Prediction of the world in 10 years

Watkins's predictions at the beginning of the twentieth century seemed strange and almost impossible, but a considerable part of them came true.

Futurologists Ian Pearson (IP) and Patrick Tucker (PT) comment on speculation about what the world will look like in 100 years.

1. There will be thousands of farms in the oceans, producing food on an unprecedented scale.

Seaweed plantation

IP: Probability 10 out of 10. We have to feed 10 billion people, and our planet does not have the resources to do this. These ocean farms will grow not only fish, but also algae, which will be used to produce food and fuel.

PT: It's quite possible. According to Denis Bushnell, a leading scientist at NASA's Langley Research Center, seaweed that will be genetically modified to absorb large amounts of nitrogen from the atmosphere will free up to 68% of the fresh water that humanity currently wastes on agriculture.

2. Transmission of thoughts over a distance will become a reality.

Brain electrical signal transmission circuit

IP: Probability 10 out of 10. Telepathy will become one of the common forms of increasing brain functionality. Perceiving thoughts and transmitting them over a distance will become as commonplace as storing thoughts on computer networks.

PT: It's quite possible. Artificial telepathy now seems like science fiction, but it is quite real, if by the transfer of thoughts we mean the transfer of electrical signals from the brain.

3. Thanks to the achievements of genetics, we will be able to create people with the highest level of intelligence and immortality.

Immortality. Engraving from the magazine "Iskra". Bulgaria, 1891

IP: Probability 9 out of 10. A direct connection between the brain and a computer will give people immortality in the practical sense of the word, however, genetic modification will lead to a significant extension of life until electronic immortality becomes available to everyone at a reasonable price.

PT: It's quite possible. The idea that scientific breakthroughs in genetics, biotechnology and the development of artificial intelligence will expand the boundaries of the human mind and allow our species to largely overcome death is sometimes called the singularity.

4. We will learn to completely control the weather.

Powerful cumulus clouds

IP: Probability 8 out of 10. There are already ways to fight tornadoes or cause rain. Thanks to climate research in recent years due to fears of global warming, we have an increasingly better understanding of the mechanisms that influence weather. It is possible that new methods of such influence will be too expensive for everyday use, and they will be resorted to only in critical circumstances.

PT: It's quite possible. Such attempts are inevitable. Most American scientists support a federal program to study methods of intervention in the climate of our planet. These geoengineering technologies are designed to neutralize human impacts on the climate.

5. Antarctica will lose its status as a protected area.

Antarctica

IP: Probability 8 out of 10. The temptation to use this protected continent for the extraction of mineral resources will be too strong. Humanity will do this subject to the strictest adherence to environmental standards.

PT: It's quite possible. But even before that we will witness the development of the Arctic. In the coming decades, the struggle for control over the natural resources of the Arctic will become a major political issue for the northern countries and all of humanity. If it is successfully resolved, it will be Antarctica’s turn.

6. A single world currency will be introduced.

Classification of electronic money

IP: Probability 8 out of 10. We are already seeing electronic money being used everywhere, and this trend will develop. It is quite possible that by the middle of this century there will only be a few regional physical currencies left, plus a global electronic currency. By the end of the century it will be the only one.

IP: Hardly. In fact, the trend in this area is in the opposite direction. The Internet makes possible new forms of exchange of goods and services. Therefore, the number of different types of currency is likely to increase.

7. A direct connection will be established between the human brain and the computer.

Electrical activity of the brain

IP: Probability 10 out of 10. For many, this will become a reality by 2050. By 2075, most people in developed countries will be using some form of computer-based brain enhancer.

8. Nanorobots will circulate through our circulatory system, repairing cells and recording our thoughts.

Numerous nanorobots, theoretically "ready to go"

IP: Probability 7 out of 10.

PT: It's quite possible. So far, medical nanorobots exist only in theory, but research in this area is developing very actively.

9. Thermonuclear fusion will become a reality.

Model of the International Experimental Thermonuclear Reactor, ITER

IP: Probability 10 out of 10. Thermonuclear power plants will appear, most likely, by 2045-2050, and certainly by 2100. Whether they will become the main source of energy for humanity is still unclear. It is likely that this site will be claimed by huge solar collectors and shale gas production.

10. California will become the first state to secede from the United States.

IP: Probability 8 out of 10. There are already signs that California will seek secession from the union of states and this trend may intensify by the end of the century. At the heart of this phenomenon is the vast disparity in wealth between states and the reluctance of residents in richer states to fund poorer areas.

11. The space elevator will make space accessible to everyone.

Artistic fantasy: a view of a space elevator lifting cargo from Earth to an orbital station - a “space port”

IP: Probability 8 out of 10. The first space elevators will appear by the middle of the century and will turn out to be much cheaper than conventional methods of entering outer space. This will accelerate space exploration and the development of space tourism, although I doubt that the cost of their use will be widely available to people.

12. Artificial insemination will completely replace natural insemination.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection

PT: Not far from the truth. Already, more and more people are using new methods of fertilization. Genetic analysis and selection of fertilized embryos are increasingly used in specialized clinics. Already, embryo scanning makes it possible to identify about half of the known genetic diseases. And in the next ten years, scientists will learn to select almost 100% of full-fledged embryos.

IP: Probability 5 out of 10.

13. The natural habitat of humans and animals will be destroyed, and will be replaced by nature reserves and museums.

PT: Not far from the truth. Our planet is on the brink of significant species extinction. Protecting biodiversity in an era of increasing resource consumption, overpopulation and environmental degradation will require sacrifice, and can often come at the expense of local, often poor, peoples. Experts believe that the inclusion of the economic interests of residents of a number of areas in the struggle for environmental preservation should become an essential part of the environmental protection strategy.

IP: Probability 2 out of 10.

14. Sovereign states will disappear and will be replaced by a world government.

PT: Nice try, but unlikely. On the contrary, the number of nation states will increase. In the near future, wealthy individuals and wealthy corporations will seek to buy up parts of the world's oceans to create their own island states in international waters.

IP: Probability 2 out of 10.

15. The war will be waged exclusively by remote means.

IP: Probability 5 out of 10.

Original article on bbcrussian.com

Attached materials:

Futurist Raymond Kurzweil: in ten years we will live in virtual reality and have conversations with artificial intelligence

American inventor Raymond Kurzweil is a futurist with twenty years of experience. The press calls him a tireless genius and an impeccable thinking machine; business magazine Inc included him in the list of top entrepreneurs of all time, describing him as the legal heir of Thomas Edison.

Kurzweil rose to fame in the 1970s by creating one of the first machine-based speech recognition systems; in the 1980s he founded the company Kurzweil Music Systems, which produces synthesizers of the same name. In the 1990s, he predicted the imminent appearance of self-driving cars and mobile phones that would answer questions from owners. He believes that he will live forever - thanks to biotechnology and uploading his consciousness into a computer; Since 2012, he has been Director of Engineering at Google. On Thursday, CNN published five of Kurzweil's predictions for the next decade. In all his forecasts, the futurist relies on the so-called law of accelerating returns - the exponential acceleration of technological progress, which, in turn, pushes all other aspects of human life - from economics to biology - to change.

Medicine

In ten years, clinical practice will change radically - humanity will have mastered the technologies to transform its own biology to protect against disease and aging. We have now had the complete code of the human genome for ten years and have made significant progress in correlating certain genes with the processes for which they are responsible. Thanks to these discoveries, tools are emerging that make it possible to reprogram the human body in exactly the same way as a person reprograms his computer. For example, RNA interference can disable genes that are associated with aging and susceptibility to various diseases. Gene therapy will allow us to modernize the human genome, improving some traits or adding new ones.

Medicine will be revolutionized by the recently developed method of creating so-called induced stem cells. It makes it possible to grow stem cells, similar to embryonic ones, from ordinary cells of the human body - for example, from skin cells. Thanks to this, you can bypass the ethically controversial issue of using embryos - and grow human organs as much as you like. “We can already repair a broken heart—not from love yet, but from a heart attack—by rejuvenating it with reprogrammed stem cells,” says Kurzweil. Modern medicine also obeys the “law of accelerating returns.” Today, technologies that reprogram the “software” underlying human biology are already a thousand times more effective than in 2003, when the Human Genome Project was just completed. And if now their clinical use is a breakthrough, then in the 2020s it will become a daily routine.

Energy and food revolutions

Kurzweil is confident that by 2030, solar energy will be able to satisfy all the needs of humanity. The total number of watts produced by solar panels is growing exponentially, doubling every two years. “If we can at least partially use the tens of thousands of solar rays falling on the Earth, we will be able to satisfy one hundred percent of our energy needs,” the futurologist predicts.

Solar panels in India.

The cost of one watt of solar electricity will begin to rapidly decline as soon as the latest molecular technologies are widely used in the design of solar panels. A recent report from Deutsche Bank notes that “in India and Italy, the cost of unsubsidized solar power is equal to the cost of electricity from the grid. By 2014, more countries will achieve parity between solar energy and conventional electricity." The energy revolution will entail a food revolution. As soon as inexpensive energy becomes available on the planet, the process of water purification and desalination will accelerate and become cheaper. Optimization will also affect agriculture - from the traditional agro-industrial complex to vertical automated farms, where artificial intelligence will grow vegetables and fruits hydroponically. It will be possible to get rid of livestock farms altogether, Kurzweil predicts, by limiting ourselves to growing “meat” (that is, animal muscle tissue identical to “natural”) in vitro.

3D printers

In seven to ten years, most household items will be produced by 3D printers. Of course, today their functionality is extremely limited - it is difficult to imagine that by the end of the decade they will turn out to be truly indispensable in everyday life. According to Kurzweil, such skepticism is not justified.

“If you look at the life cycle of technology, we see an early period of hyperenthusiasm, then decline and disappointment, followed by real revolution. Remember the Internet boom in the 1990s and the dot-com bubble that followed in the 2000s? Google started around the same time, and now we see multi-billion dollar Internet companies,” writes the engineer. Likewise, 3D printers are currently in their earliest stages of development, but their golden age will begin in the 2020s. At the same time, the ability to “print” your own wardrobe for mere pennies by downloading open source schemes will not put an end to the fashion industry. To be convinced of this, it is enough to look at other industries that have also experienced “digitalization” - book publishing, cinema and music. Even in the distant future, when it will be possible to “print” a gun or a biodegradable frame for prosthetic internal organs at home using a 3D printer, industrial production will still remain profitable.

Artificial intelligence

Within five years, all search engines will completely switch to human language. A couple of years ago, IBM's supercomputer "Watson" became the top player in the TV show Jeopardy! - an analogue of the Russian “Own Game”. The quiz asks quite confusing questions, often involving puns, jokes and metaphors. Despite the fact that until recently a sense of humor and the ability to understand allegory were considered a privilege of the human mind, artificial intelligence answered all the questions without hesitation, beating the tandem of the two most successful human players.

IBM supercomputer Watson wins Jeopardy.

“Watson” gleaned most of his knowledge from Wikipedia and other encyclopedias; In total, the supercomputer read about 200 million pages. Kurzweil is currently working at Google on artificial intelligence that would be capable of having a full conversation with the user. "For example, he will engage you in dialogue to clarify ambiguities or difficult issues," he says.

A virtual reality

In the 2020s, we will become accustomed to fully immersive work and communication with each other in virtual reality - a set of artificially induced visual, sound and tactile sensations. In fact, says Kurzweil, the telephone is already a virtual reality in which people can “meet”, although so far only within the framework of acoustic perception. Video conferencing in instant messengers and smartphones has added visual perception - although not yet in three dimensions. Full visual immersion will appear within ten years, the futurist believes.

“We will be able to augment reality in such a way that I can see you sitting on the couch in my living room, although we will be hundreds of miles apart. Your augmented reality glasses will tell you interesting jokes and stories that are relevant to the conversation you are having,” he predicts. The final touch to virtual reality will be added by tactile sensations. Their simulation will be possible thanks to nanorobots that generate signals in the brain identical to signals from the nerve receptor.

In his book “The Singularity Now,” Kurzweil predicted that by the middle of the 21st century, homo sapiens will evolve into a new species - “people on software” who will “live on the Internet, project bodies wherever they need or want, including holographic and foggy (steam) projections of bodies, and physical bodies consisting of swarms of nanorobots.” To survive until this technology becomes available, Kurzweil, 65, says he takes "250 supplements (tablets)" daily and receives "six intravenous infusions (nutrient supplements that go directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive tract)." Despite the fact that Kurzweil indeed accurately predicted many events in modern history, including the collapse of the USSR and the victory of a computer over a living chess player, not all of the futurist’s predictions are accurate - in 2012, Forbes magazine published a list of his unfulfilled prophecies.

It’s hard to believe, but 10 years ago there were no smartphones, the first video was uploaded to YouTube, Android was still a small startup, and the term “drone” was strictly military-related. In accordance with Moore's law, we see how humanity is moving by leaps and bounds into the technological future, or towards something else. What will we see in the near future, for example in 2026?

1. Human brain for $1000

In 2025, there will be a computer capable of performing 10,000 trillion operations per second. This speed is equivalent to the processing speed of the human brain. Such a car will cost only $1,000.

2. “Internet of Everything”

The “Internet of Everything” will take the global economy to a new level: geographical boundaries will dissolve and people from different parts of the Earth will be able to work on projects online as fruitfully as in reality. By 2025, the Internet of Everything will include 100 billion connected devices with data collection sensors. According to a recent Cisco report, the mega-internet will generate $19 trillion. dollars.

3. Perfect knowledge

With a trillion sensors collecting data around the world (autonomous cars, satellite systems, unmanned aircraft, wearable cameras), you can find out everything you need - anytime, anywhere.

4. 8 billion closely connected people

Facebook (Internet.org), SpaceX, Google (Project Loon), Qualcomm and Virgin (OneWeb) plan to provide global connectivity to every person on Earth at speeds exceeding one megabit per second. Eight billion people will be connected by the latest means of communication. Those who are currently cut off from global networks will have access to all Google information, 3D printing, Amazon services, etc.

5. Health care disruption

Existing healthcare institutions will be close to extinction as more efficient industries emerge. Thousands of startups, as well as today's data giants (Google, Apple, Microsoft, SAP, IBM, etc.) will enter the new lucrative ($3.8 trillion) healthcare industry with new business models. Biometric sensing will make each of us the master of our own health. Thanks to breakthroughs in genetic engineering and the latest machines, we will be able to understand the cause of cancer, heart disease and neurodegenerative diseases and be able to cure them. Robotic surgeons will perform surgeries and it will be much more efficient and cheaper. Each of us will be able to grow a heart, liver, lungs or kidneys when we need it, without having to wait until the donor dies.

6. Augmented and virtual reality

The billions of dollars invested by Facebook (Oculus), Google (Leap Magic), Microsoft (Hololens), Sony, Qualcomm, HTC and others will not be wasted. A new generation of user interfaces and displays will emerge. The usual screens of smartphones, computers and televisions will disappear - they will be replaced by glasses. Not the Google Glass kind, but something similar to what hipsters wear today. This will lead to massive disruption across a range of industries, from trade to education, travel and entertainment.

7. Childhood

Humanity will continue to develop artificial intelligence. If you now think that Siri is the height of perfection, then in 10 years you will see the real Jarvis from Iron Man. IBM Watson, DeepMind and Vicarious will develop a super-powerful assistant that will scan your biometrics, read your email and listen to your conversations - and it will be convenient.

8. Blockchain

Chances are you're aware of Bitcoin, a secure, decentralized cryptocurrency. But the innovation is not the electronic currency itself, but the protocol, the blockchain, which carries out the direct and secure digital transfer of assets without intermediaries. For investors like Marc Andreesen, the widespread introduction of electronic currency is as important a step as the invention of the Internet.

Rostrud reminded about the next long weekend. National Unity Day, celebrated on November 4, will give residents of the country three days off in a row.

“Russians will have another long weekend at the beginning of November. They will rest for three days - from November 2 to 4,” the department’s press service said in a statement.

Let us remind you that National Unity Day has been celebrated in Russia since 2005. The holiday was established in honor of the liberation of Moscow from Polish invaders in 1612.

Let us add that in July the government approved. According to the calendar, the New Year holidays will last from January 1 to January 8.

The State Duma of the Russian Federation will consider a bill banning the installation of air conditioners, various antennas and other technical devices on the facades of cultural heritage sites.

According to the press service of the lower house of parliament, security systems and alarms will be an exception. In addition, technical devices already installed on the facades will be subject to dismantling only if work is carried out to preserve the cultural heritage site.

If the document is accepted, the changes will take effect within 180 days after its publication.

According to the website of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the region, in the period from 00:00 to 12:00, automatic air pollution control stations in Nizhny Tagil recorded an excess of the maximum one-time maximum permissible concentration - hydrogen sulfide 3.1 MPC, and in Serov - sulfur dioxide 1.1 MPCmr.

In other municipalities, no emissions of harmful substances were recorded.

Let us remind you that earlier in Serov there was an emission of sulfur dioxide for three days in a row.

The GAZ Group may switch to a four-day working week with a reduction in wages.

As Kommersant reports, the planned transition to a part-time work week is associated with the worsening situation on the commercial transport market and the consequences of sanctions. It is noted that GAZ will abandon this measure if the market situation stabilizes.

They expect that the market for light commercial vehicles may decline by 15% at the end of this year, and, consequently, their production will decrease by the same amount. The market is negatively affected by high loan rates, inflation, reductions in government support and investment in fixed assets, as well as the completion of large federal construction projects.

Let us remind you that the GAZ group is the largest asset of Oleg Deripaska’s Russian Machines engineering holding. It came under US sanctions along with the businessman’s other companies, but remained his last asset from which restrictions were not lifted.

The authorities of the Sverdlovsk region have approved the region’s investment strategy until 2035.

As RBC reports with reference to a document approved by the head of the region Evgeniy Kuyvashev, the emphasis in the strategy is on the fact that currently in the Middle Urals there is no work being carried out to implement large infrastructure projects with funding from the state budget, which provide the main investments in the regions.

At the end of last year, the volume of investments in fixed capital in the Sverdlovsk region amounted to 318 billion rubles. Moreover, most of them are concentrated either in the Ural capital itself or in its agglomeration. Thus, the volume of investments in fixed capital of Yekaterinburg amounted to 127.8 billion rubles, and in the cities of the Yekaterinburg agglomeration - 150.8 billion rubles.

This is explained by the fact that it is there that the sales market is now developed and labor resources and technologies are concentrated. At the same time, the key investors are local enterprises, and therefore it is planned to create conditions for businesses from other regions, taking into account the existing characteristics of the cities.

Main objectives of the strategy look like this: creating a favorable investment climate, stimulating the infrastructural development of the region, creating opportunities to expand the investment activity of local enterprises and attracting new investment entities.

Thanks to the implementation of these measures, according to the plan of the regional authorities, the volume of investments by 2035 should increase almost 7 times - to 2.085 trillion. rubles In total, the list of strategies lists 221 projects, and the publication highlights some of them.

Creation of investment infrastructure

• Nizhny Tagil - Industrial Park "Vostochny" (2018-2025); Chemical Park "Tagil" (2010-2022).
• Ekaterinburg - Technopark "University" (2014-2020); SEZ "Titanium Valley" (2010-2035).
• Promoting the integration of state corporations Rostec, Rosatom, Roscosmos and PJSC Rostelecom for the implementation of global projects - the development of the Polar Urals and the Arctic zone, the development of energy in Siberia and the Far East, the creation of an oil pipeline for supplies to Asian countries.

Industry, mining and agro-industrial complex

• Ekaterinburg - Production and logistics complex for the production of bakery and confectionery products (2019-2026).
• Kachkanar - development of the Sobstvenno-Kachkanarskoye field (2021-2035).
• Krasnoturinsk - construction of a factory for processing polymetallic ores (2017-2032).
• A focus on the development of industrial production in cities located within the Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Tagil agglomerations and on the modernization of mining industry enterprises in the north of the region.

Transport and logistics complex

• Ekaterinburg - creation of the Ural high-speed railway "Chelyabinsk - Ekaterinburg" (2019-2050); construction and reconstruction of facilities at the Koltsovo airport complex (2004-2025); creation of the “Ekaterinburg Logistics Postal Center” (2019-2021); construction of a new freight yard at the Yekaterinburg - Tovarny station (2019-2023); development of the metro and tram service.
• Sysert - construction of a transport and logistics center (2020-2035).

Housing and communal services sector

• Pervouralsk - reconstruction of a sorting complex with a capacity of 200 thousand tons (2020).
• Nizhny Tagil - implementation of a concession agreement in the field of municipal solid waste management (2020).
• The region has concluded 34 concession agreements in the utility sector with a total investment volume of more than 18 billion rubles. The forecast volume of private investments for the long term will be more than 50 billion rubles. It is expected that the property of 12 municipal unitary enterprises will be transferred by 2020.

Social sphere

• Yekaterinburg - construction of a sports and recreational cluster (2018-2020); creation of a chess center (2019-2020); creation of a center for nuclear medicine and proton therapy (2015-2020).
• To eliminate the second shift, municipalities need to introduce at least 20 thousand new places in schools every year, which will require annual funding in the amount of 16 billion rubles for the construction of new buildings and reconstruction of existing ones.

Tourism

• Nizhny Tagil - creation of the Belaya Mountain tourist and recreational cluster (2017-2028). Total investments until 2028 should amount to 45 billion rubles - 15 billion rubles will be spent from the budget on basic infrastructure, business will invest 30 billion rubles in service and entertainment facilities.
• Verkhoturye - development of the tourist and pilgrimage cluster “Verkhoturye” (2017-2028).

Development projects In Dagestan, the deputy head of a village in one of the districts overestimated his own age by 34 years in order to receive a labor pension. A criminal case has already been initiated against him.

As reported by the press service of the Republican Prosecutor's Office, an official born in 1989 received a false passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation with deliberately false information about his date of birth and an inflated age of 34 years.

In addition, the man purchased a false work book with information about his work on the collective farm in the period 1985-1996. As a result of fraudulent actions from March 2018 to July 2019, a young man illegally received pension payments in the amount of over 155 thousand rubles.

It is noted that a criminal case of fraud was opened against the deputy head of the village. Criminal cases of abuse of official powers and official forgery were also initiated against officials of the regional branches of the Pension Fund of Russia and the Federal Migration Service.

The Russian Ministry of Defense continues to publish declassified historical documents about the history of the Great Patriotic War.

A new multimedia section was opened on the department’s website, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Chisinau from the Nazi invaders. In particular, schemes of combat and reconnaissance operations, operational reports, award lists and photographic materials about the Iasi-Chisinau operation were published.

“The key events of the Kishinev operation of August 1944 are presented in a detailed diagram with the order of distribution of troops at the front line, combat reports and reports. Of particular interest to users will be an archival document containing an ultimatum from Army General Fedor Tolbukhin to the command of the 3rd Romanian Army and the 9th German Division, put forward after the liberation of the capital of the Moldavian SSR,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

In the southern regions of Russia, several deadly tropical diseases, carried by mosquitoes from Africa and Asia, have spread massively.

The first type of mosquitoes have bright white stripes on the back and white markings on the legs; the second type of insects have a spotted abdomen and black and white stripes on the legs. Insects came to Russia from Egypt and Southeast Asia as a result of global warming and are carriers of the Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever viruses.

To reduce the growth of the mosquito population, experts recommend, first of all, reducing the areas suitable for their breeding - removing loose garbage and containers in which water can accumulate.

10 years is a long time for information technology. It is extremely difficult to determine exactly what changes will occur during this time, but it is still possible to make some assumptions. Observing the development of the IT industry, one can notice certain trends and attitudes. Over the past decade, in addition to stationary personal computers, many other digital devices have appeared - laptops, netbooks, smartphones, tablets, tablet computers, etc. Connecting to the Internet has become a common occurrence in every home and public place. Today's consumers are no longer surprised by smart gadgets from science fiction films and books; they expect them and quickly accept them into their lives. This means that everything has already been invented a long time ago; all that remains is implementation. What awaits us in the information technology market in the next decade?

From touch screen to holographic projection

Despite the fact that the first touch screen was created back in the 1960s, and the first primitive IBM Simon smartphone in 1993, the widespread use of touch screen smartphones began in 2007, when the first iPhone was released. A year later, the market was divided between Apple and Android. Nowadays, touch screens are used on most digital devices - smartphones, tablets, e-readers, TVs and even watches. Interactive panels and touch tables have become a part of our lives and have won the recognition of users.

But the time is not far off when there will be no need to touch an electronic device; it will be possible to control it through a holographic interface. Gadgets will strive for minimalist forms and projecting three-dimensional images in the air.

Wearable electronics

Google glasses, ProGlove gloves, Hexoskin workout clothes or Vital Connect medical devices - all these smart gadgets still seem like a curiosity, not many people buy them for themselves. But within 10 years, wearable electronics will fill the IT market; these will be publicly available items on a par with conventional analogues.

These could be technologies that project an interface on a transparent surface, displaying the weather, a map of the area, a calendar or other information; talking equipment that not only carries out voice commands, but also analyzes information and offers various options for action; micro-devices that monitor human health, etc.

Cloud technologies

Cloud services allow us to access our files from any device connected to the Internet. Soon there will be no need for large storage media, since a lot of information will be stored in the cloud. Now the era of flash drives is leaving behind disks and floppy disks - the user will not need to worry about the location of his files, it will be enough to log on to the Internet.

The sites will also become adapted for viewing in 3D technologies, and anyone can order them. Today, creating or promoting a website is not a problem, just go to zakazatsajt.ru and place an order, and in the future this process will be even more simplified.

Through the Looking Glass

Visiting different cities on the planet while physically remaining in your chair at home - isn’t this a fairy tale? Life in the virtual world ceases to be unattainable; augmented reality allows you to plunge headlong into the “depth” of computer games. The increasing use of wearable electronics and the development of the Internet of Things will contribute to the rapid introduction of virtual reality into everyday life.

10 years is an insignificantly small period of time on the scale of the Universe. Which, by the way, is about 13.75 billion years old, according to generally accepted opinion. However, even such a small amount of time may be enough to restore order on Earth. With the general desire of the authorities and society, of course. And, as you know, there are about 7.3 billion people living on the planet. And despite the fact that the topic of the Earth and its future contains a huge number of nuances, many continue to worry about the question of what will happen to our world in 10 years.

Relevance

We all see very well what has been happening on the planet in the last few years politically and socially. The issue of destroying a large terrorist organization, which is strictly prohibited in the Russian Federation and in many other civilized states, is especially acute now.

Relations between countries, sanctions, establishing contacts with the United States - this, in turn, is for the most part of interest to residents of the Russian Federation. Especially the last one. Many are worried about the relationship between the major powers - the United States and Russia. There were even jokes around the world that it was not so much the residents of this country as the citizens of the Russian Federation who were more worried about the outcome of the elections in America.

Policy

However, all these worries are understandable. After all, diplomatic relations aimed at maintaining friendly contact, peace and security between states were established between the United States and Russia a very long time ago - in 1807. And no one wants two major powers to be at odds, even if only behind the scenes.

Of course, it is difficult to judge what will happen in the political arena in 10 years. There are good forecasts, but there are also extremely pessimistic comments (people, unfortunately, are accustomed to the bad). But, if you believe the primary sources, which are directly the presidents of the powers, a global “reset” of relations between states is planned, and in a positive direction. Nothing gets done quickly, so we just have to wait.

Generation

No less pressing is the question of what will happen to society in 10 years. In this case, most forecasts are also negative. There are countless reasons.

Firstly, the number of early pregnancies is increasing, which, as we know, happen unplanned and not out of love. Consequence: young parents without education and work, who have not taken a worthy place in society, with a child to whom they cannot give anything. The result: the number of members of society who do not have the opportunity to realize themselves is growing. Accordingly, the lower class expands.

Secondly, every day our world becomes more and more modern. This is good, but people forget what it means to work and develop. Take, for example, the same children. They master the computer before they begin to speak normally, practically do not read, and become educated too early in topics that are not appropriate for their age. Of course, this is not exactly what happens in all cases. It all depends on the parents. But this has already been discussed above.

Thirdly, labor is gradually being automated. Many are sure that the future of the planet lies with cars. A significant component of society opposes this statement. Time will tell how it will be. But the fact that modern inventions have made our life more comfortable is a fact that reassures us.

Specific forecasts

Now we can move on to the topic of Strategic Forecasting. This is an intelligence and analytical company from the United States that has been making forecasts for the future for more than 20 years. And there is already something for the near future.

What will happen in 10 years on the international political arena? If Strategic Forecasting is to be believed, the White House will make more restrained decisions regarding global issues. Analysts believe that US resources will also weaken.

Stagnation is predicted for Germany. Stagnation of production, difficulties in trade, an increase in the number of unemployed, a decrease in wages and the general standard of living - all this, according to Strategic Forecasting, awaits one of the most developed countries in Europe and the world. It's hard to believe. However, what will happen in 10 years is still unknown. Maybe the predictions will come true.

By the way, China will also face similar problems. It is possible that the number of problems will increase due to the uneven development of regions.

Possible prospects

If you believe the forecasts of Strategic Forecasting, then in 10 years Europe will be split into 4 parts. There will be the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Eastern and Western Europe. Analysts believe that formally the “cradle of ancient civilizations” will remain united. However, political and economic integrity is not in sight.

Analysts, predicting the future of the planet, also claim that close cooperation between the United States and Turkey is possible. Seems strange? Not at all, this will be facilitated by the chaos reigning in the Arab world, which, by the way, has no plans to subside anytime soon.

Analysts did not deprive Poland of their attention either. The future of this country in 10 years, in their opinion, will be more than successful. We will be able to see rapid economic growth, which will give Poland the opportunity to become one of the leading countries in Europe. And Japan, in turn, will take a leading position among the maritime powers in Asia. If Strategic Forecasting's forecasts come true, our planet will look very interesting in 10 years.

Strategic Forecasting about Russia

Naturally, the notorious analytical company did not ignore our country in its forecasts. What will happen to Russia in the near future, according to researchers?

The main forecast is political disintegration, which is the disintegration of a single whole into several parts. And to be more precise, a change in the form of government. And this is always a lot of stress. Especially for such a huge state as the Russian Federation. And, according to Strategic Forecasting, this process will become the main cause of the crisis of the next decade.

But these are not all assumptions regarding what will happen to Russia in the near future. Analysts suggest that the former Soviet republics, which have maintained strong ties with our country, will overestimate their relations with the Russian Federation. Belarus is already demonstrating a warming of its position towards the West. Armenia, in turn, questioned good relations with the Russian Federation after a new outbreak of armed conflict with Azerbaijan over Analysts note that the confrontation escalated, most likely, because the Russian Federation was at that time dealing with conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.

Water resources

Well, it’s worth taking a break from politics and moving on to an equally pressing problem. The environment is now in an extremely deplorable situation. And the blame, again, lies with the people. Numerous deforestation, construction of factories that emit harmful substances into the atmosphere, water pollution... The list of problems can be endless. And, given the enormity of what is happening, what will our planet be like in 10 years?

The forecasts are disappointing. In the coming years, the situation can still be kept under control. In 10 years, more than half of the countries will experience water shortages that are more than serious. And in 25 years, the entire Middle East will face a global crisis. It will be so large-scale that the phrase “catastrophic thirst” is more suitable.

Not long ago, the UN said that by 2030, humanity's need for drinking liquid will exceed existing supplies by 40%. The main reasons lie in the intensive growth of the population (what demographic problems are we talking about?) and the decrease in underground resources.

About natural phenomena

A group of scientists from the UK, conducting research under the leadership of Andy Challinor, also made disappointing conclusions regarding ecology. The Earth in 10 years, in their opinion, may face global warming. And the process will begin in Africa. A rapid deterioration in fertility indicators is coming. For a country like Africa, this phrase is not just a bad forecast. This is a sentence that threatens hunger.

Sharp climatic changes instantly affect the harvest. According to scientists, corn will be the first to suffer. And this will happen in the near future - in 2 years. Then the problem will affect other varieties of cereals. Scientists propose to start creating new types of nutritious plants. But this is, to put it mildly, a slow process. But global warming is just around the corner. But, fortunately, this is just an assumption, albeit one that has some basis.

Deforestation

This global problem also needs to be mentioned. No one would be wrong if they call it the largest. Above is an image showing two photographs of the Earth taken by NASA from space. And it’s visually noticeable how bad things are now.

The world will look even worse in 10 years. Over the past 8,000 years (also a short period, by the standards of the Universe), half of the forests that existed on the planet were destroyed! Those that remain are 22% natural ecological systems. All others have been changed. By whom? Naturally, a person.

Society must understand: the process of destroying trees is the most pressing problem today. After all, deforestation affects the climatic, social, economic and environmental characteristics of life. Biodiversity is disappearing, river water content is decreasing (a reference to the above-mentioned problem), and the greenhouse effect is increasing. Humanity uses wood resources irrationally. And in 10 years a real environmental disaster could happen.

Medicine

Well, it doesn't hurt to talk about the good stuff. About medicine, for example. Man has come a long way in this area. In 10 years, clinical practice will change as doctors become much more proficient in technology to help transform their own biology to protect against aging and disease.

In addition, the method of producing induced stem cells is now being improved. And some are even confident that in the near future people will be treated based on their genome. That is, when a person submits his DNA for analysis, he will receive individual treatment, which involves taking into account all his specific characteristics. And these prospects are encouraging.

Energy revolution

Raymond Kurzweil, a famous American inventor and futurist, is confident that in 10-15 years, all the needs of humanity will be satisfied by solar energy. It has already been proven that every 2 years the total number of watts generated by solar panels increases. And if humanity can use at least part of solar energy, then everything will work out.

This success will lead to a food revolution. When energy in our world is cheap, the process of desalination and water purification will accelerate. And it won't be as expensive as before. This will gradually solve the problem of drinking water throughout the world.

And, of course, such success will be reflected in the development of agriculture. Futurologists are confident that soon fruits and vegetables will be grown by artificial intelligence, and in a hydroponic way. Moreover, Kurzweil believes that meat will literally be “grown in vitro.” This is, of course, a long way off, but I would like to believe in such prospects.

Technique

The last thing I would like to talk about is computers. In 10 years they will become tens of thousands of times more powerful. This can be stated with confidence. Just remember what computers were like 10 years ago! What about laptops? To date, the thinnest model is the HP Specter, 10.3 mm thick. And computer monitors 10 years ago were 30 times thicker (and this is not a figurative value).

What can we say about phones! Almost every month some new product is released, shocking with its abundance of functions, incredible photo quality and the presence of artificial intelligence (assistant). So, perhaps, the field of technology is the most difficult in terms of forecasting for the distant future. By the standards of the Universe, 10 years is a moment. And on the scale of technology - an eternity.