Earth 2050: Predictions

2050 Rio de Janeiro

The VR revolution comes to neural interfaces

VR technology has come a long way. Until the early 2020s, users had to slap on bulky helmets and squeeze into sensor suits. But progress never stands still. The helmets were replaced first by glasses, then lenses. Suits became electrode meshes. Now, in 2050, the industry is undergoing another revolution.

# biotech # entertainment

Earthman

04 Feb 2020

12

3

2030 Toronto

Social networks still occupy pride of place among users, but are changing conceptually into an everyday need. They are integrated into many online services, such as the Internet of Things and online payments, thus becoming part of daily life. Websites and social networks are switching to formats and

# communication # entertainment

Сергей Иоффе

08 Jan 2020

3

0

2040 Singapore

Breakthroughs in applied physics have enabled scientists to create a stable and versatile quantum computer with far-reaching capabilities. Its enormous processing power quickly crunches numbers into prime factors, cracking even the most secure systems and messages encrypted with outdated algorithms.

Дмитрий Стоянов

07 Jan 2020

4

1

2050 Shanghai

The Holocene calendar, which starts from the year 10,000 BC — the approximate date of the beginning of human civilization — is becoming conventional. The world’s population is touching 9.7 billion people, as predicted by UN analysts. Having exhausted its reserves of oil and other mineral

# biotech # city # energy # government # medicine # nature # robots # threats # transport # work

Quasar

02 Jan 2020

4

2

2050 Mumbai

The increased prosperity of Mumbai residents has no negative impact on the environment: Factories are switching to waste-free production, green spaces are everywhere, and subsidies for buyers of electric vehicles and a tax on petrol engines keep the city from choking. The government is also investing

# city # entertainment

Earthman

09 Dec 2019

17

7

2040 Mumbai

Having dealt with landfills, authorities took on water issues. By 2040, waste treatment plants have been equipped with graphene-based filters — now drinking water fountains are available at almost every intersection. However, this project pales against the backdrop of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial

# city # construction # transport

Earthman

09 Dec 2019

7

2

2030 Mumbai

Having struggled with monstrous social inequality for decades, by 2030 the Indian government is beginning to reap the benefits of the social programs carried out since decolonization. Alongside GDP growth, they have led to a situation in which only a small percentage of the population remains below the

# city # government

Earthman

09 Dec 2019

10

12

2050 Detroit

By 2050, car tuning is turning into a hobby for nostalgic youth. Street-racing movies from the early 21st century and the associated aesthetics are experiencing a new lease on life. 3D printing — long used in construction, medicine, design, and other fields — is spurring the revival. Compared

# transport

Earthman

06 Nov 2019

22

1

2050 Kusatsu

Human body tech: from prostheses to immortality

As areas of technological progress go, human body modification is one of the most exciting — yet one of the most unpredictable in terms of potential impact. The benefits are undeniable. Losing a limb will no longer be a stigma — far from it. Mass production of artificial organs, from hearts

# biotech # human # medicine # society

Earthman

23 Oct 2019

57

2

2050 Kusatsu

Welcome to Kusatsu, a Japanese resort with a long history. Every year the city is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists eager to plunge into the local onsen (hot springs). The city is also loved by the older generation for its mountain air and healing waters. As the 2020s drew to a close, the

# city # energy

Earthman

22 Oct 2019

14

0

2040 Mersin

In the middle of 2040, 3D printed drugs will be produced through biotechnological methods. These drugs will contain genetic materials of some marine micro-organisms obtained from the Mediterranean. All crucial amino acids from these will create genetically altered microorganisms via recombinant DNA technology,

# food

Gamze Ayar

08 Oct 2019

86

11

2050 Izmir

By the year 2050, the city of Izmir will have renovated the buildings near to the bay and begun a new city plan at the backs of Izmir. ''Amphitheatre City Planning'' will be the main and most important plan for Izmir. This plan contains: a better view of the bay for everyone better

# city

Arif Uğur Şeran

23 Sep 2019

77

7

2040 Moscow

The world around us is merely a set of brain stimulations. Some help us to see, others to enjoy, still others to monitor and control the organism, and so on. But very soon, companies developing neural interfaces (such as Neuralink) will be able to safely feed stimulations from a computer to the brain,

# biotech # entertainment

Иван

16 Sep 2019

14

2

2050 New Orleans

As most of you may already know, when there is seriously bad weather in south Louisiana, New Orleans tends to flood a bit. And with Global Warming the way it is, well, that is not getting us anywhere good. Many of us already know that the sea levels are rising because of the thermal expansion caused

# city

Arthur

18 Aug 2019

11

1

2050 Dubai

The mass transition to electric-powered aircraft was made possible by a breakthrough in battery technology, which did away with the costliest part of flying — the fuel. Plane tickets are now comparable in price to train rides (proportional to the distance, of course). Anyone can fly! However,

# entertainment # transport

Ilya Shatilin

23 Jul 2019

60

2

2030 Dubai

Passenger aircraft are gradually becoming more economical and environmentally friendly, but this progress is barely noticeable to the average passenger. The innovations inside the plane, however, are striking. For example, airplanes have smart seats that download individual passenger preferences

# entertainment # transport

Ilya Shatilin

23 Jul 2019

15

4

2050 Wuhan

In recent years, digital systems have moved up to a whole new level. No longer assistants making life easier for us mere mortals, they’ve become the basis of civilization — the very framework keeping the world functioning properly in 2050. This quantum leap forward has generated new requirements

# business # threats

Eugene Kaspersky

11 Jun 2019

57

3

2050 Rabat

Morocco’s location close to the Equator made it possible to construct a compact spaceport not far from Marrakesh. It is used mostly to transport astronauts and cargo to asteroids. Civil flights also depart from the orbit; there is always entertainment there, as well as excursions, study, and exploration

# entertainment # space # transport

David Brin

11 Jun 2019

48

6

2050 Rabat

Some designs made for space can descend to Earth. In 2040, a suit first created to support astronauts in zero-G was adapted for medical conditions on the ground. In addition to pressure and atmosphere, the suit uses electric current impulses to contract individual muscles, or muscle groups, according

# gadgets # human # sport

David Brin

11 Jun 2019

52

6

2050 Rabat

By 2040, the international community has concluded that using nonrenewable resources is irrational. The first kind of asteroid to be mined was of the carbonaceous variety, to get water that can keep astronauts alive, or be used to create rocket fuel. Later, explorers prospected dozens of other varieties

# space

David Brin

11 Jun 2019

55

5