2014 by Isaac Asimov



cult science fiction writer Isaac Asimov in 1964 gave a forecast of how the world will be in 50 let.Samoe time to recall his predictions and wonder sagacity.

Asimov correctly foresaw many technical innovations. But like almost all futurologists, he did not give a picture of social structure of the world. Today's social forecasts are disappointing: after 20 years of automation work will deprive 45% of current workers.

  • House will be mainly underground (like most of the space of the city). This will reduce their heating in winter or cooling in summer. The surface of the city will be given over to orchards, grazing and parks
  • tedious household work will be kept to a minimum. Toasters, automatic coffee maker, pressure cooker, etc. - Cooking will be a timer. But a small kitchen will be - will be cooking as a hobby for many people.
  • Robots do not displace people. There will be plenty of computers with the "brain" of the robot, but to manage them will still be people.
  • Movies will be three-dimensional, in 3D.
  • Technics will not have an electric cord - it will work on long-lived batteries and accumulators.
  • Half of the energy in the world will be produced at the plant.
  • The large solar power plants will be put in the desert - in Arizona, Israel, Kazakhstan. By 2014, the technology has to be developed, "collection" of solar energy in space and its focus on the Earth.
  • Vehicles future will be little contact with the road - it will soar above it at a height of half a meter meter. "Freeboard", sliding over the surface of the water, there will be river and sea transport.
    • Delivery of goods and materials will be something of a pneumatic tube.
    • Phones They are portable, and their screens will be used to study the documents and photographs, reading excerpts of books. Communication will be via satellite.
    • By 2014, the unmanned spacecraft reached Mars. At the same time, the program will be developed in the Martian colony.
    • The world population reached 6, 5 billion., And the US - 350 million. Agglomeration between Boston and Washington will have a population of 40 million. People. The population explosion will force actively explore the arctic, and desert space and colonize offshore (development of underwater cities).
    • In agriculture, the foundation of progress composition of microorganisms. In particular, they are processed into products of yeast and algae. However, the time may not be able to break the psychological resistance to such innovations.
    • The average life expectancy in developed countries reached 85 years. Childbearing is brought under control.
    • Computer discipline will form the basis of the educational process in schools.
    • The mankind will suffer from boredom. Therefore, psychiatry will be the most important medical specialty.
    • The elite society will be few in number, and it will engage in creative work.
      Source



      via www.nytimes.com/books/97/03/23/lifetimes/asi-v-fair.html