What Does The Future Hold?
I remember visiting Eureka in Halifax, a hands-on children’s museum, when I was around 11 or 12, I guess. Back then they had a ‘future’ section, what would the world be like in the year 2000, any time beyond then was almost unimaginable. The future at Eureka all seemed impossibly shiny and exciting. I remember very clearly my sister and I being awestruck at the sight of the first video phone, our minds alive with the possibilities.
Wow, imagine being able to see each other when you spoke on the phone!
We had a go, the time delay was huge, the picture jerky and almost impossible to see unless the other person kept very very still, and yet we were blown away. It was all we talked about on the way home.
The future man! It didn’t get much more exciting than that when you were 10 or 11. I guess I’ve always been a bit of a geek and the truth is, the future, and future technologies still excite me.
I recently went back to Eureka when I was in the UK in May and was gutted to find they didn’t have a future section anymore. I wanted to know what the future held, I wanted to see gizmos and gadgets we would be using without a thought in 10 years time, but it wasn’t to be.
Maybe the future is no longer predictable or perhaps we are so immune to technology that nothing seems fantastical anymore.
by X-Ray Delta One
I remember as a child having day dreams about a time when you would be able to turn on your TV and choose anything to watch that you wanted. Any film, any TV program, any episode, at the touch of a button you would have complete control over what you watched.
I wonder how far from that we really are now? And also how useful it would really be – I spend most of my time flicking to see if there’s anything better on the other side and I only have about 20 channels.
I also used to imagine a time when TV’s would be holograms, when you would all sit around the edges of your living room, all looking at the TV image in the middle. NHK, the Japanese equivalent of the BBC is set to make this a reality pledging to create the first holographic TV with-in 6 years. Now that is exciting!
I have heard mention of, but can’t find any evidence to support it (from my quick 5 minute search on Google), that one of the top games manufacturers (someone like Sony or Nintendo) are planning to release a computer consol that maps out the room in which you are standing and your body so that any movements you make in real life are made in the game, sort of like Wii but without the handheld thingumy.
So where does technology go from here? If we could really have holo-TV and virtual world computer games in under 10 years, what else is there to dream up, what will the 10 and 11 year olds of 2020 be dreaming of?
One of my biggest fantasies is of teleportation. I imagine a time when all street corners will have teleportation boxes on them, like phone boxes -hey who knows, maybe they’ll go all retro and make them out of old red phone boxes. A time when you’ll be able to just ‘beam’ to anywhere in the world, to the next town, country or continent. Order something off the internet and have it automatically digitally delivered to your home via teleportation.
There would be no more need for cars, planes, transport of any kind. The world really will shrink, become more accessible and perhaps, if we really all could visit anywhere with ease, a kinder place, more sympathetic to other countries worries and problems. And the dark part of my mind sees gangs lurking in the tele-booths of dodgy neighbourhoods waiting to mug the next person to ‘beam’ in, and people using it for horrible, terrible reasons, the same they will any new piece of technology.
But dark side or not, it still excites me, the possibilities, the way it would change our lives, the world. And the fact that it is possible. One day we will more than likely have this technology. I’ve gotten all shiny eyed at the mere thought of it.
Do you have fantasies about this kind of thing? What do you foresee in the technologies of the future? What would you like to see invented – it can be as far fetched as you like. After all, the video phone used to be.
I'm Heather, an ex expat, now back in blighty and living in Lancashire. Which is just like Lapland only less snowy...and stuff.
I love this blog. I don't know about anyone else but my 5 year old son gets just as excited as you did over the video phone whenever he sees any new bit of technology. And he gets exited by old stuff too, so I'm sure that giddyness about the future remains just as relevent today as it always has
I'm exactly the same as your 5 year old! lol. I love technology, and the new stuff coming out is stuff of such science fiction with touch screen computers, ipads and then this holo-TV. We live in exciting times. so what would you like to see in the future, what's your technology fantasy?
I quite like the idea behind the film Brainstorm – where people's memories and dreams and experiences can be recorded for other people to experience…
oooh, I like that! I can see a youtube style website except where you
download them to your own mind to dream that dream tonight or experience
that safari or whatever. Compelling and yet terrifying stuff. would it
take over from real life? would it become a sickness where people lived
always in these downloaded memories and experiences to escape real life?
I've never seen the film brainstorm…sounds interesting.
Teleportation is definitely the one thing I would love – just imagine the possibilities! You could go to work every day in the City for example, but be living on a Caribbean island.
Hmmm, although there would be jetlag to contend with… and what would happen if everyone else did the same? House prices in rural beauty spots would shoot through the roof… whole urban areas would only be inhabited by the poor… I think maybe it's just too weird and scary to think about that one too hard, I'm going back to my original dream. *concentrates on thought of drinking mojitos on a beach*
P.S. I think the gaming you are talking about is the Microsoft Kinect/previously known as Project Natal?
P.P.S. I remember seeing a demo of 3D TV a while ago, which completely blew my mind – and only a year or two later it seems it is becoming a reality, with TVs on sale that have the technology. Mind you, there is still a need for silly glasses, and I can't see it catching on for watching the news, but for one-off events like film or sporting events it is quite impressive.
You're right about it changing who lived where – i hadn't thought of that.
Interesting.
Shall have a look at microsoft kinect, sounds interesting.
I know what you mean about the 3D thing. I took the kids to Legoland in
Manchester and they had a 3D lego film on which was awesome, but that was
ony about 10 minutes long and my eyes were aching at the end of it. i
couldn't sit through a whole movie like that. I don't see the glasses thing
catching on in peoples living rooms somehow either…but holo-TV, without
the need for silly glasses, now that would be awesome!
I watch The Gadget Show when it's on and it had those screens you are on about.very clever and no wires or hand controls.Technology moves at a fast rate now a days forever changing our lives and I guess the museum just couldn't keep up with it.I remember watching Tomorrow's World as a kid and they ahd some major flops on that programme.Imagine holographic blogging? Now that would be awesome!
Or a holographic youtube! Wow. I used to love tomorrows world!
Ohh, teleportation is a big dream of mine. Being able to live where ever I fancy and yet visit family and friends in an instant. I am a huge geek and get very excited about technology too. I would love to see a 'future technolody' exhibition, I would have happy dreams for months
Jen
I'm still waiting for the flying cars that we were sure would be the norm in the 2000's….
It's kinda of scary and exciting to realize just how quickly technology is moving forward. And that teleporting idea – that would be awesome!
Christ, can you imagine the mayhem if we really had flying cars? But
wouldn't it be cool?!
always nice to meet a fellow geek! Wouldn't it be ace to visit a future
exhibition of some kind?
I love the idea of teleportation too. Put those bloody airlines out of business once and for all.
As a child, the Jetsons was my idea of the future. Zipping about in little spaceships and wearing silver spacesuits everywhere.
Definitely! i love the idea of the Jetsons' little spaceships and tall tall
building right up in the clouds with a front door out into the sky!
I am barely keeping up to date with the present. I am trying to find me my very own geek so that I can outsource the IT. I like the functionality but i just want someone else to show me how to work it. What about mainlining into the internet – like the matrix – whoooo – the thing about teleportation is the re-assembly I would only be interested if when I got to the other side, I was little bit younger, a little thinner and still had all my teeth and bits in the right place – can you imagine if your butt ended up where your mouth was – some could say this is where mine is but I mean seriously!!!
I know what you mean, it would need to actually work and not be
experimental. And i love the idea of the it making you younger and thinner
at the same time tho! How cool would that be?
Noooooooo, if they invent a teleportation device then I can't use 'The traffic will be awful' as an excuse to not visit the Mother in Law.
ha ha ha!
Just today I was explaining to my daughter that it used to be that programs were just on at certain times, and if you missed them you missed them. That there was no “I want to see such-and-so” and ta la, you can! I think it scared her a little.
ha ha ha, wow, imagine that! And only 3 TV channels! Surely not! *Gasp*
I'm all about the teleportation! And like you, I had so many fantasies as a kid about the future. I was waiting for flying cars and I really thought we would have them by now. (sigh)
This post has made me think back to Thursday nights spent watching Tomorrow's World. Used to love that show and woule marvel at all the future technology! Hmm, wonder if they still make it and how many of the show's predictions came true.