Five sci-fi scenarios that will come true
From PC World:
Predicted technological advances may look great in the movies, but what about in your living room? Virtual think tank TechCast recently polled hundreds of futurists and technology analysts, and then calculated when emerging technologies are likely to be found in at least 30 per cent of U.S. households or businesses. Here are its predictions for five familiar sci-fi scenarios. (Predictions carry a margin of error of plus or minus three years; results are not guaranteed.)
1.Biometric Security (predicted mainstream date: 2010)
- (Image copyright 20th Century Fox)
As seen in the film “Minority Report”.
In a few years, we’ll be using fingerprint, voice, iris, or retinal scans to log on to Web sites and make purchases. Sounds a lot better than storing passwords under your keyboard, right? But remember: your body is your password — so don’t lose it.
2.Space Tourism (predicted mainstream date: 2013)
- (Image courtesy of GalacticSuite.com)
As seen in the film “2001: A Space Odyssey”
Space isn’t merely the final frontier, it’s also the hot new vacation spot for the mega rich. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic plans to launch its first suborbital space flight in 2009 (cost: $US200,000 per ticket). NASA predicts that the first space hotels will appear within 20 years. When you get turndown service at the Lunar Hilton, will the attendant leave a moon rock on your pillow?
3. The Holodeck (predicted mainstream date: 2016)
-(Image copyright Paramount Pictures)
As seen in the TV show “Star Trek: The Next Generation”
The long-predicted virtual-reality revolution may finally be imminent, thanks to the popularity of 3D movies and of online worlds such as Second Life. A future “holodeck” could be enhanced by scents shot at your nose by a “smell cannon”. Japanese researchers are working on the device now.
4. Self-Aware Computers (predicted mainstream date: 2019)
- (Image copyright MGM)
As seen in the film “2001: A Space Odyssey”
Though unlikely to turn murderous (in contrast to the late, lamented HAL 9000), machines driven by artificial intelligence will, within 15 years or so, be handling many routine tasks.
5. Domestic Robots (predicted mainstream date: 2020)
- (Image copyright 20th Century Fox)
As seen in the TV show “Lost in Space”
Take a numba, Roomba. One technology expert predicts that by 2025 robots will outsell cars worldwide. So how will the ones without cars get to work?
Should be a grinders’ motto: your body is your password — so don’t lose it.
And therefore grinding your body is a recommended social security measure, just as changing your password is these days!
The first thing that came to mind regarding Minority Report for me was individually-targeted advertising on the street. We get it to a degree on the net already, and there I’ve heard of instances where targeted speakers have been used to spook people out/advertise to people at street level.
wasn’t pretty much all of this stuff predicted 20 years ago, to be around in like 2005?
@captain trips
wasn’t pretty much all of this stuff predicted 20 years ago
Maybe, but I was too young to know at that point.
Given the technology at our fingertips now, the length of the good Doktors run, it will be really interesting to see if the tech will become availible as the book unfolds.
@GAPS – you are right on the speakers. I remember Warren discussing it a few months back.
grinding your body is a recommended social security measure – exactly.
“Given the technology at our fingertips now, the length of the good Doktors run, it will be really interesting to see if the tech will become availible as the book unfolds.”
It almost CERTAINLY won’t be available by the end of Doktor Sleepless, unless the title runs for 5 to 10 years.
Here’s a good companion article:
10 Sci-Fi Techs We Could Build If They Weren’t So Damn Expensive
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/01/10-sci-fi-techs.html
@m1k3y
Nice find!