What would be the world like in 50 years?

Also future-proofing.
If the Library of Alexandria had not burned down, we could conceivably still read things written there almost 2000 years ago. Due to electromigration and other stuff that happens as chips age, I don't believe kindles etc will still be readable in 2000 years. However, my physical copy of Mossflower could be.

 

Also future-proofing.
If the Library of Alexandria had not burned down, we could conceivably still read things written there almost 2000 years ago. Due to electromigration and other stuff that happens as chips age, I don't believe kindles etc will still be readable in 2000 years. However, my physical copy of Mossflower could be.

But as long as *somebody* has the media, it could be migrated to new technologies as they come along so the words wouldn't be lost. It's much easier to copy digital media than physical.

And it's not like you're going to live 2000 years to worry about your personal kindle discharging its memory.

 

Global warming crisis
Other potential natural crises
Natural resources crisis
Privacy/personal information crisis
Complete global financial meltdown
Aging population crisis
Overpopulation crisis
World war 3
Another video game crash

If none of these have happened by the time I am 70 I will go to all the newsagents in town and buy every single lotto ticket they have

 

Also future-proofing.
If the Library of Alexandria had not burned down, we could conceivably still read things written there almost 2000 years ago. Due to electromigration and other stuff that happens as chips age, I don't believe kindles etc will still be readable in 2000 years. However, my physical copy of Mossflower could be.

Opposing argument: If the books at Library of Alexandria had been digitalized (if they made digital backups), then we would still be able to read things written almost 2000 years ago, and they would probably be readable thousands of years into the future.

 

Well this topic grew fast. I'm going to quote a post from the first page and no one's going to stop me.

Well, for better or worse, the US will probably stop being a superpower. It's already breaking international laws (like when that USA stealth plane shot down a dude in Yemen, without the permission of Yemen) and history has shown time after time that it's only a matter of time before a superpower can no longer do retarded bullshit (like the soviets). But enough of that.

The Soviet Union was doing all sorts of retarded bullshit throughout its whole lifespan. In fact, it was getting nicer towards the end, when its economy was a pile of cocks. Probably because they didn't have the money to be evil.

The point is, the United States will probably still have a massive, advanced military in 50 years. Its economy is going to take it down, not external pressure, but that probably won't be in the next 50 years.

We'll start riding bikes more too (bikes don't need oil). Also something will replace the internet. Probably a healthy life style, or a job. Or a lack of one.

People will find a non-bike method of transportation. It won't become popular in 50 years, though.

Oh right, and in 50 years we'll be eagerly anticipating Half-Life 3.

 

In 50 years, we'll have this:

 

Its economy is going to take it down, not external pressure, but that probably won't be in the next 50 years.

It's already halfway there at the moment

 

You will recall the years 1939-1945.
Furthermore, everyone's economy is halfway there at the moment. In order to really decline, everybody else needs to dwarf our economy.
And that is just not happening in the near future.

 

2061: George Orwell Reincarnated

Wait, what?

I think that the Singapore-Malaysia water agreement will expire by then. Just a hunch.

Radio was invented long ago, and it isn't dead. We have a variety of networked communications such as...

telegraph (almost totally dead)
radio
telephone
television
internet

Something newer might come up, but it will have to kill radio before it kills the internet.

For new technology, maybe some weird advancements in small scale tech. I don't foresee any gigantic architectural marvels or anything world-changing like that.

 

A proper unification of quantum physics and relativity could spur huge changes in the picoworld of electronics.

 

The point is, the United States will probably still have a massive, advanced military in 50 years. Its economy is going to take it down, not external pressure, but that probably won't be in the next 50 years.

As long as war remains, the military will continue being a badass investment. Unless war changes...

People will find a non-bike method of transportation.

I never said bikes would replace cars. They'll just be used more often. If that day never comes, then I'll eat my own head.

 

As long as war remains, the military will continue being a badass investment. Unless war changes...



I never said bikes would replace cars. They'll just be used more often. If that day never comes, then I'll eat my own head.

War? War never changes.
I think there's probably a good chance that bike use could outpace car use, at least in urban centers. They do it in Asia, don't they?

 

War. War never changes -



Also Canada gets annexed.

 

More like war has changed!



Also this reminds me: Nanomachines! What will those be doing in 50 years?

 

inb4 your mom

Also, 50 years from now, those Hanoi monks will be .00000007% closer to making the world end.

 

Jesus will return and finally shut up everyone who said he wasn't real, share and few secrets that will help mankind, and then disappear again without taking anyone with him.

 

http://xkcd.com/887/