Let's talk about the future. And not just what's to come in the presidental election, who will win the Champion's League or who the last surviving Beatle will be (we all know it's gonna be Ringo).
No, the major difference between this thread and other similar ones is that this one is universal. Universal, and...
To start things off I will tell you some of the things I think will happen in the future.
Space Travel
It will not take long before boarded vessels will land on Mars. What will be regarded as a revolutionary act of man kind is in fact nothing more than the first zit popped when you were 12. Nevertheless will it eventually lead to further expeditions to other natural sattelites, maybe even to one of Saturn's moons.
But man will never go as far as we thought we would. Travelling in velocities near those of light are hard enough, but even so it would take long time and tremendous effort to even get to Alpha Centauri. The last person alive will shed a tear over what we all never had the physical possibility to see.
Extraterrestrial life
Much like previously stated, the universe is too big for mankind. Chances of ever discovering life outside our planet are so incredibly small it is practically impossible. We might find simple traces of life in our solar system, but these will prove surprisingly uninteresting. Still, we will never give up hope. The search will continue until humanity ends. And the idea of intelligent life-forms far away will always fascinate us.
Fusion power
Soon, within the nearest 100 years, fusion will turn around global politics. Unlimited, cheap, secure and clean energy is the single biggest step since the IT revolution of the "infamous fossile-fuel-20th century". Previously powerful oil nations such as the Arabian states will fall into decay, and its population will look back at the founders of Dubai as fools. Russia will adopt the part American, part French-invented fusion power, and inevitably lose influence and prosperity.
But it will be overwhelmingly benificial. At first, only Western nations will have access to the precious technology of fusion. But when our entire society grows increasingly used to it and scientist's have mastered its potential, we will look beyond our own borders. The Asian nations will be able to support a wealthier middle-class and grow more and more powerful. What used to be conflicts over resources becomes friendship and commerce. What used to be thirst becomes distilled salt water and ergo more fertile ground and better health. What used to be global warming becomes issues of the past.
Combined with genetics, our productivity will see an immense increase. Fusion power will make the world a better place to live in, but it won't happen to the now adult generation.
Mankind and the Apocalypse
Homo sapiens have proved an exceptionally successful species. Decades, centuries and millennias will pass before we think of our own extinction. As we are busy doing what we do best, prevailing, evolved versions of ourselves appear. As silent as the spread of a virus, this superior, progressively developed human will come to dominate us. Ironically, this will happen over and over again. We will cross-breed and mix up with each other, and no one will ever know we were a different monkey thousands of years ago. Some child will ask his history teacher why people had such small heads and had hair on their bodies in the 20th century, but he will just pat him on the head and continue to read about the last world war.
Time will pass, and man kind will live until the Sun can't pull off the job anymore and the planet will be too cold to inhabit. The freezing remnants of the human civilization will never be found by anyone, instead being destroyed by cosmic forces such as asteroids or black holes. Earth will die a peaceful death, satisfied with what it has achieved in its multi-billion year life.
Now, don't say I did not tell you. Michael Jackson, if you're reading this, I say enter the cryo-chamber and freeze down for the next 1000 years. But please tell them I already knew what was coming!
No, the major difference between this thread and other similar ones is that this one is universal. Universal, and...
EPIC!
To start things off I will tell you some of the things I think will happen in the future.
Space Travel
It will not take long before boarded vessels will land on Mars. What will be regarded as a revolutionary act of man kind is in fact nothing more than the first zit popped when you were 12. Nevertheless will it eventually lead to further expeditions to other natural sattelites, maybe even to one of Saturn's moons.
But man will never go as far as we thought we would. Travelling in velocities near those of light are hard enough, but even so it would take long time and tremendous effort to even get to Alpha Centauri. The last person alive will shed a tear over what we all never had the physical possibility to see.
Extraterrestrial life
Much like previously stated, the universe is too big for mankind. Chances of ever discovering life outside our planet are so incredibly small it is practically impossible. We might find simple traces of life in our solar system, but these will prove surprisingly uninteresting. Still, we will never give up hope. The search will continue until humanity ends. And the idea of intelligent life-forms far away will always fascinate us.
Fusion power
Soon, within the nearest 100 years, fusion will turn around global politics. Unlimited, cheap, secure and clean energy is the single biggest step since the IT revolution of the "infamous fossile-fuel-20th century". Previously powerful oil nations such as the Arabian states will fall into decay, and its population will look back at the founders of Dubai as fools. Russia will adopt the part American, part French-invented fusion power, and inevitably lose influence and prosperity.
But it will be overwhelmingly benificial. At first, only Western nations will have access to the precious technology of fusion. But when our entire society grows increasingly used to it and scientist's have mastered its potential, we will look beyond our own borders. The Asian nations will be able to support a wealthier middle-class and grow more and more powerful. What used to be conflicts over resources becomes friendship and commerce. What used to be thirst becomes distilled salt water and ergo more fertile ground and better health. What used to be global warming becomes issues of the past.
Combined with genetics, our productivity will see an immense increase. Fusion power will make the world a better place to live in, but it won't happen to the now adult generation.
Mankind and the Apocalypse
Homo sapiens have proved an exceptionally successful species. Decades, centuries and millennias will pass before we think of our own extinction. As we are busy doing what we do best, prevailing, evolved versions of ourselves appear. As silent as the spread of a virus, this superior, progressively developed human will come to dominate us. Ironically, this will happen over and over again. We will cross-breed and mix up with each other, and no one will ever know we were a different monkey thousands of years ago. Some child will ask his history teacher why people had such small heads and had hair on their bodies in the 20th century, but he will just pat him on the head and continue to read about the last world war.
Time will pass, and man kind will live until the Sun can't pull off the job anymore and the planet will be too cold to inhabit. The freezing remnants of the human civilization will never be found by anyone, instead being destroyed by cosmic forces such as asteroids or black holes. Earth will die a peaceful death, satisfied with what it has achieved in its multi-billion year life.
Now, don't say I did not tell you. Michael Jackson, if you're reading this, I say enter the cryo-chamber and freeze down for the next 1000 years. But please tell them I already knew what was coming!