What will the World be like 40 years from now? Glad about your age now?

Remobz

Platinum Member
Jun 9, 2005
2,564
37
91
Hey all,

I have to attend a baby Christening (Catholic) next week and baby is less than a year old. I am 40 years old and I can't help wondering what the World will be like when that baby hits 40 or even 80 years old. When that baby reaches 20 or 30 imagine the type of games and computer tech available to him.

Imagine this was 1914 and who would believe there would be flying planes in the air and personal computers for example. Some people told me they cannot imagine a life without computers and the internet.

On the flip side, in 1914 fish were abundant and the planet's ecology was better off in many ways. So, the planet in 50 years could be better technology wise but in a terrible state ecology wise.

We all know this, so my question is are you happy about your age now? Would you like to be born in 2014? Or 2050?
 

TwiceOver

Lifer
Dec 20, 2002
13,544
44
91
I usually think of all the things my Son won't get to know.

He'll always have the Internet
Cell Phones (remember being a teen and the adventure of hunting down your friends)
Probably will have legal marijuana by the time he's a teen.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
106
darpa made a report that had a bleak cyberpunk outlook.

would have to search for a link to the article
 

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
I don't know, I guess I'm one of the few people that think that the world will get better, not worse over the next few decades.

I don't know that I would choose to be younger though, my childhood was pretty shitty, I'm much happier now.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
49,288
5,838
136
...I can't help wondering what the World will be like when that baby hits 40 or even 80 years old. When that baby reaches 20 or 30 imagine the type of games and computer tech available to him.

Still no HL3. Or hoverboards.
 

Mai72

Lifer
Sep 12, 2012
11,562
1,741
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America will look much different. Caucasians are going to be the minority. I don't know how that will play out.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
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America will look much does different. Caucasians are going to be the minority. I don't know how that will play out.

mexicans are a mixture and iberian and mesoamerican. so they are very much ethnically caucausian.
 

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
16
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Well, there won't be any fish given that the oceans will have been taken over by jellyfish.
 

akahoovy

Golden Member
May 1, 2011
1,336
1
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Well, there won't be any fish given that the oceans will have been taken over by jellyfish.

Yea, that's probably the saddest part. With the oceans ruined with a pH change and oxygen dead-zones, it will affect all animal life on land.
 

Vdubchaos

Lifer
Nov 11, 2009
10,408
10
0
It won't be that much different.

Let's face it, unless you think Smartphones/tablets are some gods gifts........we really haven't progressed much from a technology perspective.

If anything the progress has stalled

I'm sure it will be different but unless some major war happens or something to drive the innovation like WW2, don't expect much.
 

bignateyk

Lifer
Apr 22, 2002
11,288
7
0
It's gonna be pretty miserable. The outcome of capitalism will inevitably be socialism.

Think about it. As companies look to reduce cost (labor, benefits, healthcare), automation will be used more and more. At some point there will be a small fraction of jobs available that we have now. (How many jobs can you think of that can't be automated?) Basically every service and manufacturing job (the bulk of all jobs in the US) can be automated. Most white collar jobs can be automated, or significantly reduced through technology. I.e., it only takes 1 engineer today to accomplish what 10 engineers could do 30 years ago thanks to computers.

Once unemployment hits 50%, the government will have no choice but to start providing a minimum guaranteed income, healthcare, housing, food, etc... They'll do this by taxing the hell out of capital instead of labor.

At that point the transformation to the welfare state will be complete, and it will all be thanks to capitalism.



diagram.jpg


There are only two options: 1) Increase # of jobs at rate proportional to population increase
2) Decrease population at rate equal to job loss.

#1 won't happen. Because of automation, # of jobs has nowhere to go but down. That leave population control as the only solution.
 
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Remobz

Platinum Member
Jun 9, 2005
2,564
37
91
I usually think of all the things my Son won't get to know.

He'll always have the Internet
Cell Phones (remember being a teen and the adventure of hunting down your friends)
Probably will have legal marijuana by the time he's a teen.

Imagine you live in Florida and want to go to key West for the weekend. No problem, just drive to Miami beach and hit a button and the car turns into a boat..lol!
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
106
It's gonna be pretty miserable. The outcome of capitalism will inevitably be socialism. Think about it. As companies look to reduce cost (labor, benefits, healthcare), automation will be used more and more. At some point there will be a small fraction of jobs available that we have now. (How many jobs can you think of that can't be automated?) Once unemployment hits 50%, the government will have no choice but to start providing a minimum guaranteed income, healthcare, housing, food, etc... They'll do this by taxing the hell out of capital instead of labor. At that point the transformation to the welfare state will be complete, and it will all be thanks to capitalism.

brought this up in discussion club a while ago. this is a huge problem that may happen sooner than many think it might
 

Mai72

Lifer
Sep 12, 2012
11,562
1,741
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I also think overpopulation is going to be a HUGE issue in 20 years. I know everybody hates war, disease and natural disasters, but we need these to keep our population at a reasonable level. So in 20-50 year we probably see a major war, and a few natural disasters.
 

bignateyk

Lifer
Apr 22, 2002
11,288
7
0
brought this up in discussion club a while ago. this is a huge problem that may happen sooner than many think it might

People like to think it's going to be some blissful utopia where robots are doing all the work and we get to sit around and enjoy life and do whatever we want.

The reality is we'll all be packed into communist style apartment buildings and given the minimum amount possible to keep us alive while we wallow in misery.

The only solution is to reduce population.
 

TridenT

Lifer
Sep 4, 2006
16,800
45
91
It'll be much better on the social front.

Downsides are things like global warming and other pollutants in the ecosystem.

The tech won't be as different, just smaller and more energy efficient. We are reaching the limits of what silicon can do. We will have to use a different material or method eventually...

I'm excited to see the software, robots, and augmented reality though. That stuff is going to be so much more advanced by then.

I also think overpopulation is going to be a HUGE issue in 20 years. I know everybody hates war, disease and natural disasters, but we need these to keep our population at a reasonable level. So in 20-50 year we probably see a major war, and a few natural disasters.

You're an idiot. Look at first world countries with declining populations. You don't need war. You need education.
 

norseamd

Lifer
Dec 13, 2013
13,990
180
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I also think overpopulation is going to be a HUGE issue in 20 years. I know everybody hates war, disease and natural disasters, but we need these to keep our population at a reasonable level. So in 20-50 year we probably see a major war, and a few natural disasters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth-generation_warfare

not war as you would know it

more like societal conflict

organizations and such that cross national boundries and that openly compete with nation states for influence
 
Sep 29, 2004
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Food is going to be very expensive due to water shortages and pollution. not to mention the fertilizers we use today are not renewable resources and that is all going to change eventually.

So, it is going to SUCK. People that grew up in the 70s had it best. No internet, slower paced life and technology that was generally good enough to keep one healthy for most of ones life.
 

z1ggy

Lifer
May 17, 2008
10,009
65
91
Yeah not looking forward to things. 100% chance the world is going to be worse off overall. Poorer standard of living for everybody except the uber elite rich, and more pollution etc etc.