America 2048: huge changes predicted in next four decades

By Dick Pelletier

     What will life be like in 2048? Those who think about such things, futurists and other visionaries are working eagerly trying to figure it out. As we rush through this incredible 21st century, predictions of things to come speed at us, faster and faster.

     Hollywood portrays a fantastic future, mostly of worlds gone mad. Government studies and academic research make bland projections based on current trends. And naysayers predict a depressing future with increases in crime, violence and terrorism; high-tech surveillance systems invading more of our privacy; and tomorrow’s futuristic healthcare priced beyond the reach of most Americans.

     Certainly these problems could exist, but when we compare how far we have advanced from the past, we can envision a much brighter future. A time traveler from 1930 would be stunned by our 21st century technologies. TVs, PCs, cell phones, and the Internet did not exist in the 1930s; life expectancy was a scant 50 years, and jet travel had not been developed.

     But today, life expectancy has reached 80; and experts predict that biotech and nanotech advances in the 2010s and 2020s will eliminate most diseases; even aging. And nano-replicators expected by mid-2020s could supply food, clothing, medicine, and essentials at little or no cost.

     So let's begin this remarkable trip into the world of 2048 with a decade-by-decade glance at how some experts predict America’s future will evolve.

2010s – NIH officials believe that the nation’s healthcare approach will move from reactive to proactive. The Federal Initiative for Regenerative Medicine promises affordable replacement tissues and organs "on demand" for every American by 2020. Experts predict that deaths from heart disease, cancer, and other sicknesses will greatly diminish during this decade.

2020s – By late 2020s, medical nanobots will roam through veins zapping disease before it causes harm, and in-home nano-replicators will create food, clothing, and essentials at reduced costs.

2030s – All deaths from sickness and disease will be eliminated, leaving only accidents, crime, suicide, and wars to bring us to the "grim reaper." By mid-2030s, advanced robots will outthink humans. These silicon marvels will possess reasoning and logic similar to ours, but can share knowledge millions of times faster than we can with our slow human language.

2040s – We will benefit greatly by interfacing with our silicon cousin’s powerful brains. And it will quickly become apparent that non-biological bodies offer a more secure and rewarding life. Experts ask, "Why fix biological bodies that suffer environmental damage when we can place the same atoms that make up human cells into "invincible" silicon cells that never need repair?"

2048 – With non-biological bodies built to resemble our human body, Americans do not feel they are living in a machine; they feel human, and enjoy peace-of-mind knowing that their body will automatically be reassembled should disaster strike. Concerns over aging and death will disappear, allowing people to enjoy activities like Star Trek-like Holodecks; visits to Mars, moon colonies, and space hotels; "thought talking" with friends; and being pampered by household androids.

     Positive futurists believe that all of these events can happen on the schedule mentioned in this article as we embark on what promises to be an amazing "magical future."
 

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.