This is mostly the futurist in me, but I do admit it is partly the sci-fi geek that says the major advances will be in:
- CyberNetics
- Time Travel
- Population
There are many people who might say that 20 years is not so much, but our advancements within the last 20 have been greater than any generations before. It is enough time to make things that are fringe science now to become commonplace.
Cybernetics
I see advances being made in all areas of cybernetics, not just the trendy Biomechatronics and Artificial Intelligence areas that most people find most relatable and interesting. As more scientists delve deeper into learning how the human body and systems work on a digital level, especially the brain and nervous system, we will be able to do things like digital brain transfers (which will then enable us to perform things like body teleportation, life extension, intergalactic space travel, etc.)
Time Travel
Yes, really.
There’s actually already multiple theories published on how time travel can be hypothetically undertaken. We just aren’t technologically capable of it at the present time. Its kind of like in Star Trek, when they had to sling shot around the sun at a certain speed – we know how it should work, we just haven’t invented the warp drive capable of doing it yet.
But we’re not that far off.
In fact, every astronaut has already proven the concept works. Whenever any person travels above a certain speed, they age at a slower rate than the people around them. Granted, this only allows us to go to the future, but its still a very rudimentary form of time travel.
It won’t be long for someone very brilliant to figure out how to make it work the other way.
Population
In 20 years, the world population will be around 9.5B if we keep going at current rates – however, it is predicted to start to flatten out around there and then some analysts predict a decrease.
Why is that?
As people start to depend on their Robotics/Augmented Lifestyle Aids, the lifespan will increase. The birth rate is expected to hit net zero worldwide as people start to live past fertility age, and also generally lose interest in “random” reproduction.
Advances in genetics will enable people to weed out all possible genetic defects in their children ahead of time and give them the best possible combination of genes from both parents (or, even open a line of “designer children”, where you could add in DNA options to increase intelligence, physical strength, stanmina, etc.)
This will be combined with countries around the world, worried about food shortages, will also start to implement population control measures.
(Curiously, it will be around this time that the oceans are finally clear of radioactivity from the Fukushima Disaster, so there’s that.)
20 years is not a very long time, but every one of these fields already has the groundwork laid.
Originally Posted: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-biggest-ways-in-which-the-world-20-years-from-now-will-probably-be-different-from-today-What-are-the-biggest-X-factors-changes-that-are-not-probable-but-are-possible-and-could-be-huge
Originally Posted On: 2016-03-07