2011年6月13日
The Future
I heard an interview the other day on BBC radio with a man who is a "futurologist," or someone whose job it is to make predictions about the future. Of course, this does not just mean making guesses. Futurologists have to understand what scientists are currently able to do as well as what they are trying to do.
One of the main themes of the futurologist's interview was that we are now moving into a "post-PC" world. ("Post" means "after.") The idea of a "post-PC world" is that people no longer have computers; instead, we have a range of different devices that we use to access our data, which is stored somewhere else. This is called "cloud computing," because our data is said to be stored "in the cloud" (i.e., the Internet.)
Apple recently announced a new system called iCloud, which will be released later this year. Everything you do on any Apple device, be it an iPhone, an iPad, an iPod touch, or a Mac computer, will be sent to the cloud (= Apple's central servers), and then sent back down to all your other devices. In other words, if you take a picture on your iPhone while you are having a day out with your family, it will already be stored on your iPad and iMac when you get home. If you start reading an article on the web in the morning on your computer, you can just pick up your iPhone and continue reading it from the same point on the train on your way to work.
Google is going even further with "cloud computing," and they are starting to produce computers that don't really do anything or store any data. All these computers do is allow you to access the Internet, which is where all the real data and computing power is stored.
The futurologist said that the next step after getting rid of computers is to get rid of the monitors. Apparently, scientists are now developing contact lenses that will display all the information directly into your eyes. Using these, we would be able to access the Internet at any time and in any place, even if our eyes are closed. It's a bit scary, isn't it! (I wonder how that would affect university entrance examinations!)
Another thing the futurologist talked about was fabrics that can be programmed to give off different smells. For example, you could have a pillow case that smelled of roses when you went to sleep, but then changed to smell like the sea when you woke up.
When I heard this interview, it started me thinking about how the world will be in twenty years. One thing I am sure about is that gasoline cars will have disappeared. I also think that email will have disappeared. Actually, that is already starting to happen as more and more people use Skype messages, Facebook, and Twitter to stay in touch.
Anyway, my questions this week are quite simple:
1) What do you think our world will look like twenty years from now?
2) How will new technology be affecting our lives?
Look forward to hearing your ideas.
(PS Even if you are not interested in technology, this topic will give you a lot of practice of using future tenses, so please give it a go.)
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Comments
Hi Fumie, Anne, trmr, and tsuneko,
Thank you for your messages:)
- Tomo
- 2011年6月13日 21:56
Hi David,
Thanks for sharing an interesting story with us. Your story reminds me of an animation called “Ghost in the shell,” Have you heard of it? This animation made an impression on some filmmakers, like Wachowski brothers. I think you can find some similar scenes in “The Matrix.” Anyway, the story set in the near future(I am not sure though.) I would be surprised if the world was like that.
Oh, it's almost 1 in the morning, so I will answer your questions later on.
I am off to bed. Good night and sweet dreams.
amo
- amo
- 2011年6月14日 00:50
Well, If I put on and am wearing those contact lenses all day long, my eyes will definitely get exhausted. As for the fabrics, I'd like to have a pillow case that smelled of peppermint when I woke up, and then changed to smell of lavender when I went to sleep. That will be nice to make me healthy.
- tsuneko
- 2011年6月14日 13:55
Hi David and everyone
I write my opinion after a long time.1) What do you think our world will look like twenty years from now?
I am not sure ,but our world might be advancing for
the one where people will be able to communicate without touching devices through using the functions of our brains.2) How will new technology be affecting our lives? If anything,I like technology,so I will welcome the advancement of technology,while I am worrying about the problems of the bad effects on our health by the radio waves.
- Yoo
- 2011年6月14日 18:37
Hi David and everyone
Here are my opinions.
1) A futurist talk reminds me "Ghost in the shell", too. I agree with a futurist. The network will be more important and we will not need PC. We can do anything at anywhere with very tiny device. You don't need desktop PC if you only do net-surfing, listening to music or watching movie already. You can do it with a device like iPad or Android tablet. (They are called slate PC). Twenty years is long enough that something we never imagined will appears.
By the way, ancient people left stone monument or wood strip that are unbreakable and readable. We can know their lives from these things. We will left CDs or HDDs to the future. How do people in the future know about us?
2) The new technology effect something to our lives. It doesn't always bring us good thing. For instance, the nuclear electric plants in Fukushima. I think there is the only way to solve such situation, it's innovation. I believe another new technology will help us (and another new problems will come up maybe.)
On a unrelated subject, I read an article that says it was officially approved that Snoopy's birthday is August 10 few weeks ago. I was surprised that Snoopy's birthday was undefined until recently and it was same as my birthday!
(source: ttp://www.scp.co.jp/biz/release/20110602_01.pdf). Please add 'h' in front.
Good night.
trmr
- trmr
- 2011年6月15日 01:08
Hi David and everyone,
Hmm, this topic is tough one for me. I can't even keep up with current technology. How can I picture what our life would be in 20 years?
Just imagining I will be ?years old in 20 years gives me a chill. Anyway I give it a go.
I think most of the things would be done in electronically or digitally. So papers wouldn't be used as much as we use them now. Books might be almost obsolete. David, you might think about switching to electronical books. Students might not use textbooks or notebooks anymore, they might study via (computers), the futurologist predict pc wouldn't be used any more so maybe via another devices.
We could travel faster, I heard maglev train will be operate in several years.
Some people might live in another planet.
Although there are always people who can't keep up with technology like me, so we might hire personal robots who could help us with technical stuff.
Hi trmr,
Oh, your birthday is as same as Snoopy's.
Yep. I go to bed early and wake up early. I spend quite a healthy life.
Fumie
- Fumie
- 2011年6月15日 07:08
Hi David and everyone
Recently I saw the new word “cloud service” when I read some articles and I just want to search what it means. Your explanation on Cloud is very helpful, thank you.
Speaking of Apple, the company is really in the front of IT business. Last week I bought a new compact sound system and when I went to Yodobashi Camera’s audio corner for choosing my favorite, I found most of sound system devices there have a connector for using iPod, iPod only, other makers’ MP3 goods are not available.
Let me answer your questions.
1)I don’t know it’s true or not, I ever read an article that said Bill Gates’s house is full of high technologies beyond people’s imagination and many of facilities in his house are remotely controllable. I think in 20 years from now, such remote controlling system will become quite common. For example, through remote controller, we can cook a meal before we get home, or run hot water in bath, wash cloths, vacuum carpet, and so on, just by pressing controller’s buttons from outside
our house.
2)Maybe my answer is straying from your question, along with technology’s rapid expansion, there seem to be a growing number of people who become yearning quiet and simple life and try to use modern facilities as llittle as they can. In the future, people maybe split into pro and con camps on technology more sharply than now.
Susan
- 匿名
- 2011年6月15日 14:47
Hi David and everyone,
To David,
Thanx for your feedback’s feedback :)
I always read your topics with interest :)
Hi amo, Anne,
I was back from Sendai yesterday. We fed up with driving for long hours, but fed ourselves delicious meals like Oyster, made us happy :)
Thanx for your concern :)
Okay, here are my answers;
1) What do you think our world will look like twenty years from now?
“Everywhere door “must be appeared with sensation!
We could go anywhere as through a special door whenever you want.
Air plane, bullet train anything like that might be history…
2) How will new technology be affecting our lives?
We could get long lives with new technology.
We will have a lot less dangers as technology developed. We will be able to do anything at your home instantly, able to go everywhere with “ Everywhere door”.
You can experience anything at your home.
However, technology will take our human skill away dramatically.
I like a bit old fashioned life.
Yes I am a dinosaur.
noriko
- noriko
- 2011年6月15日 16:39
Hi David and everyone,
Thanks to the advancement of the technology, you can do what you have never imagined and couldn't do twenty years ago.
I read an article about iCloud, and I’m amazed at this new digital service, but I’m wondering what the future of Apple will look like in twenty years from now.
I don't think I'm able to make good use of iCloud service, and it sounds impossible to me to keep up with these new things.
Here are my thoughts about this week's questions:
1) What do you think our world will look like twenty years from now?
I saw a TV program featuring therapeutic robot Paro this morning.
In the program, it said, “Paro has been used to comfort elderly in the devastated Tohoku areas.”
Not only the therapeutic robots but also robots in general have been used to comfort people, and to care for elderly or patients these days, and robots will play an important role more than they do now.
This reminds me of a movie called “AI (Artificial Intelligent).” In the movie, after human population reduced because of the global warming, advanced humanoids that resemble human beings appear. When I saw this, the story sounded unrealistic to me, however, these things could happen even if the situation in the movie is a bit extreme.
As David showed us the story of contact lenses, computer devices will become of your part of your body not being held in your hand. It sounds like being put bar code into our eyes and is scary! I also think electric gadgets and devices will become smaller and thinner. We don't need to have cell phone in our hands any more. As Susan mentioned, a lot more people will use remote control system in their everyday life.
2) How will new technology be affecting our lives?
Our everyday life will become convenient, but not everyone can keep up with these new things, and not everyone can afford to use these devices. This will cause a disparity between people who use these new things and people who don't use them in various aspects. I wonder if the world surrounded with these high-Tech devices is happy or not.
Hi trmr,
Yes, I'm an early bird.
Your birthday is same as Snoopy's!? Are you happy with that? I have a look at the site you told us. Thanks for letting us know about it.
Hi noriko,
You seem to have enjoyed local cuisine. Lucky you!
Bye for now,
Anne
- Anne
- 2011年6月15日 22:55
Hi David and everyone,
How was your day? I had a tough day. You know, there are some people who know how to push someone’s buttons, and one of my staff is one of those people. Rest of my staff are sometimes irritated by her words and behaviours. Anyway, I am a bit tired today:(
Anyway, here are my answers for your questions.
1) I think nobody will go to office, because you can work at home(this is my wish, because I really don’t like crowded trains.) Cash will be disappeared.
2) People won’t die easily. Let’s say, you lost your arm by car accident, but you could get a bionic arm.
I don’t think the world will be like the one which was described in the movie I mentioned before. But eventually, the world will be like that.
Hi trmr,
I have been thinking about your question since I read your comment. When I read your sentence and David’s correction, I just thought it’s because you are talking generally. Your question made me think again, but I couldn’t think of any good explanation.
So David, could you help us?
Here is trmr’s question for you.
I have a question about "crowded trains". We use a word "train" in singular like "take a train." This is why I only take one train car at the same time. I thought it was in singular in "crowded trains" for the same reason. What is the situation that we use "train" in singular or plural? I have some questions related to this, but I am so sleepy that I can’t write anymore. I will ask you maybe tomorrow.
Speak to you soon,
P.S. Hi noriko, happy for you:)
- 匿名
- 2011年6月16日 00:47
it's me amo!!
the comment with no name is mine.
- amo
- 2011年6月16日 00:50
Hi amo, trmr, David and everyone,
Please allow me to join in. I'm an early bird today, so I also think of it. Like amo thought, I think it is because of general speaking.
The train was crowded. （その電車は混んでいた）
The 7:45 train were crowded. （７：４５の電車は混んでいた）
Trains in Japan are always crowded at peak times. （ピーク時には日本の電車はいつも混んでいる）
David, please add an adequete explanation for that.
- tsuneko
- 2011年6月16日 05:41
Sorry, the second sentence should've been, "----was----." Thank you.
Here's another example.
I missed my train this morning. (今朝、電車に乗りそこなった。）（my trainはいつも私が乗っている電車みたいに考えたらいいのでしょうか？）
By the way, I recognized that early birds can do lots of things. I'm always a night owl, but I've been wanting to be an early bird like Anne and Fumie. I tried to change myself many times but ended up failing. Even so, I'd like to try one more times.
Have fabulous days, eveyone! (Umm, as David suggested us, "fabuous" sounds nice!)
- tsuneko
- 2011年6月16日 07:15
Hi David and everyone,
Futurologists is new to me.
I've heard that all things that a human can think is possible.
Come to think of it, when I was young, I couldn't think about a human robots. but after that, we can see the human robots.
As you may know, Ashimo.That is amazing.
I'm not sure if this theory is true or not. but at least, we can see the human robots now.
If nobody had though about a human robots, we couldn't have seen them.
Things that a human thinks are important.
In a way Futurologists is very important for our future.
1) What do you think our world will look like twenty years from now?
I know it will change but I can't guess how it will change.
I hope all things will change useful.
2) How will new technology be affecting our lives?
I can’t even come up with current digital T.V or microwave, let alone new technology.
Kazu
- Kazu
- 2011年6月16日 07:55
Correction
Push someone's buttons>
push other people's buttons
tsuneko, thanks for joining us. I am on the way to work, so I will read your comment carefully later.
amo
- amo
- 2011年6月16日 08:13
Correction
Push someone's buttons>
push other people's buttons
tsuneko, thanks for joining us. I am on the way to work, so I will read your comment carefully later.
amo
- amo
- 2011年6月16日 08:14
Hi David and everyone,
I’m a person who is always behind technology and lack of imagination, but I learned many new words from this entry, such as “futurologist”, ”post-PC”, “cloud computing”, “iCloud” and so on, it will be really cool if I can use some of them in a conversation some day, I guess.
I enjoyed reading everyone’s comment, I’m so astonished that all of you have such a rich imagination! I’m a lazy person, so the remote controller that Susan mentioned to help us with any housework made me look forward to the future; Noriko’s “everywhere door” also sounds great, I can’t wait to get one! And kazu, “all things that a human can think is possible”, you are absolutely right!
1) What do you think our world will look like twenty years from now?
My idea is similar with amo’s, I hope the cloud computing system would have developed a lot, so that our working style would be totally changed, most people wouldn’t need to go to their offices, and there are no crowded trains in the morning.
2) How will new technology be affecting our lives?
I’ve seen many SF movies till now, but I hardly remember any of the details. Recently I watched a movie called “Mr. Nobody”, which is set in 2092, where people can live forever and nobody will die. The movie itself is not about the theme though. I don’t think we can control our lives in 20 years, but I’m sure we will be able to live longer and healthier than we do now. Our lives will be more convenient with the help of robots, as many members mentioned.
Hi trmr,
Snoopy has the same birthday as you? You must be excited!
I just noticed that Snoopy is much older than you.
Hi Tomo,
I hope everything will be back to normal soon.
- Ling
- 2011年6月16日 16:59
Hi everyone,
As some of you suggested, we say "crowded trains" because we are talking generally. Also we always use the plural when talking about general likes and dislikes (I love dogs, I hate cats, etc.).
- David
- 2011年6月16日 17:29
Hi,all.
I also get to know the futurologist.
1) What do you think our world will look like twenty years from now?
In additon to what you said, in the furure, it is said that informations preserve on the Internet instead of using computer.However,there is one problem with that.The speed of Internet is really slow.If this problem be solved,we don't care about the capacity of the hard-disk.
2) How will new technology be affecting our lives?
It is clear that the result of advanced tecnology can live more convenient our life than todays.While,such as the postoffice industry may have a bad impact on because of this changes,however,it is true that this industry is in demand.So,these classic servise will survive.
もっとスマートな言い方を教えてください:(
- 匿名
- 2011年6月16日 18:11
I forgot put on my name.
>2011年06月16日 18:11
This comment is mine
- Rin
- 2011年6月16日 18:13
Hi, David,
Your story sounds like a film! There will be "transformers" someday not so far future.
Here are my thoughts;
1)I think there will be two kinds of people: those who will be willing to use these updated computers and devices and completely will shift themselves into the new world, and those who will be hoping to live their life in classic ways or just won't able to keep up these things. I feel kind of fear if these new technology will control and overwhelm us. It will be beyond our understanding I suppose.
2)Many people have already started shopping on the Internet but there will be more and more people who will use it and there will be a new simple device that will allow the elderly to access the Internet. So I think few people will use cash for shopping. I like go shopping and just walk around and stroll seeing new clothes or something so it will be a shame if Internet shops will take the place extensively.
See you soon,
momo
- momo
- 2011年6月16日 21:46
Hi Ling,
I was glad you to pick up my idea" everywhere door" on your comment :)
Let me add one thing,I hate to tell you but,"everywhere door " was not my original ...
I came up with this by "Doraemon" the famous animation.
I grew up with this animation,and "dokodemo door/everywhere door" was the most favourite.
Yes,as you and other members mentioned,we will not be able to control our lives in 20 years from now even if technology spreaded around the world,I think.
If we could do,the tower of Babel would toppled down again!
noriko
- noriko
- 2011年6月16日 22:54
Hi Ling,
I've just heard that, it's not my idea,though.
Anyway, thank you for your comment and maybe this is first time to talk with you.
Let me say this, Nice to meet you. ;->
Kazu
- Kazu
- 2011年6月16日 23:28
I read a very interesting article about Google last night. Trmr might know about this, but I guess that a lot of people don't. Did you know that if you Google something at home and then I Google the same thing, we will get different results? This is because Google records all of your past Internet activity (pages you have visited, things you have bought, news stories you have read, etc.) and shows you the pages it thinks you are probably looking for. Of course, the reason they do this is that they can sell all the information they have on us to advertisers so that they can "target" each of us only with adverts for the things we are most likely to buy. Apparently, Google has been doing this since 2009. Now that is scary!
- David
- 2011年6月17日 08:16
Hi Noriko,
Yes I know "Doraemon", he is famous in the world, you know. "Everywhere door” is the tool that I most wanted in his secret pocket.
Hi kazu,
Haven’t we ever talked before? If so, I’m sorry. I know you are one of the old members of the blog as I started to read this blog in 2009, you’ve been an old friend in my mind since then. But anyway, it’s nice to talk with you :-)
Hi David,
Thanks for the information, but it’s really scary!!
- Ling
- 2011年6月17日 11:27
Hi David and everyone,
Futurologist and cloud computing and everything! It's so amaging!
1)is... We could master how to use the energy of thunder and earthquake or something. We don't need to be scared them yet. They're large energy, and everything's getting developed, I think. And then as amo says, crowded trains and over-worked days would be like the last century,maybe!
2)is... We would be in the situation which looks like SF. You'd live with robots as members of your family, not just help us.
You'd travel in outer space,too. Really it's like movies!
Hi trmr,
I don't know Snooy's birthday and yours'! And my birthday's right before yours' for one month. I'm surprised at this,too.
Hi Tomo,
I can see that your situation turns better,too. Because I miss your comment is't at the top! See you!
- Chiki
- 2011年6月17日 13:35
Hi Ling and Chiki,
Thank you:) Have a lovely weekend!
- Tomo
- 2011年6月17日 20:04
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- 2011年11月16日 12:31
Hi David and everyone,
I didn't know that there was a word of "futurologist", but what you introduced sounds very interesting and thrilling. I'm afraid I don't have enough time fully to consider the topic this week. Let me simply answer your questions. (I'm not sure whether the position of "fully" and "simply" is correct or not.)
1) What do you think our world will look like twenty years from now?
I used to like watching an American animation titled "宇宙家族ロビンソン"(sorry, no time to check the name in English) when I was little. I think our world will look like that animation drama in twenty years.
2) How will new technology be affecting our lives?
New technology won't be affecting the lives of our generation so much, I guess. However, I worry a bit whether or not I will be able easily to communicate with young generations who will be raised and educated in totally different surroundings from ours.
p.s. Tomo, come back soon!