20 Predictions for Life in 100 Years

Futurologists discuss thought communication, global currency
By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 22, 2012 3:52 PM CST
20 Predictions for Life in 100 Years
The brain at work: sending a thought?   (Shutterstock.com)

The world 100 years from now: What will it look like? What will humans be up to? What will robots be up to? BBC News collected century-long forecasts from readers, then let futurologists Ian Pearson and Patrick Tucker evaluate the predictions. A selection from the top 20:

  • We will communicate through our thoughts: Very likely, they say. Sending your thoughts telepathically could be as easy as surfing the Internet.
  • The world will have one single global currency: Pearson and Tucker disagree on this one. Pearson: It's very plausible; electronic currency is a forerunner. Tucker: The trend is going the opposite way and we'll probably see more currencies in the coming decades.
  • Nanorobots will inhabit our bodies, fixing damaged cells, and will be able to record our memories: Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing field. Both give it a good chance.
  • Eighty percent of the world will allow gay marriage: The acceptance of gay marriage seems inevitable (at least in the West), says Pearson, but expect resistance from the ardently religious.
Click for the full list. Or see one sci-fi writer's predictions for the future—in 1968. (More predictions stories.)

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