I ran across a great infographic the other day which was originally put together by the BBC. It’s called “Tomorrow’s World” and it illustrates all the advancements that are at least somewhat likely in the next hundred years or so.
I know what you’re thinking, “in the 60’s and 70’s they said I would be driving a flying car by now”, unfortunately this hasn’t become reality yet but a lot of other advances are slowly materializing.
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According to the creators of this graphic, the odds are 6 to 1 that an immortal mouse will be created by 2015 and 1 in 5 that a digital currency is accepted in the United States. Let’s take a look at a few of these in more detail.
Genome sequencing
By 2014 there’s a 50% chance you can get your genome sequenced for under $100. This is a pretty powerful prediction.
There have been many advances in this area in recent years. Prices started at about $50,000 in 2009 and have come down to around $5,000 in 2012, a 10 fold decrease in 3 years.
While many people may prefer to take life as it comes, I think I’d rather know a little more about my genetic future and be armed with more information.
Just because one may be genetically predisposed to heart issues doesn’t mean that you’ll necessarily have them but it’s good to keep an eye on your health.
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Those who like to wear tinfoil hats may think that someone could clone them. To this I say, why would someone want to clone you in the first place? We don’t live in a world of science fiction!
Facebook gets supplanted by another social network
Here’s another interesting prediction; apparently the odds are even that Facebook will be surpassed by another social network by 2016.
Investors in the recent Facebook IPO probably don’t want to think about this possible scenario. Remember Myspace?
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I don’t know about you, but I think Facebook fatigue is setting in for many people. Research was conducted recently that indicates that 27% of users will spend less time on the site in the next year.
Technology tends to come in waves and the Facebook wave will have to end sooner or later.
Arctic free of ice in summer
Depending on your point of view, the 3 to 1 odds of the arctic being free of ice in the summer by 2016 could be a good or a bad thing.
In my opinion, this will be one of the biggest world developments of the next decade or two.
Canadians have a huge vested interest in the arctic and the topic will only heat up with time, pun intended. Could this be the makings of another gold rush?
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I wonder how many companies are already developing preliminary plans to explore the vast tundra for resources to extract.
Sky high buildings
Am I alone in thinking that the architects who come up with the plans for mega towers are all men? According to the graphic, there is a 2 to 1 chance that the world will sport at least one structure that is 10km tall by 2050.
Buildings have been getting taller and taller as the years progress. It seems someone has taken the heights of the world’s tallest towers by date and estimated their growth potential over the period between now and 2050.
What would one look at from the height of several kilometers? I can’t imagine there would be much to see given the distance from the ground, cloud cover and visibility!
Establishing a base on Mars
One of the farthest out and least likely events to occur will be for humans to establish a base on Mars by around 2060.
Odds are not in our favor at 33 to 1 that we’ll have a footprint on the red planet. As far fetched as some of these predictions are, I really hope the odds turn in our favor and this event occurs.
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Being an avid science fiction and technology fan, I would’ve loved to experience the space race and man setting foot on the moon.
My parents can still remember where they were when Neil Armstrong uttered one of history’s most famous phrases almost 50 years ago. I can only hope to still be around for such a pivotal event in human history.
Even with all the challenges we face, our future is very, very bright.
Andrew Martin is a personal finance and investing blogger from Toronto, Ontario with a background in technology and a passion for travel. His blog, She Thinks I’m Cheap aims to help Canadians make more money by sharing facts, stories and advice.
