THE WORLD IN 2025 [pdf]

http://sciencewatch.com/sites/sw/files/m/pdf/World-2025.pdf

by l33tbro • 12 years ago

11 16 12 years ago

What a delightful selection of pipe-dreams. All the things described within are possible, but for this to all happen in eleven years, we would require a complete change of our systems of governance and economy, now - as neither of those are set up to engender any of the included.

Dementia declines - no. Treating it is far too profitable.

Solar energy - ahahaha. In 2025, it'll still be Oil, Coal, Gas. Maybe Oil, Gas, Coal. Solar will languish in 7th or so, even though the technology will be more than viable.

Type 1 diabetes is preventable - except it won't be - because treatment is profitable.

Food shortages - yeah, no. Climate change will nix any benefit from technological improvement, and then some.

Electric air transportation - regulation will get in the way of this one, and we'll still be burning kerosene by the barrel to get from A to B.

Digital everything, everywhere - can't argue - although carbon nanocomposites will still be in the lab in 11 years time.

Petroleum-based packaging is history - nope. Why would the petrochemical industry give up a profitable product line? The only impetus to change would be a result of rising petrochemical prices - and all that'll happen is consumers will end up paying more for packaging, as goods decrease in cost due to the prevalence of slave labour and machine labour in the manufacturing sector, and the net-net doesn't vary.

Cancer treatments - for the very wealthy, yes. For the rest of us, same old, same old, pump you full of poison.

DNA mapping at birth - this one will happen. Not to manage disease risk, but to ensure that you are tracked for the rest of your life, and that your insurance premiums are appropriately higher depending on your luck in the genetic lottery. Hell, never mind insurance premiums, what jobs you can do, who you can have kids with, where you can live.

Teleportation - don't make me laugh. Sending the state of a particle from A to B isn't teleportation, except in a strict information-theory based view of the universe.

In a nutshell, we're doomed. DOOMED I TELL YOU!

rebolek• 12 years ago

Food price fluctuations - there will be advances in economics also, that will not only make fluctuations safe from extinction, but will take them to whole new level!

D-Coder2• 12 years ago

"Dementia declines - no. Treating it is far too profitable."

Yeah, just like polio. And typhoid. And smallpox. And... I've made my point.

madaxe_again3• 12 years ago

None of those were profitable to treat, as they're infectious, contagious diseases which kill their victims and ultimately harm economies.

Dementia, on the other hand, is a disease of those who are past their productive lifetime as far as economic fitness goes (not being cruel here, just stating the fact from the perspective of those who view us as livestock), yet it does not kill the victim, and instead mandates care, therapy, drugs, and all the rest, over a period of years.

It is therefore highly profitable, causes a net generation of employment, and is not at all like polio, or typhoid, or smallpox.

autokad• 12 years ago

I'm not as cynical as madaxe, but i do believe the chances of any of those (except baby dna testing) are not likely to happen in just 11 years. Its just 11 years, think back to the 11 years prior to now, I dont feel like much major has changed since 2003.

i think the causes of Alzheimers will be more well known, but it will be more prevalent than it is today.

madaxe_again3• 12 years ago

A lot has changed in the last 11 years, but... plus ca change plus c'est la meme chose.

avz• 12 years ago

"Kinematics is a form of classic mechanics that studies the motion of points, objects and groups of objects regardless of the impetus for motion."

Yes. But this means studying movement under the assumption that F=0. It has nothing to do with teleportation.

chton• 12 years ago

If this was called "The world in 2075", it would have been more favourably received, I bet. Most of the things they describe are almost impossible to achieve in 10 years either because of economy or bureaucracy. Wishful thinking at best.

viame2• 12 years ago

Genetic crop modification will kill us all. We will never make it to 2025.

maaku2• 12 years ago

You realize that every single food you eat was genetically engineered by humans?

viame2• 12 years ago

Sure?! Anyways, I eat non GMO food from my own suppliers. I do not shop where 99.9% of population shops. Cheers!

rrmm• 12 years ago

This is an advert for Thompson Reuters' services. The copy borders on gobbldygook.

THE WORLD IN 2025 [pdf]

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