When I was a kid, watching Back To The Future 2 for the first time, I imagined that the world as shown in 2015 was not only likely, but a sure thing. Flying cars, hoverboards, the whole lot.
As we come in to 2012, something tells me the 2015 world as shown in the movie is pretty unlikely!
Futurists (aka professional guessers) have a pretty impossible job. There are endless variables that go in to how much some area of technology will progress.
And it's not that they always overdo it. I remember reading somewhere that no popular science fiction story ever imagined, even far in to the future, that our computing power or storage capacity would reach where it is today.
So while an antigravity adapter for my old Dodge Neon, interstellar space travel, and perfect weather forecasting might be generations or more away, I can store the Library of Congress in my pocket. I guess that's pretty cool.
Do you have any guesses for 2012 or beyond? What did you think technology would allow us to do by now?
Just going by what is already invented I think natural gas and hydrogen powered cars will become popular this or next year!!!
@justin: You’re optimistic! I’d like to think that’s true, but the auto industry is about as quick to move as a snail!
We already have antigravitational vehicles: maglev
trains (top speed:361 mph). This technology can also be applied to Personal autoguided vehicles in highway networks across the country realising us from the wheel and accidents at a far better speed and efficiency than todays outdated transportation system. This would take a complete overhall of our paved highways but posibble none the less. We have the technology, the resources, and the man will to do it
But our economic system hinders our ability to do so.
Read The singularity is near by Ray Kurweil he talks about the exponential growth of information techology and ist inpact over three overlaping technologies: genetics, robotics and nanotechonogy