I have read that the future creators of reality are going to be the sci-fi writers. These are the individuals with the imagine to see what things will be like decades down the road.
We experienced a bit of this over a half century with Star Trek. That one show presented to us a future which is coming into being. Sure, a lot of what was in there is still make believe, but it is being worked upon.
I can remember when the cell phone first came into being. It was an amazing idea. And then, a little more than a decade later, I saw a flip phone. This was what Captain Kirk used on the television series. I would guess it was about 40 years after the series. While that took a number of decades, what the writers of the show envisioned did materialize.
This is where we find ourselves today. However, the biggest different is what use to take 40 years can happen in under a decade.
The other day I came across the "refabricator". This is a device that is hybrid recycler and 3D printer. Basically, it will take plastic items, after they are used, melt them down and enable new things to be printed out. For obvious reasons, the International Space Station, where this is going, is an ideal place for it. Due to where it is located, everything has to be shipped up there; a rather costly process.
Now, they can simply re-use the products and make something new.
Here is the kicker: how long until this is in your home?
If it is going on the ISS, that means someone is working on a commercial application. It will not be next year, or the year after, but there will be a point in time where these are in everyone's home. This is a part of our future.
https://qz.com/1467735/international-space-station-gets-refabricator-for-20th-birthday/
With the advancement in AI, robotics, and quantum computing, we are going to see radical transformations of society. The truth is we cannot really envision how life will be 30 years from now. How much different will life be with AI? Even if you feel that AGI is further out than that, how will the advancements in computing capability improve ANI (artificial narrow intelligence: aka ASI)? What effect will quantum computing have on our world? Many project that we will not reach full quantum but even tied to classical computing, how will this alter things?
As I think about what will take place after the 2030s, it gets very weird. I can see the progress of autonomous cars along with ridesharing. Flying taxies are something I can grasp. A world without screens where we are continually connected, I can buy that. Yet these are all innovations we will see within a decade.
Many do not realize we operated in a technology abyss the last two decades. The 1990s were the last time we saw a significant technological advancement. This actually agrees with those who follow cycles. They tend to go in 20-25 year waves. In the past 20 years, the true game changer was the smartphone. Outside of that, we saw little that truly revolutionized society.
If we look at the 1990s, we saw the push in a few different areas all coming together at the same time. We had cellular (mobile) communications emerge. The personal computer started to spread with the increase use of Windows. The Internet open up networking like we never saw before creating a convergence that radically changes so many aspect of life and business.
We are about to enter another period like that. We have not only blockchain but, 3D printing, VR/AR, renewable energy (perhaps fusion finally), and the different aspect of AI. Couple that with 5G and Internet of Things and you have something that will look a lot different in the next decade.
Nevertheless, this is what we can envision. It is what comes after that which will really set our minds on fire. Quantum research is uncovering all kinds of different things that may, or may not, be applicable in the future. However, it only takes on really "spooky" breakthrough to massive change the path of humanity.
I am a believer that trying to understand the technological component is vital to following what is taking place in the world. There are so many individuals and institutions who really are not following these trends. This means they will be caught off guard. Once proud companies will find themselves collapsing like a house of cards since they stood by the status quo.
What is really exciting is that everyone who is involved with Steem is paving the way into the future. We are at the forefront of this technological change. Blockchain and cryptocurrency are helping to make up Web 3.0. Much like the original internet, this will change many aspects of society. Actually, there will be things happening in the next 15 years that are sci-fi to us today. In other words, few of us can even imagine.
That is why when I see people looking at things through a very short-term lens, I realize they do not grasp what is taking place. There is something much bigger happening than a few social media sites being thrown on a blockchain. This is part of a decade long advancement of society. We are not going to even begin to see the radical effects until the middle of the 2020s.
For many, this is too hard to believe. If you are reading this and it is the case, let me take you through a quick exercise. Close your eyes and try to remember life before smartphones. Recall trying to communicate only through text and voice. Ponder the days when the only way to get online was to access a laptop or a PC in a home or office.
If you are old enough, go back to the days before personal computing. Think of what bookkeeping was like before Microsfot Excel or Quickbooks. Consider a time when college papers were produced on a typewriter.
These are all things that people who are around 50 can remember.
So much changed over the past 30 years. However, we can expect similar moves over the next decade. If you want to have some fun, just think about what life will be like in 2050.
Whatever it is, I can assure you that I will not be posting on a site like this typing on a keyboard. My posts probably will be just "thought" out.
The future is a world of science fiction.
And we are all going to be a part of it.
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