The world in 2058

actionforspace.com — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:44:56 GMT

The remote operation enabled by the medical imaging would make astronauts much more comfortable to go on space missions (to the moon at least) with proven technology such as this to help them. It seems like it would be difficult at Mars, however. Can you imagine having surgery with the doctor having lag?

The world in 2058

Bill Hensley — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:06:08 GMT

Mostly this sort of speculation is just for fun. We should be mindful of how far off the predictions of 50 years ago were. But Vint Cerf's comment about influencing the next generation has some validity. I remember when I got my first StarTAC flip phone from Motorola. The resemblance to a Star Trek communicator was obvious - and no coincidence, I'm sure. Many of us engineers grew up watching Star Trek and so we knew what a communicator is supposed to look like.

The world in 2058

Delmar Fairchild, Barron, WI — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:31:02 GMT

1. I don't like the idea of a world wide recording system of all humans that will know where each are at any second of the day. Big Sister. How can we get away from our wives for a fews minutes peace?
2. I've been trying to get that damn cat, hamster and bird out of the house for 8 years now.
3. If I live to be 140 there better be something to alleviate the bad knees, sore muscles, overextended back, and stiff neck I've had from physical work all my life.
4. Phyical work - Unless I misunderstand his comments, Mr. Cerf - "I can imagine people actually working in virtual environments where productive, cooperative work is undertaken, and I think we will find people helping others to take advantage of masses of information that are inaccessible or too vast to process in real time today" - is talking office or managerial personnel. Who will turn the hamburgers, build the homes, fix your car, manufacture your computer parts? A virtual worker?
5. Being optimistically a pessimist with the World's population doubled in the next 50 years, where are we going to put all the extra people and still have room to explore an area not seen by human eyes for many years or at least since the last time you were there, get away from the wife, find a nice clean lake to swim or go fishing in? Virtual nature. BassFisherman on Xbox.
6. Water will be the next oil for sure. Instead of finding how to clean our water today to be ready for tomorrow, we will be fighting over how to drain the Great Lakes for use in Mr. Cerf's corner of California and the other western states. We will literaly defend it! ABSOLUT'
7. I am thinking these fellas are talking strictly about their own special interest projects and if the "to do" list is only that then nothing will work without the rest of "us" included. As Humans we want to be involved, but we don't want to be told what it is we will be doing 50 years from now. We can actually do something good in the next 50 years, but it won't be a concerted effort by anyone (Maybe NASA). It will be the entrepreneurs that will do most of it. We will still have the same problems we have today. You will not change human nature.
8. We should have some type of colony on the moon by then and/or sometype of intersteller ship being built on the ISS by then.

The world in 2058

Ernest Lloyd Cox E.H.S., Salt Lake City, Utah — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:44:37 GMT

A few years ago I had an Aunt die from cancer. It was believed to be a result of years of drinking a diet soda, one which used a artificial sweetener. I don't believe any wonderful advancements in diagnostics medicine will change anything until we eliminate causes of disease such as preservatives, and artificial sweeteners and colors. Zoo animals have a more healthy diet and environment than most children and teenagers. There must be some way to stop the billions in profit being made from the sale of FDA approved additives. You want to see pollution eliminated from the environment start with are food.

The world in 2058

John Doe, Seattle Wash — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:53:59 GMT

I think we pretty much will all be dead by 2058.

The world in 2058

Tim, Chicago — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:57:59 GMT

Wait until you see the real world version of a Holodeck!

The world in 2058

Greg, Tonawanda NY — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:59:18 GMT

Sigh.

50 years from now, things will look much the same as they do today.

It's all well and fine to envision better medical imaging, new genetically tailored drugs, and alternative energy, but the fact is that buy-in from Big Business is required for any of that.

News flash - corporations tend not to undertake such initiatives unless there is profit involved. Corporations loathe change, because change increases risk, and risk costs money. You can count on some innovation, sure, but only if some executive somewhere can figure out how to profit by it. Don't count on breakthrough level, make-the-world-a-better-place innovation, just for the sake of making the world a better place.

So could we have 3-D imaging technology? Sure, and a body scan can end up costing more than a simple MRI. Can we have genetically tailored drugs? Yes, at an enormously higher cost than generic manufactured drugs. Alternatives to oil? Not on a large scale, unless we're willing to pay more than we pay for oil. And we're not.

It's simple economics.

The world in 2058

Doug, Colorado — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:19:53 GMT

This article seems to blow right past the immense strain 140-year lifespans would place upon both national economies and the planet itself.

The world in 2058

Peter, Fremont, CA — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:24:03 GMT

The biggest issue is south to north migraration. America and Europe will not have majority white populations and will be much more over populated.

The world in 2058

Chris, Seattle WA — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:24:33 GMT

Greg,

How can you say that? Look at the changes in technology that our parents and grandparents have seen in 50 years. Do you think they'll say it's the same as it was?

It's a certainty that money talks but it's also a certainty that innovations in the next 10 years will be greater than the last 10 years.

I'll admit that I'm an also an optimist, but I can't wait to see what's in store for my kids or my grandkids (or great-great grandkids if half of this story comes true).

The world in 2058

Steve L. Harrisburg, PA — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:24:47 GMT

The next fifty years are critical to the survival of the species. While it's encouraging to hear that there are optimists in the futurist crowd, the reality is we have over a dozen major issues to overcome. A partial list includes the biggies like: global warming, air quality, an alternative renewable energy source, fresh water, overpopulation, and an adequate food supply. But there are other not so well known issues such as erosion of top soil, and a decrease in biodiversity that could lead to a massive breakdown in the food chain. Soylent Green anyone?

If we solve most of these major problems but are still faced with one or two it's still game over for civilization as we know it.

We can adapt, we can be innovative, but can nations work together to solve the problems facing the human race? For my 10 year old daughter's sake I hope so.

The world in 2058

Shipwreck Sam — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:31:37 GMT

No way will the world of 2058 look the same as today - just compare the world of 1958 with the world of today. Profit comes from new products - "Mature" technologies don't throw off the same level of return. What we can't envision is what new things might be invented. Some we can predict, but most we can't simply because no precursor exists today.

The world in 2058

Briggus, San Jose — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:48:59 GMT

This guy is an idiot. Higgs field technology to exceed the speed of light? Moving to underwater habitats? He's been reading too many comic books.

No, we're looking at a world currently over 6 billion people, quickly heading to 10 billion. With oil running out, the unabated burning of fossil fuels, and the non-stop clearing of wetlands, jungles, and forests, global warming is in free fall. Farmable land all over the globe is being lost to climate change already. Bottom line is that in an era of competition for resources and hugely increased demand, we are looking at an extended period of global unrest. Wars always result in times of resourse shortage throughout history.

Outposts on Mars and Titan? We went to the moon 30 years ago, couldn't go back now if we wanted to. Optimistically, a manned-return to the moon os at least 15 years away. Forget about Mars. There is no one alive on the planet today who will witness a manned Mars expedition.

Until we scale back the global population to something sustainable with a new global climate and resourse model, we will be looking at decades of social upheaval. Not some technological Utopia crap.

The world in 2058

Mark Brown, Portland OR — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:49:43 GMT

We've been fortunate up to this point that we haven't had a truly destructive super-virus hit in modern times. We've had easily transferrable viruses (colds/flu) and viruses that are extremely harmful (anything greater than about 20% fatality would wreak havoc on the entire world); what happens when we get a virus that is both airborne and deadly? Or a bacteria that’s resistant to all drugs that currently exist or can quickly be produced?

My guess is that over population will be solved the old fashioned way, naturally.

The world in 2058

MM, Shady Hills, Florida — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:01:07 GMT

For an idea of what the world will look like in 50 years, just look back 50 years, or even 500 years for a clearer view. Regardless of technological breakthroughs and quantum leaps in medicine, mankind's base desires and needs have never changed since the beginning of mankind, and the human condition will only continue to worsen for the masses. While the few at the top will live long lives artificially supported by their medications and biometric inventions, the majority of the world's population will sink into sickness (disease) and starvation. Some call this survival of the fittest or natural selection, but the faithful recognize it as prophecy and by simply looking back in time, one can see that things are not getting better and they never have. Sure, this was a fun read but fantasy always is.

The world in 2058

J.C. Las Vegas, Nevada — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:02:47 GMT

Has anyone seen "Children of Men"? That is the perfect example of what life will be like in the future. Some technological and medical advances, but also, a world contaminated with pollution.

The world in 2058

CMWin3 — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:06:41 GMT

I think its kinda ridiculous that the biggest elephant in the room (religion) had like 3 sentences in this article. I see no bigger hurdle than overcoming the obstacles and sheer ignorance that faith poses on mankind's welfare and future state. 50 years from now, are you kidding me? Something like 50% of the U.S.'s population believe that jesus will return to earth in the next 50 years. It's a startling and scary statistic but how can we get people to care about the future of our planet when the majority of population believe this life is all just a transitional phase? Scary

The world in 2058

The Nerd — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:12:16 GMT

I will respectfully have to disagree with a few of my fellow readers. I am a computer engineer by trade. Just within the short 25 years of my professional career, I have seen miracles happen and the technology is still in it's infancy. When I first started everyone was a generalist around the IT shop. It was pretty much possible for you to know most of what you needed to know to handle everything from communications to that new fangled thing called a computer. But now . . . forget it!!!! It's all I can do just to stay on top of the newest trends in Microsoft Internet development. Technology is moving extremely fast and it's accelerating.

A few other things I disagree with:
1. Companies LOVE to take risks on projects that may turn out to be the next great thing and this will never change because it is driven by greed. Hello!! Anyone remember the DOTNET Bubble back in 2000-2001. There is an example of Risk investment gone out of control and beyond all reason.
2. Technology tends to drive down costs over the long-run. Sure anything brand spanking new will be more expensive but what is brand new today is old hat next year and it is cheaper as a result. heck we see this happen all the time. How many of us "normal" people could afford to buy a plasma television when they first came out. But now, heck you'll be hard pressed to find a new tube television and why would you want to anyway when you can get a High def Plasma for the same or less.

Will technology make the world a better place - I don't know but I can say this for sure. In 50 years, the world will NOT resemble the one we currently live in. My educated opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

The world in 2058

chris, al — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:13:39 GMT

How is fresh water possibly a problem in the future? With desalinization and water treatment technologies we would have to be brain dead for this to be a problem. Dig a 150 acre, 40 foot deep lake in Indiana and fill it from the Great Lakes. A 200 acre one in GA and fill it from the Atlantic, and a 300 acre one for NV from the Pacific. How is this hard. Matter can neither be created or destroyed only changed. There is as much water today as the day the world was created. If we ever have a problem with fresh water we SHOULD die because we don't deserve to go on as a species if we can't figure this one out. Everyone is worried about flooding from glacial melting. This will also alleviate that. Two birds with one stone.

The world in 2058

KVG, Golden Valley, MN — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:20:45 GMT

Ernest, Get a life. Your Aunt didn't die of an artificial sweetner. I'm sure your talking about aspartame. Check your facts. The only reason there was ever a stink raised about aspartame was because the stock holders of saccharin (Sweet 'N' Low), saw the price of their stock tumble. Many of these stockholders were the doctors & researches who came out against Nutra Sweet. Follow the money whenever you "hear" about how bad something is for you & do some independant research before you open your mouth. Same thing goes for all the "Man Made Global Warming" nut jobs out there. Do you honestly think people & companies are not getting rich off this fraud? Look who's making the money!! News orginizations, researchers, environmental scientists, colleges & universities, talk shows, politicians, etc. etc. etc. You name it & people are benefitting for the hysteria. The biggest hypocrate of all is Al Gore. Once his lie of inventing the internet was outed & he legitemately lost the presidential election he had to come up with another scam to stay in the lime light. What better way than to make a movie showing how he doesn't care so much for himself, it's the world he cares about. Give me a break. His movie has already been shown for the fanasy it really is. It just doesn't get spread around because the people who are crying wolf won't get rich. What country is being impacted the most by this. The U.S. Most of the rest of the world will be minimally imacted by any regulations. That's why the rest of the world is backing Gore & even awarding him a Nobel prize (never again will that award be meaningful). The rest of the world is chuckeling with glee at bringing the U.S. down to their level. And just so you idiotic environmentalists & liberals don't attribute my tirade to being conservative, the main reason the rest of the worl is so glad to see this country in the finacial mess it's in is because they see us as the cocky bullies that we really are. Instead of truly helping other countries we bully them into accepting & adopting our way of life & government or they will not receiveaid from us. The next 50 years stand a real good chance of seeing this country become almost "3rd world" in relation to the rest of the developed nations unless we learn to respect other nations that don't think like we do.

The world in 2058

alabama — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:26:00 GMT

Question on global warnming. I live in a southeastern state. I was taught in school and through the discovery channel that in the dinosaur days my state was a lush rain forrest with vast quantities of flora and fauna. Then whatever extinction event (take your pick of theory) happened brought in the ice age and changed it to the temperate climate of today. If this is true, would that not mean that the warming that is occuring today is just the Earth returning to its normal state before the catastrophic event that caused the ice age? So this means either scientist are misleading us about the cause of global warming or about what the world was like in prehistoric times. They need to fess up to one of the two untruths because you can't have it both ways.

The world in 2058

The Nerd — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:32:20 GMT

True enough my friend, there is as much water today as there ever was and some would tell you that there is more because it falls on us from space . . BUT . . . the question is how much potable water will we have to meet the needs of an ever increasing population. I don't just mean drinking water but water to irrigate crops, sanitary water to bath with, to cook with, to brush teeth with, for manufacturing, etc, etc, etc. True enough, desalinization is a possible option to meet some of the need but it is currently an expensive and inefficient process that cannot without further technological advancement, meet the greater need.

Water will soon become a major problem for us all.
My humble opinion.

The world in 2058

texas,nac — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:33:20 GMT

if u wanna know the truth, we all are probably gonna have our anti christ by than.. think im stupid?.. remind me of it when the day comes..soon..

The world in 2058

T MILLER — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:39:53 GMT

One thing for certain, is that we as human beings must adapt not only to the social, medical, and industrial problems of today and the future or the possibility that other species on planetary tours will identify us as the late great planet earth. Now a dead planet!

The world in 2058

The Nerd — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:40:55 GMT

Fear! Isn't it a wonderful way to manage the sheep.

The world in 2058

Joe Holland, Chalfont PA — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:46:07 GMT

1984

The world in 2058

MM, Florida — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:47:34 GMT

KVG...That was pretty funny, but I have to agree with your tirade. The world always wants to see the big bully go down. It's almost human nature. History does repeat itself! Has anyone visited the Roman Empire lately?

The world in 2058

JT, Herndon VA — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:51:02 GMT

Disco will still SUCK!

The world in 2058

Tom, Baton Rouge — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:51:48 GMT

Alabama.....the last ice age (there have been many) was about 20,000 years ago. The dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago. At that time, the land that is now Alabama, and all of the present continents, were in some other part of the world (ever hear about plate tectonics?) Climate comparisons from that era are irrelevant to today's issues.

Man made global warming? What difference does it make whether its man made or natural? In either case, the disastrous effects on civilization are the same. And the steps we need to take to limit man's arguable contribution are positive regardless of the cause.

The world in 2058

The Nerd — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:55:08 GMT

To Alabama,

The last Ice Age ended about 11,000 years ago. The Earth's temperatures stabilized long ago. One of the tenets that supports the Global warming theory is that temperatures began noticably rising not long after the Industrial Revolution. The temperatures increased slowly at first but over the last decade the increases have have been dramatic. There is compeling evidence to suggest that the teperature increases that we are seeing are man-made. But hey, ya know what . . . It doesn't matter who is to blame because it's already happened. All we can hope to do at this point is figure out a way to adapt and I believe we will once every stops bickering and begins to address the issue honestly. I hate politics!

Once again, my educated opinion.

The world in 2058

The Nerd — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:11:31 GMT

. . . . And you know what else . . . who never know what might happen. Heck, one big volcanic eruption or two could put enough dust in the air to lower the global temperatures enough to make things bearable (for a little while anyway). There are several out there rumbling around right now. If the cauldera in Yellowstone ever blows we might even see another ice age (at least those of us who survive it). Oh they just did have a major mid-western earthquake didn't they . . . . hmmmm.

My point is that if you really want to worry, you can worry just about anything. Don't worry about things. Take action!

My musings.

The world in 2058

Get your attention. — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:17:21 GMT

How many people currently living, of the 6.5 Billion, want to live in a world where the population potentially has reach 9.5 to 10 Billion individuals. Have food shortages been eradicated in Africa? Has human disease, increase or decreased in the last 50 years-why are so many individuals worried about human-to-human transmission of bird-flu?

Fresh water? With all the people living today, there isn't enought fresh water to support daily living in some countries. Our rivers are polluted from farming activities, hormones from human birth control are causing health and changes of sexuality in many inland fish species. Pipelines--Oh that is a good one--let's just build a pipeline from Greenland's Glaciers down the coast of Canada into the East Coast and across the Midwest down to Mexico City. (Looks like a Borg's interpertation of Earth out of Star Trek various movies).

With the Global Warming, several low lying regions in North Africa would flood, forming inland seas. This might be great for Egypt, and the Quatara Depression or in the Bodilee Depression--they could raise shrimp and then sell that to the Chinese to feed Asia. Also, has anyone actually seen how the interior of Brazil would flood? The Amazon River Basin, too, is a low lying depression that would be under 20-40 feet of water--major species of animals, reptiles, aves, and tropical flora would become extinct due to Global Warming.

The only thing interesting is the possibility of humans moving off-world and begining to terraform Mars. When will one of these European/Russian/Indian/Chineses countries actually harvest and send large seed/grain/nuts to Mars or introduce bacterial life from Earth to start the terra forming process. Gliders flying over Mars, dispersing various grass, flowers, and herbal seeds. Pods, crashing into the Martian soil, dispersing Maple, Oaks, Walnuts, Hazlenut, or various species of Pine seeds into the Martian environment to get trees growing on the surface.

While it would be wonderful to think about the great possibilities of the next 50 years, remember that even in Star Trek, the Third World War, occurred with a Nuclear exchange between the countries.

The Ecosystem had been destroyed, small populations of humanity were living in isolation in mountainous regions of the world.

In the "Star Trek Universe", the "Vulcans existed" and brought stability to the human populations.

This is reality, unfortunately there are no "Vulcans"--and the probability of the Earth being destroyed by the 9.5 Billion individuals of 2058 feeding on each other.

Can anyone Say "Jeffery Dahmer" was "Hungry", eat some Mexican, eat some Asian, eat some Italian...

Get the point...law abiding citizens dont think about owning a gun. But the criminals already have guns.

Go ahead, have babies--they are tasty and the meat is very tender with Barbecue Sauce.

Bake a Fat Person, plop an apple in their mouth and slice them up like a Thanksgiving Ham!! Yummy.

Find a slim person, turn them into a "Slim Jim" or a "Beef Jerky" strip and hang them up in the cellar for a long winter's night.

The world in 2058

Mark, Denver, Colorado — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:37:10 GMT

Does anyone realize we are not going to be on this planet past the year 2012? Do you not watch the History Channel? Have you not seen what has been said? Do you not see what is going on today in this world? We ARE in the stages of Armageddon, and there's no turning back. Quit worrying about the future and live your life now! You don't have too much time left.

The world in 2058

Kathy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:39:13 GMT

I think it's unlikely that advanced technologies will provide satisfactory answers to basic human problems. In addition, extending the average human lifespan may not be a good thing. Frankly, if I had to wait until I was 90 or 100 to retire, I'd probably shoot myself.

The world in 2058

Brian Swiderski, Berkeley, CA — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:40:43 GMT

There is a fact many seem to be ignoring: Most predictions of the future, optimistic or pessimistic, are nothing more than linear extrapolations of the present, which is why they are almost always wrong in both form and content. The breathless utopian visions of the 1950s were just suburban American triumphalism expressing itself; likewise, the dystopian visions of today, like the dystopias of early proto-SF, are nothing more than expressions of contemporary fear.

While this fact works both ways, I personally find the pessimist side of the equation far more annoying and ridiculous. Those so enthralled to fear, and so lacking in imagination that they believe the problems of their own era are the final, insurmountable obstacles that will end or cripple mankind, contribute nothing by their predictions.

Another thing I find obnoxious about the pessimist case is the frequent citing of "human nature" as proof of our downward trajectory - as if human nature consists only in that small handful of emergent behaviors that *could*, if nothing else is taken into account, result in human extinction. Our nature is how all of this came about in the first place - how we became sentient and communicative; how we learn and grow; how we solve problems and seek knowledge; how we care about each other. To deny or belittle those aspects of human nature is to ignore reality, and doing so is the only way to justify the bleaker scenarios - many of which seem to depend entirely on the idea that people will do little or nothing to save themselves, and are not collectively smart enough to deal with problems before they destroy civilization - a test humanity already confronted and passed in the Cold War.

Humanity is the most generalist animal species ever evolved, thriving with even simple technology in most of the land environments on this planet, and generalist species are not typically decimated by resource scarcities or climate change - they evolve. In the case of a less intelligent generalist species, that evolution is biological - the new environments pressure genetic changes that cause local speciation, and now one species has become several. In our case, evolution is technological, and occurs much more rapidly than biology could ever match. As climate change alters environments, pressures will be exerted on technology to preserve them, but unlike in biological evolution, the progress that's made anywhere is instantly available everywhere. This yields an evolutionary feedback loop directly proportional to the extent of the pressure, which could only be overwhelmed by pressures so extreme and rapid that the foundations of civilization are destroyed before progress has time to cycle. Now, apart from the fact that virtually no one in the scientific community thinks the worst-case scenario will happen; apart from the total lack of evidence that it will happen; the notion that it would happen - that the laws of the universe so precisely conspire against us that disaster strikes at exactly the time in human history just before we could deal with it, is to propose a cosmic joke worthy of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. There may be some ironic attraction to the idea, but it holds no merit in the real universe, so it simply will not happen.

The end result of all these "insurmountable problems," like all the insurmountable problems before them we've surmounted, will be a strange and beautiful future where the alleged Apocalypse of yesterday is the nuisance of today, and as-yet unimagined dangers confront us in a world of as-yet unimagined wonders. Such is how human evolution works - we solve our problems, and the solutions confront us with new ones. That is how we grow and evolve, and the reason humankind or its descendents will never die. That is the reason our future will never end. There is nothing to fear. Ever.

The world in 2058

Magnum Nashville TN — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:47:12 GMT

This article gets a negative 12 stars out of a possible positive 5 stars because it throws away privacy rights and tells us we have no choice but to give up privacy. Get the right president and we will have total privacy.

The world in 2058

The Nerd — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:55:33 GMT

Mark, Hey man that sucks because I don't retire until 2023!! Did the History channel also tell you that every generation since the generation following Christs death has been looking for the Armageddon and then the return of Christ. Yep! Very documented throughout the ages. I'm not saying it won't happen but believing what you believe put you in a mighty big club!! Only thing is most of you a long dead and gone and the Armageddeon still awaits us.

Once again people, stop worrying. Yes . . global warming is bad, water shortages will be bad, heck . . . aramageddon will suck but we will adapt. Preparation and cooperation are key. Write YOUR CONGRESSMAN! Tell him your concerns.

The world in 2058

SOMEGUY — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:06:18 GMT

IN 50 YEARS THE WORLD "WILL" BE A DIFFERENT PLACE. WITH BIG BROTHER AT WORK, HOME, IN YOUR CAR AND EVERYWHERE ELSE WATCHING YOU! YOU WILL HAVE GOVERNMENT SECURITY CAMERAS IN YOUR HOME, ON EVERY STREET, EVERY ALLEY, EVERYWHERE IF YOUR 3YEAR OLD STEALS ONE OF YOUR 5YEAR OLD'S TOYS OUT OF THE TOY BOX THEY'LL BE CHARGED AS AN ADULT. WITH THE CURRENT SENTENCING LAWS BEING EXTENDED EVERY YEAR THEY'LL BE LUCKY TO GET 20 YEARS BY THEN. IF YOU GO OVER THE SPEED LIMIT BY 1 MPH. YOUR CAR WILL BE SURE TO CALL THE POLICE SO THEY CAN SEND YOU A TICKET IN THE MAIL OR EMAIL FOR $2000 OR MORE. BY 2058 YOU WON'T BE ALLOWED TO CROSS ANY STATE LINE WITHOUT AN EYE SCAN, DNA, PLUS FINGER PRINT & A PASSPORT & 5 FORMS OF "REAL" ID. GUNS, DRINKING, SMOKING, CUSSING, RED MEAT, HARSH VIDEO GAMES & MOVIES WILL BE ILLEGAL. IN YOUR HOME THE ELECTRIC COMPANY WILL BE TELLING HOW MUCH ELECTRICITY YOU CAN USE & DIRECTLY CONTROLLING YOUR HEATER & A/C. THE WATER COMPANY WILL BE DOING THE SAME WITH YOUR WATER USAGE AND YOUR HOT WATER HEATER. IN YOUR LIVING ROOM YOUR TV,TELEPHONE,& COMPUTER WILL BECOME ONE UNIT THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO UP GRADE EVERY OTHER YEAR PLUS THE MONTHLY SERVICE FEES OF SEVERAL HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A MONTH. THE BOTTOM OF YOUR TV OR INTERNET SCREEN WILL HAVE A CONSTANT COMMERCIAL TICKER LIKE THE ONES NEWS CHANNELS USE NOW FOR NEWS. I COULD EVEN SEE COP CARS LOOKING LIKE ROLLING CLASSIFIEDS. IF YOU GO TO JAIL YOU WOULD HAVE A TV IN THE BACK OF THE COP CAR PLAYING NOTHING BUT COMMERCIALS FOR LAWYERS & BAIL BONDS. THE SAME IN THE JAIL CELLS. OH YES, THE CORP. WORLD & THE GOVERNMENT HAVE BIG DREAMS FOR OUR FUTURE!

The world in 2058

Bill Mullins — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:09:27 GMT

I like the idea of a virtuial entertainment manager, but the idea that we will still have movies as a main scource of recreation is so yesterday.

As a writer, give me the ability to write a screenplay and directly turn my work into a realistic video. Not an amimation but something so realistic that it can't be told from the real thing. Something better than Lord of the Rings, for instance. It should be complete with actors who look like I think they should look and move as I dictate. Let the music sound like I think is right, or let me have the ability to work it out with some other artist. But I should be able to set the scenes and dictate the action.

No more studios, no more producers, no more flesh and blood actors because they all represent comprimise on the part of the writer, who has to submit to the whims of all of the above until the final product bears little resembalance to his story.

The world in 2058

MM, Florida — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:36:12 GMT

Mark...step away from the TV.

Whheeeew!!

The world in 2058

Haggard Old man, North Highlands, CA — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:47:26 GMT

I have seen the future , and is a combination of "Max Headroom" & "Logan's Run". Blipverts & Carousel is what the future holds for us :-0

The world in 2058

Daniel P. Christopher, Patchogue Long Island, N.Y. — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:53:57 GMT

I'm with Magnum from Nashville, TN 100 %. I'm a Libertarian. Big Brother will NEVER allow that in 50 years. SUPPORT THE SECOND AMENDMENT ! SUPPORT THE U.S. CONSTITUTION ! "From my cold dead hands..."

R.I.P. C.H.

The world in 2058

Silence Dogood, SoCal — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:01:22 GMT

All I have to say is: I want my jetpack and flying car that they promised me in their predictions 50 years ago!!

The world in 2058

Ken, Brisbane, Australia — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:52:00 GMT

I believe that improvement in graphics will change the movie industry. Many actors today become the voices of animal charcters in cartoon movies, but in the future animation films will replace "real" movies. Actors will be able to continue to work much longer because we will see them as they were when they were young. I believe that by 2058 we will see the movie star replaced entirely and with their demise the obsessive gossip about every little they do, the roll model for our young, today (Movie Stars) with their self-centered life style will be gone.

I wait for the first virtual movie star.

As for comments about some of the writers above reading to many comic books I say, thank God they do. It is from the relm of science fiction and comics that many of the technologies of today came from. It is why Japan is pushing forward with robotics, their sciencists were brought up on a stable diet of AstroBoy. That is why Star trek fans of the sixties became computer geeks of the eighties. Look foward and dream.

The world in 2058

Alex Hernandez, Miami, FL — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:19:40 GMT

Hey, Bill, as a writer, I love that idea!

The world in 2058

Jeff Kalb — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:38:04 GMT

The problem with these "visionaries" is that they are highly trained, but very poorly educated. They seem to have no historical or social perspective whatsoever. They are so enamored of their own specialties that they just lack balance. Even a simple Economics 101 course would do them wonders.

The world in 2058

Daniel P. Christopher, Patchogue Long Island, N.Y. — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:17:33 GMT

Vinton Cerf states "I am an optimist by nature..." War, terrorism, poverty, and a host of other basic ills have been with mankind for thousands of years. Actually, the trend has been the other way. With technological progress came machine guns, tanks, aircraft, nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons that made the 20th Century the bloodiest in history.

I AM an optimist. But to think that Utopia will spring forth in the next 50 years is incredibly foolish and shows some people learn nothing from history.

About anyone can realistically say is that we will probably muddle thru as we have for the past few thousand years. Other than that... past predictions have turned out to be laughably and wholly unrealistic.

Are we suddenly also, in the next 50 years, eliminate poverty, bring democracy to all countries, and establish a "Golden Age" for mankind ?

The people in Haiti and elsewhere are now rioting over unaffordable food. Tell them we are spending billions of dollars on space probes and new internet technology the internet technology and how do you think they will feel about that ?

And where's my flying car and nuclear reactor that fits in my cellar and produces energy "too cheap to meter " ? !

The world in 2058

M. Larson, Upland, CA — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 03:28:12 GMT

I'm not a member of the Illuminati, but there are deep political ailments the human race has to address before any of the benefits from technology are reaped.

The world in 2058

Ramon Cervantes, Berkeley, California — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 05:39:58 GMT

The health industry will change dramatically and many doctors may eventually lose their jobs. Artificial implants and personalized medicine will be so good people won't have to go to the doctor as often! Although we would probably need more surgeons (or robots) to put them in!

More and more of the algorithmic-jobs will be taken over by computers and robots. Virtual workplaces accessible by home computers via the internet will solve the "rush hour(s)" since it will eliminate the need to commute to work everyday.

Space cruises will be in the beginning stages. I predict scientists and engineers will be the first to inhabit the Moon or Mars on a long-term basis. During the Manhattan Project, they were able to get a bunch of scientists to move out into the middle of the desert for the sake of science and the war effort. The scientists are then going to want more earthly food so a restaurant or two will open up for them and slowly but surely more and more businesses will open to meet the demands of the scientists settled there.
More and more extraterrastrial jobs will be available and more non-scientists will move there and settle in.

A revolutionary discovery or invention will bring man-made CO2 emmissions to a near halt and the world will breathe a sigh of relief. Climates will still change (just not as drastically) due to the CO2 already emmitted, but we'll adjust and forget about it.

Europe will become one and much of the attention that is focused on the middle-east now will be focused on Africa or South America.

Humans as a society would be less divided and more concentrated on global efforts rather than national efforts. English will be the most common language in the world due to the being the dominant language on the Internet and computer compatability.

More crises will come, but we'll get through it.

The world in 2058

Mike, Tallahassee, FL — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:15:24 GMT

Brian brings the truth stick. Technology is a sentient species' adaptative response. It's hyper-evolution. It's saved us and maimed us and saved us again for millenia. It's part of who we are and why we're collecting every other life form on this planet in cages or test tubes.

If the human species were any more innately technologically savvy, religion would never have existed. We'd have figured out enough of our world so quickly that we'd presume that every question could be answered by simply looking longer and harder. Dieties would be out of a job.

The irony being that the concept of religion itself has often set the stage for the necessary conflicts which are crucial to technological advancement. If there isn't a mouse to kill, there's no reason to build a better mousetrap.

The world in 2058

Mike Wood — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 11:00:04 GMT

Homo Sapiens has had its run. Very short by the span of time but effectively destructive. Time for us to leave and mother nature to heal.

The world in 2058

Doe Ray Mea — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 11:13:54 GMT

Not a darn thing is going to change. 50-75 years ago they predicted flying cars, stellar cities and the like. Nothing has come of it. Why is this? No one wants to take responsibility for making a decision, no one wants progress in their backyard and we all are too greedy to part with our dear tech toys, gadgets and gizmos that we don't need.

There is a HUGE difference between need and want. I need a cell phone in case of emergencies. But I want an iPhone so I can look at videos and all those other stupid add ons that are nothing more than a waste of time and money for those companies peddling this crap. This is one example of buying things we don't need and the continuous desire to spend ourselves into a never ending sprial of debt.

No, don't expect any major changes, especially in the USA. China, Japan, Germany - these are the countries where you will see some breakthroughs in science, technology, conservation, climate control and alternative fuels. We here in the good old USA are too busy with our own in-fighting, not too mention fighting with innocent countries, to make any real progress on these important issues. The tube is right in front of us and I am afraid that America is heading straight down it. The Roman Empire fell and if America doesn't make some MAJOR chnages NOWthat is exactly where we are headed as well.

The world in 2058

Daltonsbriefs — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 13:52:53 GMT

The final question is most engaging to me. Is it the process of forecasting the future that actually sets our sights on where we want to go? I think so.

The world in 2058

Lewis Larsen, Chicago, IL — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 13:57:27 GMT

While the world in 2058 is a truly fascinating topic, prognostication about the longer-term future can be fraught with peril for forecasters --- caveat emptor. For example, circa the mid-1980s many pundits were agonizing about the Japanese "owning the world" over the next 20 years. Under that scenario, Americans were all supposed to become "hamburger flippers" working for Japanese companies. All US manufacturing was going to be outsourced to Japan (it is true, much manufacturing was outsourced, but it went to China and other countries with even lower labor costs than Japan). Many thought that the US was fast eclipsing in its role as world leader, just like England after W.W.II. Worse yet, the US economy was widely thought to be on the verge of imminent collapse.

Fast forward from 1985 to 2008, just 20+ years later. Today, Japan's economy is still struggling somewhat; Russia is no longer a true superpower (the USSR having fallen in the early 1990s); the US is really the last remaining global military and economic superpower; and so forth.

Importantly, none of the 1980s’ apocalyptic chic scenarios for the US actually came to pass. On the contrary, it was the Japanese economy that sputtered on three cylinders and episodically flirted with depression for the past 20 years. By the mid 1990s, Japanese labor cost advantages had pretty much evaporated and they were forced to compete on a more level playing field with US technology companies. During the Clinton era of the 1990s, the US had one of the longest periods of uninterrupted economic growth and stock market appreciation in its history --- the personal computer and related software markets exploded; modern browsers were invented; the Internet arose; and the US high tech sector boomed in an unprecedented burst of innovation.

Except for the notebook/laptop market segments, where are all the 800 pound gorilla Japanese computer and software companies in 2008? Answer: almost nowhere to be seen. The only substantial markets in which Japanese companies typically continue to be ferocious, highly effective global competitors are in relatively mature industries such as the automobile and truck businesses.

The current rage among many commentators in 2008 is the notion that the US is about to be eclipsed by China. However, similar rhetoric about Japan was very fashionable twenty years ago. The media pundits were wrong then. They are probably wrong now. What is really happening today is that, quietly behind-the-scenes, labor/salary costs for qualified technical/business personnel in China have started to rise very rapidly --- very much like Japan in the late 1980s - early 1990s. In its own fuzzy, stumble, fumble way, is history about to take a similar path? As Mark Twain said, “History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."

On the subject of the current global energy crisis that has everyone hand wringing: recent developments in various branches of physics, nanotechnology, surface chemistry, and materials science are synergistically cross-fertilizing each other. Stimulated by sky-high energy prices, this propitious confluence of leading-edge scientific research will probably catalyze a massive global burst of innovation involving a variety of different energy technologies. If this "burst" does occur over the next decade or so, as I suspect it probably will, our energy future may not be quite as bleak as the "peak oil" people, media pundits, and politicians currently like to portray it.

The world in 2058

Chris Jefferson, LA — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:38:44 GMT

Will we or will we not have Jetson's style picture telephones that everyone uses and can afford?

The world in 2058

Gilgamesh, of Earth — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:52:42 GMT

If it weren't for the fact that nearly all humans are dumber than hair, I would say that I cannot believe the idiocy I am reading. It is a stroke of EXTREMELY rare luck that humankind exists in the first place. If we are still here tomorrow we will have outlived our species' life expectancy. Do not think for one instant that the cause of global warming has anything to do with people. Only the most arrogant among us would make such a claim. I am afraid that Alabama was correct about the pertinant part of his comment: The world WAS a warmer place... all over, and the Earth's climate will NEVER stabilize unless you count being swallowed by the sun as stability. Please understand that life on Earth is an anomaly... an aberration... NOT NORMAL. The thing that will kill us all is the thing that kills most of us already... stupidity.

The world in 2058

Bernard Kerman, Chicago, IL — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:04:23 GMT

Climate change, smilet change! They predicted a major hurricane season last year....it didn't happen. We had the coldest winter in ten years. Al Gore uses phoney computer immages from a movie and says this is the real thing. If the world was COOLING, would he tell me RUN my internal combustion engine to put MORE CO2 in the atmosphere? ?....well, that's his logic and the logic of all you elite liberals. The Cubs were going to the World Series in 1969...ha, ha!! You're all drunk. I'm still going fishing to Eagle River, WI this summer and will still be going 50 years from now....so excuse me, I have to go pack.

The world in 2058

Clint, Chicago, Illinois — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:22:17 GMT

In 50 years, humanity will be completing its downward slide from today's techonological wonder age back toward the smaller scale, pastoral, agrarian lifestyles of the 19th century. The oil age will have been over for about three decades, and we will have made it through most of the fallout resulting from the end. (I personally don't see a technology cheap and efficient enough to replace oil, so transportation networks will collapse, ending the global society.) The world population will be in the later stages of its prolonged reduction by several billions. Those of us surviving will be well on the way toward rebuilding a more sustainable society finally based on something other than everlasting economic growth.

In a word, the world won't be some techno wonderplace. It will be a hot, dark and difficult world, but well on its way toward becoming something much better for humanity.

The world in 2058

h. c. petley, cortez, co — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:50:12 GMT

One thing IS certain and that is: Nothing is certain! The delightful range (and rage) of this blog shows clearly that alot of people out there on the net are deeply concerned, deeply divided on what's gonna happen over the next 50 years. Similar discourses took place fifty years ago and climate change wasn't even a topic, nor was international terrorism. Computers were the size of refrigerator packing cases, silicon was something like sillyputty, wasn't it? Automobiles had fins but could neither fly nor swim. As a species we have the ability to look ahead and make plans for tomorrow. Even if many of us won't be here in fifty years(I'd be 117), we still plan for it. A nearbye residential street here in Cortez,CO was planned 90 years ago with a median, planted with rows of cottonwood, locust and white birch trees. Very pretty in any season. Those who labored over this effort are all dead. They did it for us who live here now. We, then, have to build now to CREATE the future for those who come after. Cooperation is the key to success in human endeavor. So long as Nations cannot cooperate, so long as TRILLIONS of dollars, euros, rubles, pesos, etc are devoted to military expepenses "necessary" to protect us from each other, WE will not make much progress. Expansion into other parts of the SolSystem? We could do that now if the constant dollar drain of the Pentagon was curtailed. The Moon is a step away and is a treasure trove of mineral riches waiting for us. The Sun is always shining somewhere, yet industrial-size solar power plants are few and far between. (Ever been in Nevada or out on the Mohave in mid July? How many solar power plants are in the Sahara? The Gobi? Taklamakan?)There is no shortage of available NRG! There is terrific shortage of intelligent cooperation on how best to use it. It is somehow tragic to consider that electricity is thought of as just another something you put a meter on and charge people to use! There is no shortage of water here on Earth, either. The very same monetary ihibitors apply. Own it, meter it, charge for it. It's mine, not yours. The Energy Wars for the control of oil and natural gas supplies have just begun. On the "far side" of the chaos and disaster looming, is a vast potential for human development in totally new social concepts.(huge, rosy and pollyanna). We have NOW to prepare for tomorrow and for those that will come after us.

The world in 2058

Mike, Galloway, NJ — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:18:49 GMT

Well as a 23 year-old I sure am glad my generation isn't nearly as pessimistic as all of you, the representatives of the failed generation. That's right. Wasn't it your generation that took to the streets and promised waves of change only to morph into the pompous hypocrites you so vehemently opposed some 35 years ago??? Never have I read an article that I enjoyed reading soo much and was absolutely appalled by some of your responses. The rapture is coming, we're going to run out of oil, etc etc. You people make me sick to my stomach. The only constant in life is change. Our planet has changed and we have changed. Medical technology is advancing at light speed, and from what I hear there might be a couple bucks in it for the people that make it seeing the $2.3 trillion the failed healthcare system you people have created for my generation sucks from our lives every year. We are spending beaucoup bucks on learning about the health effects of living in space, on the moon, mars, etc. If you think my generation will continue to pay electric bills when NASA has triple layer solar panels waiting in warehouses, you are all crazy. The only problem I see is that my generation has yet to attain the positions of power in this world to clean up the mess of 'The Failed Generation.' We will live on and we will prevail but it will not be due to the efforts of pessimists or religious radicals.

The world in 2058

Steven, Foster City, CA — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:25:59 GMT

I particularly liked what Ramon Cervantes from Berzerkeley had to say. I think your post regarding doctors losing their jobs will not just be surgeons. If the prediction of shooting nutrients into our bodies instead of eating them comes true, then Dental Hygienists like myself won't have to clean teeth anymore. If laser eye surgery advances we may not need eye doctors anymore either. There are probably a multitude of similar scenarios. I'm not worried though because times change, values change, and just as many new jobs that currently do not exist will come about.

Space cruises are already here, not sure where you've been, but some rich folk have already been taken soires. As the cost comes down (as it always does) more and more will participate. Yes, space flight is only accessible to the priviledged as of now but that will change.

The crises that you speak of is scary. The blood shed in the middle east will (and has already) taken a huge toll on the United States causing us to lose "Greatest Country on Earth" status. It has already hurt us in many invisible ways that you have to read into to see.

The issue with water has more to do with atomic energy creation and possible contamination should atomic war break out. What both these scenarios do is permanently render water unpotable which would require insane filtration methods to bring them back. As the world gets larger and energy demands increase the most likely scenario is a return to cheap atomic energy which would not require any coal, petroleum, or wind.

Flying cars? I'll be the first in line to buy one if I could afford it! =D Too cool!

I think things will be dramatically different in 50 yrs due to advances in medicine and technology, however, there will still be much poverty and suffering in the world which will be cause for war and unrest.

As far as Christ coming back, it's not just something that Sunday church goers believe in. I'm buddhist and our version is "Maitreya Bodhisattva". I don't want to get too religious as many don't believe, however, I should note that even Native Indians like the Hopi believe a messiah is on the way, making it 3 out of 3 religions (tough be to wrong). One scary thought: the messiah comes when the world calls, when conditions are terrible (for some or many), when people are deluded. Out of the darkness, there comes light. I'm not looking forward to the darkness.

As far as lifespans being longer, how would that affect the age of your retirement? If you neglect to put some savings away that's your fault. Longer lifespan won't necessarily place a larger burden on the nation if those people are leading productive lives or are able to take care of themselves. With parallel improvements in medical technology and cosmetic surgery, no reason a 100 yr old could be living with 20 yr old hips and legs and the face of a 25 yr old.

Also, longer lifespan does not necessarily equate to an unsustainable larger world population. Back in the early 1900's families often had 5, 6 kids. Nowaways how many families have that many kids?

Privacy - you don't have any. You like to feel like you're secure but you're not. You posted on this board, your ISP knew where and when you logged on, what kind of Operating system you were using, what browser you were using, half a dozen websites noted when and from where you accessed their sites (and knew which sites you came from) as you clicked your way onto this thread. I could get your SS# if I really really wanted to and you could also get mine. There are people in Gov who could read all your emails if they wanted to.

I don't understand the paranoia. It' really annoying, like people who are scared to goto the dentist. There's little justification, even if the guy did you wrong once before.

99% of the people of the world are ordinary people going about their daily lives, they are not terrorists, they take care of their families, do their farming, telecommuting, whatever. You think someone wants to read their emails, their minds, their thoughts? What if you could, what would you do with that? There's nothing there unless you want to sell them something.

Read my emails go ahead, there's nothing there, it's all boring stuff that only I would understand anyways. Financial information? That restaurant you ate at last week? The waiter who took your credit card, he disappeared with it for a few minutes, do you know what he did with it? Get real people, if someone wants to do you wrong your screwed. Most people are good honest law abiding citizens, we're all in the same boat.

The world in 2058

Lowell Rossetti Cochrane Canada — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:35:53 GMT

All of our prosperity is based on cheap oil. All of our farms run on diesel fuel, All of our food transportation runs on diesel fuel. In the next 10 years or less we will face a global economic meltdown unless we can curb our appetite for oil and replace oil with sustainable altenatives. The only biofuel that does not compete with food crops is hydroponically grown Algae. Google "Algae Biodiesel" for more info.

The world in 2058

CJCarlin — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:00:57 GMT

A standing ovation and two dozen flowers to Brian from Berkeley, for the most thoughtful, articulate, and beautifully phrased comment I could ever hope to read!
You make a valid point perfectly. There is only one thing I can add to that.
Amen, brother.

The world in 2058

David Russell, Scarborough, U.K. — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:45:01 GMT

By 20058 we will finally have decided to have an international court decide once and for all, using only hard evidence (no ancient books or writings or old stories)whether there is proof of a god. Its what we would do with the verdict that is worrying

The world in 2058

W A Smith Jr — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:50:46 GMT

Within the next 50 years, we will find out GOD is an acronym for the advanced civilization that visited Earth thousands of years ago. All the stories in the Bible will be recognized as almost literally true. Moses and other prophets talked to GOD through interstellar communication devices; space phones, if you will. Even the great biblical flood will be found that it was their experiment to change the Earth into a planet that could better sustain the pledging life they had propelled. The rumored “spiritual charm” that Nostradamus never let out of sight turns out to be one of those communicators. The Earth’s great religions, fearing widespread anarchy and perhaps a sudden loss of power and prestige, managed to grab that communicator after his death and hid it away with the other artifacts they horde. Yes, it is finally recognized that all the religions and even all the Earth’s people are not that much different from one another despite that seemingly vast ideological differences.

All the ancient prophesies will also come to pass when this civilization returns and finds how we have misused much or all of the gifts they had bestowed. There will be absolute meaning in the phrase “GOD helps us all”.

Seriously, regardless of whether it is advancing science and technology, or an extraterrestrial being tutorial, we will begin to understand the past much better, which will help us adapt to what is in the future.

The world in 2058

Barton in Dallas — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:43:38 GMT

Brian Swiderski makes the most sense out of anyone thus far. [...] Good night,

The world in 2058

CM, Modesto, CA — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 01:38:45 GMT

With the understanding that most predictions turn out wrong, I'll hazard a few 2058 of my own.

Most changes will be evolutionary, not revolutionary. We will see a lot of improved versions of current technology - better medicines, faster and more sophisticated computers, more efficient transportation. However I don't expect immortality, sentient computers or "faster than light" warpdrives or even flying cars, by 2058

By 2058 there won't be any permenent colonies on Mars or Luna, or anywhere but Earth. Sure, it will be technically possible to venture out, and there may even be a few interplanetary expeditions in the next 50 years, but it isn't economically feasable to support space colonies, there is no way to make a living out there, and space travel costs too much.

By 2058 we will have stabilized the human population, by necessity. Will that zero population growth be achieved by voluntarily limiting family size, or by draconian forced birth control and abortion, or the far worse death control by increased wars and famine and disease and crime? Too soon to tell, but right now it appears far too many favor death control over birth control.

The world in 2058

Jacob Crane, Silverdale, Wash. — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 01:41:26 GMT

The world will see the rise of two highly-destructive, yet synergistic philosophies, both of which will aim to expand human potential at extreme rates. Either of these patterns of thought will develop life-models that will make civil unrest impossible through expansion of the self into self-governing. i.e., ideas such as rape, murder, theft, vandalism, and racism will break down due to a conversion from an economic focus to theological or patriarchal mindsets.

50 years from now, notions about the 'future' will change entirely. As much as we accredit technology with 'speeding things up,' we have actually slowed down countless processes over the past years - expect to see that next 'big bang' in the next five decades, expect to be part of the next social revolution.

The world in 2058

Realist - Earth — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:07:41 GMT

Dealing with the bad and taking advantage of the good will depend on whether society can bring an end to today's "ugly" struggle between science and religion, ..."If we allow nonsense to be purveyed with impunity, then I think it feeds down - it's a slippery slope," Krauss told me. "We can't honestly address the serious problems we're going to face in the next 50 years until we're willing to accept the world the way it really is, without fear."

Hilarious. The author seems to be unable to grasp the very issue he is lamenting. To think that Humans will somehow 'evolve' above arguing over things we are passionate about is absurd. To truly face the world the way it is, without fear, can easily be captured by saying: 'The more things change, the more they stay the same.'

In the next 50 years there will likely be a number of amazing technological advances that improve our quality of life and efficiency. But these technologies will be used by people, who will still have the same flaws, quirks, strengths, and catastrophic failures as we have always possessed.

The world in 2058

Alex, California — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:24:45 GMT

Ok, if we want to start saving resources for fuel, here's one place to start,commercial hemp. Its perfect for biofuel, paper, good for the soil, its clean burning to help with the green house gases and was outlawed in the early 1900's why? It grows extremely quick and I bet serious money it will be used for most of the worlds ethanal instead of slow growing corn.The longer we wait though,the longer we purchase 117 a barrel.

The world in 2058

Corey, Australia — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:47:29 GMT

We wont live till 2058. Jesus will return just as He promised.

The world in 2058

Ronnie, Detroit, Michigan — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 03:23:51 GMT

Were colliding with extinction on a global scale. Politicians are actors, ego-maniacs, moneymongers. Special interest groups, the left and right are pulling us down. Advanced civilization, not even close. Money "In GOD we trust" what a shame. We dont stand a chance with humans in control. We better pray that an advanced race, not of this earth, is out there to save us from ourselves.

The world in 2058

dennis emerine new riegel,ohio — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 03:40:29 GMT

Earthquake.com is a good place to start. The pole shift will decimate or help dispose of a large part of earth's population. This happened before as well it will occur again!!! Get in a survivor mode where you can help mankind thru this period that earth is currently in!!! You can change the future with amateur radio!!! www.arrl.com dennis emerine new riegel,ohio

The world in 2058

james n — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 05:01:24 GMT

whoever wins west vs east in religion wars that are undeniably imminent will determine the way of the world in 50 years. freedom vs oppression. it starts now...

The world in 2058

Hugh Jant — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 05:46:47 GMT

Technology will be so pervasive, it will be absolutely impossible to have even one free thought without others knowing it just as soon as it pops into your mind. Privacy will be a concept no one understands. You will be judged even on your thoughts.

The world in 2058

Dave, Cincinnati, OH — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:00:18 GMT

Corey,

What on earth leads you to believe that the return of Christ will occur before 2058? It's been prepared for in every generation and era since the death and resurrection.. We are still here, and I think we are going to be here longer than you'd ever imagine..

The world in 2058

vikwv — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:18:11 GMT

"We can't honestly address the serious problems we're going to face in the next 50 years until we're willing to accept the world the way it really is, without fear."

That is a little harsh... Science can still contribute some benefit, even if it is just a shadow reality.

The world in 2058

Kristin ten Broeck, New York — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:34:30 GMT

Human kind will abandon or forgive any thoughts that make us separate from one another. It will be clear that peace is only achievable through benevolence on every side of the equation. People will participate in their local and national elections because of realizations of the state of the world through the New Democratized Media. Turning a profit on human life will be abandoned during massive global cooperation to solve the way that the world was in 2008 and before, an unsustainable, unfair world in which any sane person through their own human conscience would be appalled to participate in. Poisonous notions such as war and the devil will be tossed out. Our new politicians address real problems, and not tabloid issues. We have solved the world's inequalities and there is no need for terrorism. Hey, stranger things have happened. Don't forget we are floating on a big blue ball in space.

The world in 2058

Jennifer Hunt, Spokane, WA — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:39:47 GMT

Read a Holy Bible.
No need to whirl around in a tizzy.
Yes your already monitored, we don't know exactly how much.

Yes, evil opprotunists want your mental health and control of your finances.Far be it for me to suggest measures or percentages.

That makes all people "paranoid"....

Well.....according to their psycologies and philosophies....You know "them".Yes, I'm serious and yes I'm a smart ass.Please read carefully.

Silly little baseball pickles.No I don't like pickle jars.:P

The world in 2058

Roy Fritz, Butte, Montana — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:55:24 GMT

It would be nice to see the future but in the real world things do not look that good for a good future. If we could conquer greed then we might have a chance at a future. We deplete our natural resouces looking into space. We build giant homes for two, bigger and bigger equipment and cars.

Let's see what kind of world we could create instead of destroying it. The human world as we know live in will be destroyed by itself. Unless we find a way to contol ourselves rather than overpopulate this planet. There has got to be other beings out there in the universe and when they follow our history what will they be able to say that: Man's largest and biggest accomplishments were finding ways to destroy his own world and himself.

Half of our world starves each day and 99% of the world only really wants simple things food shelter family and love. Where do you stand? Roy in Montana

The world in 2058

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:05:49 GMT

I hope I live to see 2050 (which is close enough to 2058). I fear for my kids' generation and potential grandkids' generation. Hopefully the message is out and a whole new consciousness will develop and prevail. Especially in the developing world where people need to be liberated and grow beyond the forces of oppression both politically and religiously. Global population has to reach an equilibrium somehow or we are doomed.

The world in 2058

James M., Ft. Myers, Florida — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:37:22 GMT

International terrorism will be brought under control because governments will realize counterterrorism is primarily a police function rather than a job for the military. If you haven't noticed and you live in a city, the police since 9/11 have been hiring and training for more advanced situations. Zero tolerance of anything will ultimatly be the power trip that is overcoming our current government, they will use fear to run your life. Passports and IDs will be linked to a global monitoring system, Big Brother is Watching You! Just like Mr. Orwell predicted. People will no longer be able to travel and engage in transactions with anonymity, thanks to surveillance and biometrics. Those camera's you see at all the intersections... they're not just for stopping speeders and light runners! Every hear of Facial Recognition Programs? As you sit at the light it will scan and track you... just as the police in this town, like to follow and run tags I see it go on everytime I drive. Always keep your eyes on them, they work for the government! With technology advancing in law enforcement... it scares me at the futre possibilities. As you can see I am one of those who enjoys his privacy and 2nd amendment right! I don't need people telling me how to live... I'm an American, I live in the land of the FREE RIGHT????

The world in 2058

Jennifer Hunt, Spokane, WA — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:48:16 GMT

Oh how utopian.....Miss congeniality would even cringe.

Some say "I just want to help out and make the world a more peaceful place to live"....but there are too many people in this world.What do we do about global population?Yack.Somehow I don't think that kind of person is as nice as they seem....

I just want to make this a shiny happy place....but I have found out that money isn't always used like its supposed to be, so people suffer all the time and no one ever has enough money to do anything even though we "give" so much!!Including giving our jobs to people overseas!.

Seesh!!!Where did it go?!!!

Who holds the keys to that money press thingy!We need to help people DON"T YOU CARE?! You said you cared!Yeah right.

The world in 2058

Jennifer Hunt, Spokane,WA — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:02:22 GMT

NO! you will not get computers to "think" for themselves.They are limited to your ability to program them.Get on with your lives please.

Thats it!Who the heck came up with those gadgets that make it possible for people to hear clearly into houses from the outside.

Look people I like my privacy rights!
Kids can buy versions of those things.
Now THAT should freak out parents!

The world in 2058

Delmar Fairchild, Barron, WI — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:34:53 GMT

For those of you that feel we are too pessimistic about the future, one needs to read Spencer Johnson's book "Who Moved My Cheese." You will see the types of people there are in the world and how those that don't wait for the free cheese everyday are the ones that make a difference and will make life better and will survive. Where are these people that will be our salvation? They are the ones that want to make money. If it were only those that wish to make a utopia, it will never happen. I for one do not want to see a destroyed environment nor do I want to see big brother controlling our lives.

Also:
Think about what over population will do. There is 25% of the world's population in China, there is now over 25% in India. The water coming down the Ganges River is sacred to the Indian population. The river starts in China. The Chinese are going to dam it and control it for their burgeoning population and new found technology and industry. Both are nuclear armed. One is a rising economic power that is controlled by a dictatorship, one is a Democratically rising economic power steeped in religion. One doesn't believe in religion and suppresses it, one has close to 100% participation in religion and that river is their central theme. What do you think will happen as the world's population doubles and this water's spigot gets turned off or reduced?

Electricity produced by Nuclear energy will be our salvation, but "not in my back yard".
Wind only if it is located somewhere other than where there are tourists that don't want their view changed - Mr. Kennedy.
Solar only if it is cheap enough.
The biggest problem we have with the future is those that don't have a vision for the future are only waiting for the cheese pile to get bigger as it gets smaller.
We slaughter babies before they are born, the Nazis in 1939 tried to get rid of a certain population by genocide. The population continues to grow. We are allowing genocide to happen in Africa today. The population continues to grow. Maybe we just need to have an all out general free for all that will set us back 200 years. Maybe that is what the future will look like in 50 years.
We as humans will not look to the root cause of a problem but to a symptom. If we truely want to prevent Carbon dioxide to cause melting of the ice caps, we need to do something about it, but it will not be done. There in the book you will find out why.

The world in 2058

Liza R. Nahiku Hawaii — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:17:01 GMT

Over population is our biggest problem, and begets all the other problems. Our earth cannot sustain continued growth, no matter how green or blue we are. The garbage problem, the dieing off of species because there are too many people around and we are taking all of their habitats or polluting them so badly they die off. Its not just global warming or clean water, its too many people on the planet. NO matter what we do even if EVERYONE on the whole planet immediately cut back their use of fossil fuels, today right now, cut back their water usage by 50% right now today, we will still have the same problems because there are just too many of us on the planet with more being born every single second.

The world in 2058

Gerald Sherrick, Las Vegas , Nevada — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:34:39 GMT

I think we should enjoy the now, as we go about creating our memories. The world population is out of control. This could be the main, and immediate issue. There are so many major planetary problems, so where does one begin? As the earths climate changes, so should OSHA, and their requirements. Considering the size of the U.S., as opposed to the area of the rest of the world, are we making that much of a difference? I live in the desert, and 99%(roughly), of the homes are built ABOVE GROUND! Then we use energy to heat and cool them. The major OIL & ENERGY companies have us held as hostages, by the wall socket and gas pump. The transition must be gradual, and with an informed effort. We should set an example to the world by solving our problems, and and sharing the knowledge with the countries that need the help. Rather than BOMBING them, let's help teach them the technologies on how to grow new crops for fuel and food.

The world in 2058

Hedgen Loken — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:27:49 GMT

If you want to know what the world will be like, not 50 years from now, but very soon, read the chilling Washington Post article 'The Government Is trying To Wrap It's Mind Around Yours' at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2008/04/11/AR2008041103296.html

The world in 2058

T. Hannibal Gay — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:10:46 GMT

As far as getting rid of cats and hamsters, the hamsters are okay to ban as pets, but cats really do take care of excess bird and rodent populations around the globe. Without them we will lose up to seventy percent of our food crops instead of the ten percent we lose now to these vermin. The bacteria that some cats spread is polymiosis a brain eating bacteria that settles in one area of the brain. There is strong evidence it causes scizophrenia. About seven percent of cats have it so if you are bitten or scratched you can play the odds which are 93% in your favor, or go into your doctor and get him to prescribe a powerful antibiotic for three weeks.

About longevity, if Kurzwiel is correct and we can effectively double our lifespans in our generation, there are many more issues than just retirement benefits. Like what happens to a population that can continue to reproduce for 140 years versus fify or sixty? If you think we have problems with electricity and potable water demand now, just imagine a world with twenty billion people in it.

On global warming, the jury is still out - really. 2007 was a record year for temperature change. The world's average temperature for last year dropped eight tenths of one degree, the largest single year's drop in forty thousand years. Now, this may only be a strange anomaly, or it is tangible proof we may be headed for a second Little Ice Age as some solar scientists are saying. One year is hardly a trend, but something is going on and we don't know if its going to be up or down. The last ice age killed off two of four species of man (Homo Erectus and Ergaster) and almost killed off Sapiens, us. In fact, about fifty thousand years ago, the Earth went through a period called the Great Die Off in which fifty percent of the world's species, both plant and animal died off. As a species, we can more easily handle a five or six degree rise in temperature than we can the same drop. I agree with the expert that we will survive global warming if that does indeed prove to be the trend, but you might want to consider buying some propery in the Kalahari Desert if the temperature begins to drop. Few will survive a ten degree drop in temperature that lasts any appreciable length of time.

One last thing. Coupled with inertialess travel, we are perhaps only fifteen to twenty years from having a working anti-gravity technology. Some incredible breakthroughs have been made the last five years that accelerated the estimated discovery time. Once anti-grav is a working reality, the world will be radically changed again. Every way we do things will be changed. Oh brave new world. What a wonderful time to be alive.

The world in 2058

John, Charleston, WV — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:35:28 GMT

No matter how long I live and how fast I travel, I don't think I will learn to look back on rap music with misty eyed nostalgia.

The world in 2058

Sam — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:12:35 GMT

I think by 2058, we will have a spaceship that while not going at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), but could go say 1000 miles per second. I also think the our DNA will be able to have specialized medicine for each person to correlate with our genes. I also think, we will have something like the Jetsons with flying machines. I also think that with the changing racial demographics of America, we could see a civil war by 2040.

The world in 2058

Betty Agnew, Virginia Beach, Virginia — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:23:58 GMT

I personally think that at the rate we're going now, that we'll be gone before 2058. With Global Warming in full effect, the world'll be completely flooded in a few years. Also, and not saying I believe in it, bu Nostradamus said the world'll end in 2012. If he's right, like he was about everything else, we'll be dead in 4 years.

I hope he's not right...

The world in 2058

cc, missouri — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:20:34 GMT

Has anybody bothered to pick up a bible!!!!!! We won't be here 50 years from now.

The world in 2058

Ally, Cheyenne, WY — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:42:36 GMT

The "Armegeddon" theory is not just religious. Wasn't it the Mayans or some ancient civilization some pre-christ time ago that predicted the year 2012 to be the end? I'm not going to say that the prediction was crap and fictional, but surely there is some truth. It could be that it's not so much the end of civilization but the beginning to a new era.
Also, I have to agree with The Nerd about the volcanic eruptions. Being that I live in WY nothing is more apparent than the not so faithful "Old Faithful". This volcano is said to erupt once every 10,000 years or so and we are at that mark, and being that it is concave the effect will be much greater than that of a normal volcano. It will set off many earthquakes in the western United States, for severe and tragic results.
Pertaining to the article itself, I believe that traveling at the speed of light is a very real possiblity. We won't have to try and plant trees and crops on Mars if we're able to find other planets similar to this one. Technology is a beutiful and wonderous thing. Now if we could get the amount of effort put into space travel as is put into a new cellphone technology every day we'd probably be 10 times closer. Because lets face it, a cellphone that can calculate tips, access the internet, keep track of whatever it is that you find so important to keep track of.... really isn't that necessary. Oh and by the way, you're so worried about the government keeping track of you isn't that sort of what a cellphone does? Well atleast if you're married anyway.

The world in 2058

Not quite. — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:43:12 GMT

"If the human species were any more innately technologically savvy, religion would never have existed. We'd have figured out enough of our world so quickly that we'd presume that every question could be answered by simply looking longer and harder. Dieties would be out of a job."

An interesting thought. But as I see it, most of humankind has almost a NEED for religion. It's built into us. There will be most likely never a time when we can explain everything, or understand everything.

Now, if that was true we could possibly have different religions than we have today. But I do not believe that mankind will ever lose religion.

The world in 2058

The Dude, La Crosse, WI — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:45:36 GMT

For those concerned about oil or food in the future, i'd suggest 2 books, The Oil Endgame, and The Botany Desire. The solutions are here, waiting to be legitimized. It seems to me that selective perception runs rampant on this board, with a few well thought out, balanced opinions thrown in for good measure. Someguy should write a book about his opinion, and call it Demolition Man. Anybody concerned about a rampant big brother should take an American Government class. In it they would learn that if our damn country as a whole were more involved with the politics of their state representatives, we would have much more control over the policies of our legislative body. Pay attention people, congressmen and reps don't get into office and stay there by accident. Want to control the future? Control your government.

The world in 2058

Patrick, Fort Worth, TX — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:45:01 GMT

Does "Soylent Green" come to mind?

The world in 2058

Vince, San Antonio, TX — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:12:30 GMT

I believe the world will be as different then as the world now is from 1958 and as different as 1958 was from 1908. However, if you look at what the people of 1958 thought the world would look like in 2008 you'll see they were way off. There are no flying cars, robot servants, ray guns, etc. However there are things in existance that these people could not imagine. I think in the same way our concept of what the world will look like in 2058 is equally off. However, like the people of 1958 we cannot imagine the things that will come to be.

The world in 2058

William, Tokyo, Japan — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:32:38 GMT

50 years from now will just prove what we already know: It is going to be a fantastic, dynamic, controversial, confrontational, exceptional, and bumpy ride to a better life for most of the people on the planet at that time. It is Human Nature, and it is in the blood, and we would not be here, at the top of the food chain it is wasn't so.

We will not and can not solve poverty, or "bullying in the playground", or the occasional beached whale, or death by lightning, nor will we be successful at asking all the rich people to give up their hard earned money to make sure the homeless can keep smoking cigarettes. But I absolutely know we will thrive, we will adapt, we will make it better than it was before. I am betting this will happen because it has pretty consistently happened each generation in this gene pool since the beginning of time. That is why we are here, and why the ones that aren't here, aren't here.

If you think we got problems now, can you imagine the life style in the 1800's where scratchin' dirt and throwing seeds and praying for rain was life or death activity? or the death plagues in the dark ages that just killed everybody you knew? or hiding in an ice cave hoping you don't die from the cold or from the bear that dug it? I think humans get a little better every generation, driven by ambition and sucess and survival for sure, and that is not going to change - thank goodness! Becasue that is what has assured our place in the sun! And it will continue to drive us to find the solutions, and solve the problems, adapt to the changes, and create the better world for most of our children's children forever.

The world in 2058

CSpeakes, Owensboro, KY — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:09:07 GMT

Ok, religion doesn't have to mess up technology. I personally am very religious, and I still believe that we have a responsibility to keep this planet as clean as possible. There is no reason that we as a species should allow the kind of havoc to riegn that now does with the environment. We have been put here as stewards, and it is our job to take care of all of those who cannot take care of themselves. 50 years from now, I belive that we will still be here and therefore, we have the responsibility to repair the mess that we have made here. I can only hope that technology can help us to that, but I also believe that we have to do it ourselves, we have to be personally responsible for ourselves and those around us. We can make this world a utopia, but only if we want it bad enough.

The world in 2058

Sharon Kislingbury, Winslow, AZ — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:00:31 GMT

Hey Someguy,

I already have my phone,cell phone, tv and internet in one bill. It runs about $400/month. But hey that includes HDMI programing. I think you are right on.

The world in 2058

Daniel P. Christopher, Patchogue Long Island, N.Y. — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:41:44 GMT

CSpeaks, i agree with you. As far as religion goes, i have been interested in many sciences, particularly astronomy, all my life, and am a devout Protestant. I find it troubling that some people believe that science and religion are mutually exclusive, when in fact they are complementry. Science explores HOW things work, and religion explores WHO made the universe, all things in it, and our relationship with the Creator whether you want to call him Creator, God, Yahweh, or Bobby. Science cannot answer the most fundamental questions. Such as how the 4 fundamental forces are created and balanced so exquisitely, that it inevitably leads to formations as large as galaxies, and as small as humans, and smaller still to algae. But the universe is DESIGNED to produce life. In GREAT abundance and GREAT variety.

And science is supposed to be open-minded, and willing to look at unprovenn ideas, so I find the hostility to religion amongst SOME science people to be hypocritical and short-sighted.

We can make some rough guesses about what it will be like in 2058, but most of them will be wrong.

Remember, Mikahil Gorbachev in 1988 said things were going just GREAT in his country ! :) What was the name of that country again ? I forgot. And I can't even find it on the map now. DOH ! i HATE when that happens !

The world in 2058

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:59:23 GMT

I will not be here in 2058...I can only hope that mankind will be able to restore this planet before its too late…but I fear that will not happen anytime soon….we need to learn to have less stuff…use less resources…live in harmony with nature and let the earth heal itself…stop the noise…stop before its to late.

The world in 2058

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:17:52 GMT

Hey Someguy about what you wrote...

"IN 50 YEARS THE WORLD "WILL" BE A DIFFERENT PLACE. WITH BIG BROTHER AT WORK, HOME, IN YOUR CAR AND EVERYWHERE ELSE WATCHING YOU! YOU WILL HAVE GOVERNMENT SECURITY CAMERAS IN YOUR HOME, ON EVERY STREET, EVERY ALLEY, EVERYWHERE IF YOUR 3YEAR OLD STEALS ONE OF YOUR 5YEAR OLD'S TOYS OUT OF THE TOY BOX THEY'LL BE CHARGED AS AN ADULT...."

Just don't live in Canada in 50 years !

The world in 2058

Daniel P. Christopher, Patchogue Long Island, N.Y. — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:19:53 GMT

I agree that stopping the destruction of the environment and then actually repairing the huge damage we have done is not only a practical imperative but a MORAL imperative as well. Unfortunately, it is human nature to pollute and destroy the environment wherever we go including the most inhospitable places. Do you know that Mt. Everest is littered with tons of garbage and that even when we visited the moon we left our garbage there ? I have always been a big supporter of space exploration, manned and unmanned spacecraft, but I shudder to think what we will do to other worlds we do visit one day. Because of that, i hate to say it, but I hope we never gain the capacity to have humans travel beyond Luna.

The world in 2058

William, Tokyo, Japan — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:40:22 GMT

2058 is going to be a good year. I just participated in a very refreshing event tonight, where the Stanford University President and Stanford Profs reviewed the "Sustainability" initiative they are driving. Best minds taking on the biggest issues, as it should be.

They are working "across expert fields" instead of within fields of expertise. They are bringing business/financial perspective into the engineering/techinical and social/policical/legal fields to deal with the environmental realities of having a sustainable, viable "actionable" plan for the next generations to come. Very specific examples of "re-generation" of "cultivated back to wetland" examples that make economic sense; "no fishing zones Feb-to-May" in the Gulf hurt the Panhandle fisherman, but they are "compensated" (paid) by the Nova Scotia fisherman that reap the benefit in November!

When we work across, instead of within, fields of expertise, and acknowledge that money motivates behavior, we can find fantastic solutions. Get the MBA's to help the PhD's in earth science explain to the farmers in Bali how to profit from not hurting the coral reefs. (OK, guilty of being both an MBA and Scuba diver here.)

The best and brightest minds are hard at work finding solutions, as is our nature - that is Human Nature. That is what we do, and why we are here. Check out the Stanford University Web-site and become inspired -

The world in 2058

Adam, Somerset KY — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:47:37 GMT

The last mile infrastructure that is killing download speeds, such as DSL, and COAX will finally start to be upgraded to fiber for the whole US, because verizon is beginning to expand into rural (Do to there planning ahead) markets and small ISP have to compete, so we can all enjoy symmetrical downloads that most verizon customers are now currently enjoying. The US will also begin toward being the runner up with broadband Internet Service compared to Japan.

There will also be new advancements in Solar Energy yet again making solar cells more efficient, and lower cost, so they can reach more people.

satellite internet service will also improve to where latency and download speeds for people living out in the boonies is now longer a problem, the service will also lower in cost.

The world in 2058

James Redford, Crystal River, Florida — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:05:16 GMT

Due to coming advancements in technology such as human mental uploads onto powerful computers, and weapons which are over a hundred times more powerful on a per weight basis than fission-fusion bombs while using merely common matter, mathematician and physicist Prof. Frank J. Tipler forecasts that the era of human history will come to an end within 50 years, eventually culminating in the Omega Point, the final cosmological singularity and state of infinite informational capacity identified as being God. For the long-term details of the future in reference to the Omega Point, see F. J. Tipler, "The structure of the world from pure numbers," Reports on Progress in Physics, Vol. 68, No. 4 (April 2005), pp. 897-964. http://math.tulane.edu/~tipler/theoryofeverything.pdf

The world in 2058

Anthony Wrifford, Columbia, SC — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:29:35 GMT

We may be just beginning to emerge from a third world war by around 2060. If so, the problem of population will no longer be a problem. A third major world war will truly be on a planetary scale, no continent will be spared.
With perhaps a third or more of the earth's people gone, the dawn of the 21st century will be the time that we'll begin to wake up, use the technological advances already in place and realize that we must have a unified world with a much decreased population in order to keep civilization "civilized".

The world in 2058

Evan Paul Wynnewood PA — Sat, 24 May 2008 18:08:08 GMT

ill be a 74 year old man by then, and i was wondering what houses, cars, roads, and supermarkets will be like by then?

The world in 2058

Tracy Stroud, May Nard — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:35:06 GMT

You HUMANS....I find such humor in your rantings

The world in 2058

Gabriel Villabon, Miami, Fl. — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:09:12 GMT

How many Gigawatts will be the world's consumption, and what % will be generated by the different "green" alternatives, such as solar panels and wind tirbines?
What will be the average MPG in automobiles?

The world in 2058

Ranjit, Singapore — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:14:59 GMT

Someone here wrote about how the U.S will be the most affected country in 50 years time. Its my personal opinion that you are absolutely wrong. Look at the countries in Africa and others like Myanmar. You have no idea as to what life really is in these poor countries. Global warming is certainly another feature (not to mention the corruption and politics in these countries)thats going to nail the coffin. A lot of the African countries have already started lifting weapons to fight for their survival. They are ready to do anything to secure basic necessities like water, food and land. This is only the beginning. Does this all sound too familiar and ring a bell in your head?, well this is also known as Darwin's theory of "Survival of the Fittest" or "Natural Selection". The stronger will emerge victorious while the weak will not survive. This is how the world will be 2058. Some scientists even believe that the world in 2100 will have a population of just 1 Billion. Cheers to that and hope these 1 Billion people get full privacy (good for the folks who yearn for it, but what good is it if you are going to live like a nomad 100 yrs from now!?)! I am not a pessimist. I think I am being too brutally blunt and realistic.

The world in 2058

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:50:29 GMT

I agree with Briggus. Until we figure out how to sort out our current problems they will be compounded by a larger population and too much competition for infinite resources. I would like to be able to imagine a better world for my children and grandchildren but I believe the human race has many trials and tribulations left to go through before such a world is achieved.

The world in 2058

lidetu, arlington,VA — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:28:04 GMT

simple NANOTECHNOLOGY WILL CHANGE THE FUTURE FOR THE BETTER!!!!

The world in 2058

Panayiotis Talianos Limassol,Cyprus — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:06:09 GMT

what was once imagined is todays truth...the world is going to change whether we like it or not and we will learn to live with it and ppl in 50 years will not want to live 50 years ago...they will like their home

The world in 2058

White Lotus, San Bruno, CA — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:04:28 GMT

Nobody here is a psychic, but can refer to those who claim psychic abilities. No, I'm not talking about the Palm Reader on the street corner. I'm talking about predictions from religious leaders from Native American tribes (Hopi), from Buddhist leaders from my school, predictions in the Bible, predictions from the Q'ran. Across all religions in the world what is remarkable is that they all seem to agree that in the future, there will be a third world war and that our futures will be full of wonderful discoveries and tremendous blessings, but there will also be terrible things happening. The 21st century has already proved to be significantly less stable than the previous. The stock market has always flowed and ebbed, but not to the degree we've seen in this century. Hurricanes, Tsunami's are nothing new, but we've never been hit with Katrina and the big wave that hit Sumatra a couple years ago. Same with violent crimes with Virginia Tech being the unfortunate victim of multiple instances of incredibly brutal heinous crimes within a few years of each other.

You can't fear about what we don't have control over, all we can do at this time is pray and try to uphold our morals. Good things happen to good people.

The world in 2058

D Doucette PA SK, Can. — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:28:07 GMT

I just want to know why so many people are to ignorant to listen to the fact that we are going to loose our main source of living, which is water, if we do not start cleaning it. I try to mention it to people all the time and they just laugh it off and not think of it seriously. The govornment and the cities should be responsible! People are crying for more jobs well the biggest job people are missing is cleaning the river even if that takes physically going into the water and cleaning it by hand! People should be doing it. Along with that goes using less water and keeping our streets clean so that the garbage doesn't run into the rivers. I really wnt to know why more is not being done> Destroy our selves.....not a good way to go! We are suppossed to be the intelligent life form. So why not all start doing a little more. I know there is people who do care and are out there taking there part and that is wonderful. Thank you. I have an idea just don't know how to put it together. Maybe someone can help my idea.................

The world in 2058

dan, marin county — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:36:28 GMT

The future will be bleak. Corporate America will
eventually quash most free intellectual thought by
hypnotizing us into mindless consumerism. Apple
will be the model. Very few new discoveries will be
made. Why--many-- but I truly believe the human mind is taped out. Most original thought is done by guy's in their 20's. In the future these rare individuals will
be so bogged down with survival--very few helpful ideas will come to fruition. Sure we will all be
connected and have a bunch of toys, but intellectual
thought will be frowned upon. With the internet, I thought people would be more informed and in turn
less vulnerable to advertisers and the the pressures
of conforming to a an outdated economy. They are
not! There's way to many programmers working on mindless games. I'm sorry guy(programmers), your games are geared towards morons and children. We
will see more escapist crap like Harry Potter; because
our daily existence will resemble something like the
movie "Idioocracy". Viruses and diseases will probably do us all in, and in a way, thank God; It
might be the only solution to over population. What
can we do now? Stop playing computer games and try
to improve you mind. Start with reading a few old
books--start with the bible.

The world in 2058

Dying from life — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:15:02 GMT

"I know not what weapons WWIII will be fought with, but WWIV will be fought with sticks and stones." - Einstein

If only the human race could come together and use all of the resources and intelligence worldwide to work at evolving ourselves as a species. Imagine the possibilities of a united world working together with only one goal : survival. We have the potential to overcome any obstacle the universe throws at us, we could spread ourselves across this galaxy and insure that the human race continues to thrive for all time.
Sadly, our nature has pre-programmed us to make this future uncomprehensibly difficult. There are only two paths a sentient species can choose to take, either you live a life of emotion ultimatly heading toward extinction or you live a life of meaning. Unfortunatly humans have chosen to lead lives of emotion.

"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." - Gandhi

In the grand scheme of things, the universe doesn't care whether or not the inhabitants of Earth survive or perish. We may be the only sentient beings ever to have been created (doubtful) and we all seem to ignore this fact on a daily basis, do we not owe it to the universe to insure the survival of the only sentient beings we know of.

"To know that you do not know is the best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease." - Lao-tzu

The world in 2058

Budi ko Buda — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:45:37 GMT

i think there will be no one in the earth after 50 years. Because of population pressure the natural disaster may take place and no one will live alive.