It occurred to me last night — through simple arithmetic, really — that 40 years from now, we’ll be living in the year 2050.
I suppose that realization was just as potent as the high school realization that I’d be entering college one year before 2000, and that a decade after that (i.e. this year), we’d supposedly have made contact with aliens by now.
In any case, it got me thinking that, in all likelihood, I’m going to make it to 2050. I’ll be 69 years old, and imagine by then, will have much more perspective, knowledge, and wisdom than I have now.
Still though, life never ceases to amaze (as the expression goes) and so I’m curious what you think: picture yourself waking up 40 years from now and saying to yourself, “Y’know, in 2050, I never would have imagined…” and then complete the sentence.
You can either leave your response here, or tweet it with the tag #in2050.
8 Comments
I think in 40 years I’ll be saying I never would’ve imagined how green our economy would become. We’ll really be feeling the oil problem in a couple decades, and we’ll be very green from necessity.
Right now, looking forward, it seems like an impossible task, but necessity will drive our innovation.
Y’know, in 2050, I never would have imagined that folded proteins and genetically tailored organisms would replace most electronics. Yet the economics really are compelling: they digest our waste for power, so solar generation can meet our remaining electricity needs.
In 2050, I never would have imagined that cities would be much more important than nations… and that stable local distribution networks would be more important than any single valuable resource.
I’m still thinking about the post-petroleum transition. Your post reminds me quite a bit of this one from just over 4 years ago:
http://kottke.org/05/12/zach-klein-then-just-now-i-remembered
“Y’know, in 2050, I never would have imagined that I’d be looking and feeling better at 67 than I was at 27. Genetic engineering and anti-aging is pretty incredible.”
Then my robot will agree with me and make a clever joke about neo-national politics before making me a grown-on-demand organic sandwich on the galley of my personal spaceship.
P.S. I totally had the last sentence of the post wrong… I meant to say “Y’know, in 2050” rather than “in 2010″. I’ve edited subsequent comments that echoed this mistake.
My bad!
Y’know, in 2050, I never would have imagined that..
I have International unique ID chip embedded under my skin.
surely having interactive web which responds to my intentions.
having a hand held device which has every thing phone ,camera,projector,computer.
You know, in 2010 I never imagined I would make it to be 100 years old.
If you keep this blog up for another 40 years, I’ll be sure to come back and finish that sentence.