Regular readers of my articles know I have a rather accelerated view of the future. My belief is that we are nearing a time when things actually explode. The progress we witnessed over the last 30 years in computing is about to expand to many other areas of life.
In short, life in be radically different over the next 10-15 years.
Many people do not take this same viewpoint. Instead, they believe that, since things are mostly the same as a decade ago, we can expect similar progress for the decade ahead.
However, notice I mentioned the three decade advancement in computing. From where we stand now, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Over the next 10-15 years, we will see similar advancements made in transportation, materials, robotics, food, and energy. The radical progress in information will be felt in most other areas of life.
Can you imagine what life was like looking up information in an encyclopedia that was found in the local library? Think of the time that was wasted. How about taking a day to write out checks to pay the bills for the month? That was a regular occurrence for people throughout the western world. Today, people just pay stuff online.
The fact that most are looking at the world through the "eyes of today" means that they tend to have a more permanent outlook of things. Without the clear understanding how quickly things will be changing, mistakes are made. This applies to money, investing, careers, and purchases. We all know that a computer purchased today will quickly obsolete and worth less tomorrow.
How many have considered that this could also apply to a home purchase? If we are going to erect building in space using advanced technologies, does it not stand to reason that we will also do the same here on Earth?
Many find it hard to believe that the cost per mile driven in a country like the United States could drop by 75%-90% by 2030. Yet, if we consider not only electric vehicles, perhaps powered by renewable energy, but also autonomous transportation, things become clearer. Ultimately, Transportation-as-a-Service will produce the same structure as music, video, and cloud computing.
We could also see similar drops in food. With concepts that are already appearing such as invitro meats from bioreactors, climate controlled farming, and precision fermentation, we could see a major drop in food prices. Through technology, food could be broken down into the individual components we require such as protein, fats, and minerals.
The last two decades can be considered a technological nadir. For those old enough, look at how much life changed from 1980 through the dotcom bubble (roughly 2000). There are few who were around at that time who would say there were only a few minor changes. Life was completely different.
Sadly, life is not vastly different from 2000. Computers are cheaper and advancements allowed for the convergence to form the smart phone. This naturally changed things greatly.
However, that is about to change. Looking at the technologies I discuss on a regular basis such as 3D printing, DNA editing, extended reality, blockchain/cryptocurrency, as well as the space race, we can see how quickly things can advance.
Consider the fact that, by year end, SpaceX will have part of its Satellite Internet service, Starlink, live for commercial purposes in a few areas. This was something that was a dream just a few years ago.
By 2025 we have a clear indication of how far things will progress by 2030-2035.
Technology is going to progress whether we are prepared or not. Thus, I feel it is best to prepare for the changes that are coming.
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