How the world will change by 2045

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Technological innovations are often more interesting than science fiction. Although the time machine was never invented, we already have a prototype of the hoverboard, the infrastructure has changed markedly, and many things that we have now were only dreamed of before. Let's find out how, according to scientists, the world will change by 2045.

In 2045, the world we are used to today will be completely different. Predicting the future is almost impossible, but when it comes to scientific facts or technological advances, DARPA employees are the most suitable people to ask about it.

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is a well-known agency for advanced defense research and development in the United States. Founded in 1958, it has some of the biggest armaments-related discoveries under its belt. Many of the agency's developments subsequently spilled over into civilian industry. These are, for example, advanced robotics, a GPS navigation system and the Internet.

In general terms, the picture of the future is as follows: it is likely that thanks to robots and artificial intelligence, the industry will completely change, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) will appear not only in military aviation, but also in civil aviation, and self-driving cars (those without drivers) will make our the road to work is more bearable.

In addition to all this, the scientists at DARPA have a few more grandiose assumptions. They share their thoughts about what awaits our planet in 30 years in a video called Forward to the Future. Some excerpts from this video, as well as the video itself in English, are given below.

Dr. Justin Sanchez, a neuroscientist and one of the DARPA scientists, believes that in the future we will be able to control things simply by using the power of thought:

Imagine a world where you could mentally control everything that happens around you. Just imagine that you can control different appliances in your home or communicate with your friends and family, simply using brain impulses.

To date, DARPA already has some innovative developments that confirm the words of Sanchez. For example, brain implants that control hand prostheses. This study involved a man who had been paralyzed for over ten years. It was thanks to the futuristic prosthetic arm that he was able to "feel" the physical touch.

Stefanie Tompkins, geologist and head of one of the research units at DARPA, believes that in the future it will be possible to produce incredibly strong, but at the same time, very light things. For example, CFRP skyscrapers. This material is much more reliable than steel, very tough and durable, but has a much lower weight. This is direct evidence that things are getting much more complicated at the molecular level.

“I think in 2045 we will have a completely different relationship with machines,” says Pam Melroy, a space engineer and former astronaut at DARPA. She is sure that we will find a time when it will be enough just to verbally explain to the car what you want from it, or to press a single button, instead of using the keyboard or elementary voice recognition systems.

Today, in order to land an aircraft, the pilot will need to perform a certain sequence of actions: check the navigation systems, adjust the brake chokes, pull the handle to lower the landing gear, and so on. All of these steps must be completed in the correct order for a successful landing.

Instead, according to Melroy, in the near future, in order to land, it will be enough to say just two words: "Start landing", and the computer itself will consistently perform a series of necessary steps. And who knows, maybe then the pilot will not be needed at all.

Bold assumptions about the near future are put forward not only by the employees of the DARPA agency, but also by some other scientists. Ian Pearson has some interesting ideas. You might think that this is just another boring report in the style of "augmented reality and artificial intelligence will become an integral part of people's daily lives, flying cars will fill all the roads, and gadgets will be super-smart and ultra-thin." But no, everything is much more interesting.

What cities will look like in 2045

Below are seven of the most interesting speculations about the future of cities.

1. Buildings will be controlled by artificial intelligence ("Hello, building version of Siri!")

Residents will be able to "talk" with the building and formulate a request, for example, in order to change the temperature in the room.

2. The tallest buildings will function as mini-cities

With land prices as high as they are now, super-tall buildings will be transformed to function as mini-cities. That is, they will have floors intended for offices, apartments, recreation and entertainment.

3. Windows will be replaced by virtual reality screens

In the second part of Back to the Future, Marty's house was equipped with a virtual reality window that could show anything. Presumably, by 2045, buildings will have no windows, because they will be replaced with such screens. This will largely help to build economy-class housing very cheaply and quickly.

4. People will be able to spray special "solar" coatings

This is in many ways similar to the solar panels that exist today. But unlike them, a special material made of nanoparticles can be sprayed onto various surfaces. Such surfaces will be able to absorb and convert sunlight into energy.

5. Smart lighting will follow you

The light will accompany you as you move around the apartment. You can also adjust the amount of lighting that is sufficient for you. Some of these developments already exist. For example, a lamp that mimics the natural light of the sun to help improve the health of the user.

6. Builders will use exoskeletons to carry heavy loads without harm to health

Not only Robert Downey Jr., but also ordinary builders will be able to boast of the Iron Man suit. Thanks to such an exoskeleton, an ordinary person will be able to perform many actions that he usually cannot, for example, lift significant loads. In addition, it provides additional protection against damage.

7. Robots will work at hazardous facilities

There are suggestions that in the future robots will work alongside people on different projects. They will replace humans in places where the danger of an explosion or collapse is most likely.

What transport will be like in 2045

The transport industry, unlike all others, is developing relatively slowly. Without a doubt, trains and cars have changed significantly since their invention. But in reality, we still use old, albeit modified forms of transportation. However, we are likely to see more changes in transportation over the next 30 years than we have seen in the previous 100 years.

Some of the most daring assumptions are given below.

1. By 2050, hyperloops will become a common mode of transportation

In fact, it will be possible to move at a speed of more than 800 kilometers per hour.

2. Flying cars will appear in the coming years

A prototype of a flying car was already presented in 2014 during a festival in Vienna. It is difficult to name the exact date of the appearance of these cars, but it is possible to say that they already exist.

3. Super-tall buildings will serve as spaceports

By 2045, there may be buildings built with super-strong carbon-based materials. The height of the buildings will reach 30-40 kilometers. On these gigantic skyscrapers, it will be possible to build spaceports. Now equipping launch pads on the tops of high-rise buildings seems unlikely, but thanks to innovative materials, this could very well become a reality.

4. Airplanes will be deprived of windows to increase speed

The aircraft industry will continue to develop over the next 30 years. Everything will be done to make the planes fly faster. Avoiding windows will help increase speed. Augmented reality will allow you to completely replace them.

5. Supersonic aircraft will appear

The opportunity to fly in a supersonic plane will appear by 2040, however, it will only be available to very wealthy people. The US Patent Office has actually approved an Airbus project that can transport people from London to New York in just one hour.