Predictions about what the future holds never interested me much. As a child though, I did love watching “The Jetsons” cartoons. I especially liked the part where Jane Jetson would press a couple of buttons and a delicious hot meal would pop out of the wall. As an adult, I love watching cooking shows and preparing a home-cooked meal myself brings a lot of joy. But having a robot-like Rosie to do the cleanup would be nice.
Several years ago, I read a book about an NYC police lieutenant named Eve Dallas set in the year 2058. Eve travels back in time about 50 years to help solve an old crime. In her day, she had never taken a shower. Apparently in the future, showering will be replaced with some kind of hair and body-cleaning apparatus which I assume is akin to dry cleaning. I guess that’s one way to conserve water …
Today, I waffle back and forth thinking about what’s next. Again, when I was a kid, I would never in my wildest dreams have imagined that I would hold a little device in my hand that would serve as a telephone, camera, computer, radio, TV and theater screen that also provides countless online shopping options and other activities. What is bothersome to me is the lack of human interaction and physical activity these conveniences could eliminate if we let it.
Outer space is predicted to be a future vacation destination.
Some future smart technology does interest me. There are inventions being perfected today that have sensors woven into fabrics that can monitor the wearer’s vital signs, detect potential health problems and send alerts to a smartphone app. Can you imagine visiting your physician: Doctor: “What brings you in today?” Patient: “My shirt told me I could be sick.”
Smart clothes will in the future regulate temperature, adapting to the wearer’s comfort. Smart clothes also are being designed and perfected that could, if successful, enable unassisted walking by weaving exoskeletons (to provide both support and protection) and artificial muscles into fabrics. For millions of disabled people, this technology would be life-changing.
Smart homes already exist. From a phone app, owners can regulate lighting, heating and air conditioning, music, entertainment and security systems, and operate appliances to name a few. That’s a bit high on the “lazy meter” for me.
Outer space is predicted to be a future vacation destination. Take Mars, for example. NASA says a one-way trip would take about nine months – a round-trip would take 21 months. In addition, Mars is covered with deserts, it is extremely cold and has very low gravity. In that environment, all bodily fluids would evaporate, making the visitor completely parched. Without any kind of protective suit, humans could only survive on Mars for about two minutes. But, I have no doubt that like everything, scientists are working on ways to make safe space travel happen.
Would I want to go to Mars? Uh, no. If I’m to be parched, sipping a Mai Tai on a Hawaiian beach will work just fine. Aloha!
