On any given day, this topic won’t be as significant as today. With six 1s that represent a date that happens once every century, it’s quite amazing that Veteran’s Day happens to land on 11-11-11. But more importantly what does this mean? This means it’s been over a decade since the Y2K concern, and all of us seem to be doing all right. This means that despite the fact that people are hurting with incomes are declining, job loss, poverty and inequality rising, we’re still hanging on. This means that despite the fact that mortgage foreclosures and credit card debt increasing and a spike in cost of utility, food, and gasoline prices, we manage to struggle day by day.
So the question is… what will the future bring? What’s the outlook like? Will the weather forecast be bright or gloomy? What are some of the next few obstacles people and industry will face? All very tough questions to answer.
In terms of science and healthcare, there may be some very drastic changes. It’s not only about policies and insurances that govern healthcare, but the entire field as a whole. With new supercomputers, robotics, and telecommunication devices, we’re starting to see human and machines merging.
In the field of computers, there’s a plateau in performance. Despite the fact that the processors are getting more complex, the problem of heat dissipation and processor architecture are still limiting obstacles. Moreover, the main bottleneck in my opinion, is the chipset. Processors, memory, hard drives, and graphic cards are getting faster and faster, but the chipset technology has not changed drastically enough to keep up with speed that other components deliver.
In technology, the future will most likely bring us a new trend in the way we interface with our digital devices. Apple devices and their iCloud is such an example. However, the direction things seem to be heading toward is simplification. We need to be able to access a lot of data and information very quickly, therefore, our operating systems will change in order to update us on weather, emails, calendars, pictures, music, etc.. at a quick glance. A system will also develop in order to integrate all these devices so that data content will be more centralized.
The Internet will also change. Network speeds are getting faster and faster, because the volume of data we’re transferring is increasing. Instead of regular media with moderate file sizes, consumers want high definition media, which requires faster speeds to handle larger file sizes. As more and more devices are moving toward 3G or satellite communications, people will want the convenience to access the Internet anywhere and everywhere at anytime.
The energy crisis is starting to change with the develop of hybrid cars and solar panels. However, it won’t stop there. Companies are developing ways to harness wasted energy so that we can recycle that energy to operate basic machinery. The problem hurdle is that nuclear power plants are still more efficient in per square mile to power output than any other natural source such as sunlight, wind, or water current. This energy revolution will change the way we approach conservation of power and energy in order to maximize retention of resources.
Transportation and cargo shipping will be redesigned as well. The methods used now are decades old, and with the advent of computer technology, automated systems can now be integrate to manage containers that come off ships and boats that the ports. Furthermore, transportation for humans will require a shift because with an increasing population, the roads are crowded. High speed bullet trains and other modes of public transportation will be developed in order to create quick and affordable travel, while saving the environment by lowering emission byproducts.
Finally, there needs to be a change in market globalization. Despite the fact that it’s growing, there needs to be a standard in regulation so that there is consistency in policies and regulations. At the moment, there are still too many factors that have not been resolved, therefore leaving loopholes in that system which people are exploiting.
As we can see, there are quite a bit of challenges that lie ahead of us, and some of these problems and its developments can be more complex than we can imagine. The future of children growing in a world of iPhones and iPads, Blu-Ray, HDTVs, and electric hybrid cars, who knows what the next generation will bring.
New Meridian 