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LONDON (Reuters) -
Whatever happened to the robot maid
promised way back in the 1960s when cartoons like "The Jetsons"
gave us a vision of life in the 21st century?
Or those amazing virtual reality holidays that would whisk
armchair travelers on a five-star tour to Mars or Venus from
the comfort of the sitting room?
Real life in the 21st century may not be as far out and
groovy as old science fiction shows imagined, but one of
Britain's top futurologists promises interesting changes on our near horizon.
Cyberbabes and Orgasmatrons will be among the hottest items
of the next 10 years, if Ian Pearson's predictions come true.
"We will have more variety of entertainment, better health,
greater wealth and probably better social well-being," Pearson
said.
"But what must be remembered by anyone preparing for the
future is that technology change isn't very important in
itself. What matters is what this change enables or destroys."
Pearson, who works for BT Group's BTexact Technologies, has
just published a "timeline" of 500 predictions for the next 30 years. It is both an exciting and disturbing vision of the
future.
The 20st century did not produce the kind of exciting
"space age" gadgets that people had predicted, Pearson said.
But that's set to change as the speed of technological
development grows ever faster and more emphasis is put on
leisure and lifestyle.
REAL-LIFE ORGASMATRON
By 2012 the Orgasmatron -- the artificial sexual pleasure
device dreamed up for Woody Allen's film "Sleeper" -- will
become a reality, Pearson said.
Within four years, toys will be emotionally interactive,
responsive to the feelings of the children playing with them.
If emotional toys seem a bit scary, video tattoos --
featuring moving images implanted under the skin -- will soon
give parents something worse to fret about.
Also by 2006, scenes from blockbuster dinosaur film
"Jurassic Park" could take a step closer to reality when the
first extinct organism is brought back to life, he predicts.
Although seeing into the future is never going to be an
exact science, Pearson has had an 85 percent success rate since
producing his first timeline in 1991.
His accurate predictions include the launch of robotic pets
and the development of driverless public transport, currently
being tested in Wales.
Though trips to Mars are still decades away, the first
space tourism operation could be launched this year, Pearson
predicts.
By 2015 a space hotel, built using recycled Space Shuttle
fuel tanks, is feasible, he said. Near Earth space tours will
be add to holiday choices for the adventurous.
By 2030, deep hibernation technology -- which would allow
humans to hibernate for days, months or even years -- could
make regular manned missions to Mars possible.
That same year, it will be possible to fully link computers
to the human brain using nano-technology, or engineering at the molecular or atomic level. The ability to "back up" our brains will mean never forgetting anything ever again and being able to think and react at "turbo speed."
"Imagine the impact on the human experience if our brains
could work a million times faster," he said.
Robots, staple characters in old sci-fi and space shows,
will come into their own in the near future, Pearson said.
He predicts that humanoid robots will fill factory jobs by
2007. By 2015, robots will be able to take on almost any job in hospitals or homes.
Pearson's report says that by 2010, up to a quarter of
showbiz stars will be computer-generated cyberbabes --
including the world's highest-paid celebrity.
UNNERVING OPTIONS
Along with the fantastic, Pearson's timeline includes some
unnerving options for humankind.
Warfare will take on new dimensions with the development of
tiny insect-like robot soldiers and weapons which work by
causing natural disasters.
By 2025, there will be more robots than people in developed
countries. By 2030, robots will become mentally and physically
superior to people -- and perhaps unwilling to tolerate the
existence of their human creators.
"Each new technology brings many benefits but also has a
price. It is clear...that we are rapidly inventing new ways of destroying ourselves and that the risk to mankind is increasing exponentially," Pearson said.
He said while his timelines contain a fun element, they are
far from being pure fantasy. He bases them on information
sources including previous timelines, industry journals,
technology bulletins and seminars.
"I have a fun job -- basically living in the future,"
Pearson told Reuters.
"But I get very frustrated with today's technology, which I
have been looking forward to for 15 years. My expectations have moved on another 15 years now."
The full timeline can be viewed at
[
www.btexact.com]
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