Mid-century life – looking ahead to the next 43 years

By Dick Pelletier

     What will life be like in 43 years? Of course, nobody can accurately predict that far in advance, but by projecting present-day knowledge and mixing reality with a dash of imagination, we can make plausible guesses at how tomorrow’s technologies might affect our lives. We begin this forward look with a decade-by-decade glance at how experts predict we will evolve between now and 2050.

     2010s: NIH officials believe that the approach to healthcare will change from “reactive” to “proactive.” The Federal Initiative for Regenerative Medicine promises affordable replacement tissues and organs “on demand” for every American by 2020 or before. Stem cell therapies and other biotech procedures could turn this government dream into reality. Experts predict that deaths from heart disease, cancer, and many other sicknesses will be preventable during this decade.

     2020s: Molecular nanotechnology finally comes of age. By late 2020s, a report says, tiny nanobots will roam through veins zapping disease before it causes harm. Positive futurists predict this wonder science will also provide home replicators that create food, clothing, and essentials at little cost.

     2030s: All deaths from sickness and disease will be eliminated, leaving only accidents, crime, suicide, and wars to make us face the grim reaper.

     By mid-2030s, advances in supercomputers and artificial intelligence will create powerful robots that can outthink humans. These silicon marvels possess reasoning and logic similar to ours, but they share knowledge millions of times faster than we can with our slow human language.

     Some thought we should fear these creations as competitors, but others saw that this would never be a problem. The same technologies that make our robots intelligent can also be used to enhance our own brains, always keeping humans at a higher intelligence level.

     2040s: In clinical trial simulations, scientists prove that tapping into our silicon cousin’s computer logic reaps huge benefits. It becomes further apparent that non-biological bodies offer a more secure and rewarding life. Experts ask, “Why fix biological bodies that suffer environmental damage when we can place the same atoms that make up human cells into “invincible” silicon cells that never need repair?”

     By fashioning our non-biological body to resemble the old one, 2040s citizens do not feel they are living in a machine; they still feel human, but with greater physical and mental strength. Our new bodies are also damage-proof. If a disaster strikes, nanobots instantly construct a replacement body and mind, allowing life to continue. By mid-century, all unwanted deaths are preventable.

     2050: Living in powerful maintenance-free bodies has eliminated our concerns over aging and death, allowing us to focus on more important issues, such as global warming, weather control, and building new space colonies.

     So what might our future be like? Some forward-thinkers predict the Internet may one day become a “global brain” with everyone on Earth connected, creating a planetary “soul” searching through space for similar civilizations. Others say we might even learn to enjoy life outside the body with virtual reality replacing most of our real world activities.

     Could this “magical future” become reality? Though portions in this piece may sound like science fiction, most positive futurists believe these scenarios will unfold by 2050.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.