As technology keeps advancing faster and faster, things could change way quicker than we think. Just a few years from now, some of the things I’m about to mention might be totally normal, even though some folks aren’t aware of them yet. Check out the list below for a sneak peek into what’s coming.
1. Drinkable Ocean Water
By 2030, making a lot of freshwater from saltwater (that’s desalination) might be something lots of places do. Because solar power is getting better and better, we could even use the extra heat from solar panels to get the salt out of the seawater.
People who know about this stuff say that by 2020, we could use this idea to fix the problem of not having enough fresh water. Those big solar power plants (they call them CSPs) will pop up everywhere and give clean drinking water to places that don’t have it now.
2. Military Autonomous Robots
This idea might sound pretty scary, but it’s almost certain to happen. Right now, there are already some weapons that can do things on their own, like cruise and Patriot missiles. Some Navy ships even have this Aegis Combat System that can work all by itself, using super-smart computers to hit targets.
Even though some people don’t like the thought of robots that can kill without humans telling them to, the folks in charge of the military usually want to avoid putting human lives at risk. So, we might end up with a competition where countries try to build these kinds of machines.
3. Lab-Grown Meat
We’re just starting to see some of the really cool stuff that biotechnology can do. Take, for instance, a project funded by Google that’s making synthetic meat using cow shoulder stem cells. Imagine that, meat created in a lab and drinking water straight from the ocean! The future might look quite different from today.
4. Interplanetary Internet
You might not find it super exciting right now, but think about this: someday, we’ll be venturing out to other planets, like Mars. Whether it’s a government mission or a private company, we’re destined to explore those places.
And when we do, astronauts will need a way to instantly share and access information. That’s where the Interplanetary Internet (IPN) comes in. It’s the bridge that’ll let us share information across the vastness of space.
5. Anti-Aging Intervention
So, you know, we’ve got plenty of cosmetic tricks to make us look younger, but the real deal, slowing down or even turning back the clock on aging, we haven’t quite nailed that yet. The future is a bit of a mystery in this regard, but there are some exciting possibilities being explored.
Scientists are looking into things like messing with our genes, which has already made roundworms live longer by 50 percent. Then there are therapies that might fix up our telomeres and give our mitochondria a boost, all in the name of staying youthful.
6. Personal Fabricators
Out of all the technologies on the list, 3D printing might actually be the closest to becoming a game-changer. It’s already transformed how we live and has left its mark on a bunch of different areas, making it likely to keep growing.
Right now, these 3D printers can make parts, but down the road, they might turn into mini factories in our homes, cranking out just about anything we can imagine—vaccines, robots, androids, you name it. At first, you might have to pay for the blueprints, but with the whole open-source movement, even that might change.
7. Artificially Intelligent Personal Assistants
We’ve already had a taste of this tech with Microsoft’s Clippy and Apple’s Siri, but looking ahead, these AIs could become something truly special. Picture having your very own personal assistant, tailored just for you, totally getting your quirks and speaking your language. These AIs might even get pretty smart, so you can have real conversations with them.
8. Megascale Geoengineering Project
Given all the not-so-great stuff happening worldwide like melting sea ice and crazy high temperatures, it’s pretty clear that big geo-engineering projects are in the cards. Looking ahead, we’re talking about some mega-sized initiatives, things like artificial trees, supercharged weather adjustments, making the oceans more fertile, bumping up ocean alkalinity, and maybe even having some control over the weather itself.
9. Unseen Computers
As our tech keeps getting tinier and tinier, there’s a chance that the computers we use will practically vanish. Imagine them being part of our clothing, fashion accessories, or even our contact lenses. These nifty gadgets might use touch-based responses or have some sort of “ambient intelligence” that lets them do stuff based on what’s happening around us.
10. Virtual Animals
While we’re still pretty far from making a digital copy of the human brain, we can already mimic the minds of simpler creatures. Down the road, we might be able to replicate the minds of ants, bees, or even mice digitally. So, picture this: we’d have computer-bound versions of these animals, like little virtual critters living in our machines. And who knows, we might even put these digital avatars into robot bodies, creating some pretty cool robots.