

THE WORLD IN 2025 [pdf] - l33tbro
http://sciencewatch.com/sites/sw/files/m/pdf/World-2025.pdf

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madaxe_again
What a delightful selection of pipe-dreams. All the things described within
are possible, but for this to all happen in eleven years, we would require a
complete change of our systems of governance and economy, now - as neither of
those are set up to engender any of the included.

Dementia declines - no. Treating it is far too profitable.

Solar energy - ahahaha. In 2025, it'll still be Oil, Coal, Gas. Maybe Oil,
Gas, Coal. Solar will languish in 7th or so, even though the technology will
be more than viable.

Type 1 diabetes is preventable - except it won't be - because treatment is
profitable.

Food shortages - yeah, no. Climate change will nix any benefit from
technological improvement, and then some.

Electric air transportation - regulation will get in the way of this one, and
we'll still be burning kerosene by the barrel to get from A to B.

Digital everything, everywhere - can't argue - although carbon nanocomposites
will still be in the lab in 11 years time.

Petroleum-based packaging is history - nope. Why would the petrochemical
industry give up a profitable product line? The only impetus to change would
be a result of rising petrochemical prices - and all that'll happen is
consumers will end up paying more for packaging, as goods decrease in cost due
to the prevalence of slave labour and machine labour in the manufacturing
sector, and the net-net doesn't vary.

Cancer treatments - for the very wealthy, yes. For the rest of us, same old,
same old, pump you full of poison.

DNA mapping at birth - this one will happen. Not to manage disease risk, but
to ensure that you are tracked for the rest of your life, and that your
insurance premiums are appropriately higher depending on your luck in the
genetic lottery. Hell, never mind insurance premiums, what jobs you can do,
who you can have kids with, where you can live.

Teleportation - don't make me laugh. Sending the state of a particle from A to
B isn't teleportation, except in a strict information-theory based view of the
universe.

In a nutshell, we're doomed. DOOMED I TELL YOU!

~~~
D-Coder
"Dementia declines - no. Treating it is far too profitable."

Yeah, just like polio. And typhoid. And smallpox. And... I've made my point.

~~~
madaxe_again
None of those were profitable to treat, as they're infectious, contagious
diseases which kill their victims and ultimately harm economies.

Dementia, on the other hand, is a disease of those who are past their
productive lifetime as far as economic fitness goes (not being cruel here,
just stating the fact from the perspective of those who view us as livestock),
yet it does not kill the victim, and instead mandates care, therapy, drugs,
and all the rest, over a period of years.

It is therefore highly profitable, causes a net generation of employment, and
is not at all like polio, or typhoid, or smallpox.

~~~
RabidSquirrel
>past their productive lifetime as far as economic fitness goes

One could argue that a cure for dementia would extend the productive lifetime
of workers.

~~~
wlievens
The vast majority of patients get it well past retirement age.

------
chton
If this was called "The world in 2075", it would have been more favourably
received, I bet. Most of the things they describe are almost impossible to
achieve in 10 years either because of economy or bureaucracy. Wishful thinking
at best.

------
autokad
I'm not as cynical as madaxe, but i do believe the chances of any of those
(except baby dna testing) are not likely to happen in just 11 years. Its just
11 years, think back to the 11 years prior to now, I dont feel like much major
has changed since 2003.

i think the causes of Alzheimers will be more well known, but it will be more
prevalent than it is today.

~~~
madaxe_again
A lot has changed in the last 11 years, but... plus ca change plus c'est la
meme chose.

------
avz
"Kinematics is a form of classic mechanics that studies the motion of points,
objects and groups of objects regardless of the impetus for motion."

Yes. But this means studying movement under the assumption that F=0. It has
nothing to do with teleportation.

------
rrmm
This is an advert for Thompson Reuters' services. The copy borders on
gobbldygook.

------
viame
Genetic crop modification will kill us all. We will never make it to 2025.

~~~
maaku
You realize that every single food you eat was genetically engineered by
humans?

~~~
viame
Sure?! Anyways, I eat non GMO food from my own suppliers. I do not shop where
99.9% of population shops. Cheers!

~~~
maaku
There is no such thing as non-GMO food, is my point.

