I have the Washington Post from Jan 1, 2000. Below the fold is an article on what the future would hold tech-wise for a child born that day. By 2010, we were all supposed to be wearing wristbands with all of our medical information on it, so doctors would simply have to scan them to gain our history. We also wouldn't have cheap (meaning not thousands upon thousands of dollars) mobile computers with the ability to access the internet from anywhere until 2020.<p>I can't remember any of the others, but all of the predictions for around now (other then the smartphone one) are completely and totally off. All of these prediction things are bullshit, as most futurist ideas generally are. There's no accountability, because no one will remember the reports. It's ridiculous that the government pays people to write these things, and just as ridiculous that Wired publishes them.<p>I think SMBC put it best:<p><a href="http://www.smbc-comics.com/?db=comics&id=1968#comic" rel="nofollow">http://www.smbc-comics.com/?db=comics&id=1968#comic</a>
Here is the actual report instead of just a summary, in case any one else was looking for it. To be honest i found the technical projections/forecasts to be quite spare on details (at least compared to the geopolitical ones; but I suppose that is to be expected)<p><a href="http://www.acus.org/files/global-trends-2030-nic-lo.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.acus.org/files/global-trends-2030-nic-lo.pdf</a>
I love how our predictions of the future never account for the existence of poor people. That's why they're always so wildly off; the vast bulk of humanity are never factored into the equation.<p>While I don't doubt there'll be printable organs and brain-integrated silicon by 2030, the majority of people will not benefit, and the tensions brought about by escalating inequality will set progress back by years.
If you enjoy these kind of brain modification technologies, check out the book The Brain That Changes Itself, which discusses neural plasticity <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brain-That-Changes-Itself-Frontiers/dp/0143113100" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Brain-That-Changes-Itself-Frontiers/dp...</a>. This is the science that led to the cochlear implant and may lead to other brain-interface devices.<p>Also, the part about biohacks and bio-weapons, reminded me of the movie Prometheus.
Everytime these predictions are made, the outcome seems to be the exact opposite. That said, in 2030 I predict:<p>- After toying with 3D printers for a while, they will go back to vat-grown organs<p>- With widespread Internet access, remote work being a reality and local energy generation, people will leave the big cities seeking better life quality in smaller, country-side cities<p>- There won't be brain chips
Every futurist claim I've ever heard has overestimated human capability and underestimated the impact of other things they possibly should have seen coming.