can't transfer our brain and consciousness to a humanoid body? And maybe this run in with death will make us more tolerant and understanding of each other and thus more intelligent?  :-X :-X

I want to live until 86 and 1/5. That is all.

Our bodies might not be able to make it past 120, but who says we can't transfer our brain and consciousness to a humanoid body? And maybe this run in with death will make us more tolerant and understanding of each other and thus more intelligent?  :-X :-X


I am not saying this would be impossible in a perfect society, but it isn't going to happen in ours.

Advancement in medicine however will help more people to live to 100.  It wouldn't surprise me if a majority of babies being born right now at least make it to 2110.

I am not saying this would be impossible in a perfect society, but it isn't going to happen in ours.

Advancement in medicine however will help more people to live to 100.  It wouldn't surprise me if a majority of babies being born right now at least make it to 2110.


Transferring the brain to a humanoid body (that doesn't die or get sick) doesn't sound too sci-fi though. Neurology is still a very young science and there's a lot about the brain we don't know, but over time a lot of things that seem like magic to us would be very routine in sometime in the distant future.

1) Life expectancy extension - The human body, under perfect circumstances, can only last around 120 years.  While improvements in medicine will help more people make it to 100, I don't expect we will ever see a time where people make it much past that.  People have been searching for the fountain of youth in various forms for centuries and they've never found it.  This idea that people will live to 200 in the near future is science fiction.  Even if it were possible (which I don't believe it is), I am not sure its even something that should be pursued on a planet with out of control population explosion and limited resources


A real life immortal human being just sounds creepy af regardless of the person's background or stereotypes. Maybe life expectancy extension has something to do with cell degeneration technology? Or manipulating someone's DNA? I remember watching this shocking documentary back in maybe high school, and it was about human cloning by using their DNA to make a human made fertilizer, and it literally showed this 40 year old man and woman next to a teenage version of themselves with the exact same DNA. I was lost in words. 

Our bodies might not be able to make it past 120, but who says we can't transfer our brain and consciousness to a humanoid body? And maybe this run in with death will make us more tolerant and understanding of each other and thus more intelligent?  :-X :-X


Holy crap, science can do that? Holy moly!  :o  :o

A robot might be able to feel? I'm guessing emotions and feelings come from the brain, also.  :o

Holy crap, science can do that? Holy moly!  :o  :o

A robot might be able to feel? I'm guessing emotions and feelings come from the brain, also.  :o


Feeling comes from the skin cells, those skin cells transfer the information to neurons that connect to each other and carry the information via an electrical signal up your spine and into your brain. I remember reading about bionic arms and legs that's controlled by the mind and also has the ability to feel, so we're definitely making progress there. :)

F_brnKz_2tI

Unless by feelings you were talking about emotions :o I believe (I might be wrong) feelings come from certain parts of the brain (or other parts of the body?) that secrete hormones that activate different regions of the brain, and that's when we're supposed to feel something. I think it can also come from other places, like increased heart rate or lung capacity, but I'm just guessing. ;D

Our bodies might not be able to make it past 120, but who says we can't transfer our brain and consciousness to a humanoid body? And maybe this run in with death will make us more tolerant and understanding of each other and thus more intelligent?  :-X :-X


and that's when scientists start going waaaay too far.

It's just like with the idea of creating microchips that can be implanted into your body (your hand or forehead), then you'll have a (computer) microchip inside your body for the rest of your life that can be tracked down by satellites and the government everywhere you go. But the consequences of having a microchip inside your body goes much deeper than this, it's worse than death. I'm totally against that type of stuff TBH.

Any of y'all heard of CERN? Yeah, don't even get me started with that.  :o

and that's when scientists start going waaaay too far.

It's just like with the idea of creating microchips that can be implanted into your body (your hand or forehead), then you'll have a (computer) microchip inside your body for the rest of your life that can be tracked down by satellites and the government everywhere you go. But the consequences of having a microchip inside your body goes much deeper than this, it's worse than death. I'm totally against that type of stuff TBH.

Any of y'all heard of CERN? Yeah, don't even get me started with that.  :o


I agree we don't need computers in our brains when we have them in our pockets (smartphones). It's not very economical. ;D Having internet in our bodies definitely raises ethical concerns. In my personal opinion, while the Internet is great, there are many lazy developers out there who make their machines rely way too much on the Internet (and thus, expose it to more security risks) when there's absolutely no need to use Internet in some cases.

One of my professors works at CERN! He goes to Switzerland for three days and comes back to Toronto for the other four (to work at my university's nuclear reactor/medical isotopes project :o) Super intelligent guy.

I remember in 2009 or 2010, there was a concern that the Large Hadron Collidor where they were trying accelerate and collide electrons would create a black hole and suck in the entire earth. The hysteria back then was off the charts. Damn, I'm nostalgic. ;D

I have my doubts about flying cars ever becoming a reality. There are far too many financial and ethical concerns to overcome in order for flying cars to actually benefit society. Could you imagine if someone under the influence of alcohol got into a flying car and started to fly it? We already have a lot of fatalities revolving around people who get behind the wheel when they are drunk. In such a scenario, people could crash their flying cars into houses and other buildings. Imagine the insurance claims!

Also, electric-powered cars are more beneficial to the environment and are not only more viable to pursue, but also limit the amount of expenditure for it to be completely adopted by the general public. They're definitely the way to go and I predict that their acceptance by the public will increase in the next decade or two. It's a well known fact that we will run out of oil and coal eventually. We need to start exploring other methods of transportation, ones which will actually be viable and beneficial.

How about the stuff that we use to see watching The Jetsons? ???

How about the stuff that we use to see watching The Jetsons? ???


Those giant computer that take up the whole wall are definitely not a thing, haha.

I have my doubts about flying cars ever becoming a reality. There are far too many financial and ethical concerns to overcome in order for flying cars to actually benefit society. Could you imagine if someone under the influence of alcohol got into a flying car and started to fly it? We already have a lot of fatalities revolving around people who get behind the wheel when they are drunk. In such a scenario, people could crash their flying cars into houses and other buildings. Imagine the insurance claims!

Also, electric-powered cars are more beneficial to the environment and are not only more viable to pursue, but also limit the amount of expenditure for it to be completely adopted by the general public. They're definitely the way to go and I predict that their acceptance by the public will increase in the next decade or two. It's a well known fact that we will run out of oil and coal eventually. We need to start exploring other methods of transportation, ones which will actually be viable and beneficial.

I absolutely agree with that statement. I can't believe that people even want flying cars.

I absolutely agree with that statement. I can't believe that people even want flying cars.


I want my freakin' jetpack already.  8)

https://www.themarysue.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/JB-9.jpg

I want my freakin' jetpack already.  8)

https://www.themarysue.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/JB-9.jpg

Jetpacks are OK but still dangerous.

Jetpacks are OK but still dangerous.


Yeah but I'll bet it would be a blast.