Stranger than you dreampt it
Life is better than fiction sometimes -- so, so much better. This day has been nothing but one endless geekfest after another, starting with my Star Trek class where we did projections for the future in ten, a hundred, a thousand, and a million years. We each did the assignment before class and then cobbled together through spirited, pedantic debate a mutual timeline. I think we managed to cite nearly every famous work of literature in the genre, from the Time Machine to By the Waters of Babylon to 1984 to the Matrix to Foundation to 2001 to Ender's Game. It was awesome, seeing who could most subtly cite a work so that people would take a few moments to realize the connection. "Then, we will be succeeded by giant crabs . . ." Geek laughter -- none more inspiring. Here's my projection for a thousand years, for anyone who's interested. I later added terraforming Mars and increased speed of transportation rather than simple space issues leading to the death of the nation-state, but we had a page limit so I couldn't cram more on.
Contrary to the belief of Malthus, I believe the human population will not continue to grow indefinitely, but, based on trends in Europe and developing countries, will eventually stabilize, possibly within a thousand years. In this projection, the financial constraints of raising children and an overall increase in education will lead to a trend where the number of children per fertile woman matches the replacement rate for the population. Whether or not this population will be sustainable based entirely on current world resources, however, is still a pertinent issue. The lifestyle currently lived by many in the U.S., for example, will not be sustainable on a global scale. In particular, energy consumption would outstrip the ability of science to provide. I project therefore that either more efficient methods of energy production will be found as an offshoot of demand or more energy-efficient products will be designed - most likely a combination of both.
Far more pressing a matter is the issue of food production for this population. At this time, the price of wheat is increasing due to demand despite the fact more wheat is being produced than ever. Genetic engineering may eventually lead to higher-yield crops, but even this may not prove enough to feed a global population with decreasing agricultural space. As a matter of necessity, therefore, I believe that in a thousand years meat consumption will have dropped dramatically as grazing land is freed up for more efficient staple crops. As an alternative or perhaps in addition, growing crops via hydroponics in orbiting satellites might also be attempted. Space travel will need to have improved enough such that the transport of the crops will not outweigh the profit garnered from them, but in a rotating space station with artificial gravity, such an enterprise could be reasonably attempted. Such sites could also cater to specialty rotating restaurant satellites. The remaining market for meat will be cornered by synthetic meat produced more cheaply in labs as the population gradually forgets the taste of actual meat, similar to how cheaper artificial flavors replaced the real ones in drinks.
Under increasingly crowded conditions, the nation-state in many instances will die out and several former countries will form larger republics, similar to how the various fiefs and kingdoms of the Middle Ages eventually morphed into our present-day countries. These boundaries may or may not be determined by continent. There will most likely not be a universal language such as Basic, though there will be significantly fewer languages than today and a universal auxiliary language will be in use for international communication and business. Public transportation will become the norm as space becomes more costly and private transportation impractical. Technology will be a significant part of daily life. Even the smallest child will own a computer as a matter of course, because they will be used innumerable times in a single day. To this end, computers will be smaller and less susceptible to damage, particularly the ones for young children. A single person will likely own three to four different types of computer based on their job and activity level. In this vein, exercise will be given a much greater emphasis in a thousand years, along with the maintenance of emotional health through social interaction so as to preclude the isolationism possible with technology.
The future a thousand years distant will not be simply one sprawling metropolis with not a tree in sight, however. Parks, for one, will be an essential part of city planning to ensure proper oxygen production and a viable site for exercise, particularly for physical therapy patients. Some regions of the earth will have been sectioned off to preserve biodiversity and produce additional oxygen. Despite this, a majority of species will have gone extinct due to the destruction of habitat. Animals will only exist in zoos, in carefully controlled preserves, and as domesticated house pets. Finally, as a reaction against the encroachment of urbanization and subsequent technology, some communities of the world will insist on turning their backs on progress and living a simple life “close to nature” - on the level of technology found in the late 20th century.
The geekfest continued later as, feeling more nostalgia in the absence of fanfiction, I looked up King's Quest online and I discovered a fan-made text-only version of KQ V. I can hardly believe the amount of effort that must have gone into this. It's incredible -- ridiculously fun -- and the terrible part is I can still picture all the graphics perfectly in my mind. Oh, my impressionable young childhood -- how kind you have been to me. The game is even possibly better with the absence of Cedric's voice. Oh, that whiny bird.
And the coolest thing to top them all, instantaneous freezing in Grand Central station. Apparently, the group is called Improv Everywhere. I want to start my own chapter. Who's with me?!
. . . well, I'm a show by myself anyway. Kampai!
Contrary to the belief of Malthus, I believe the human population will not continue to grow indefinitely, but, based on trends in Europe and developing countries, will eventually stabilize, possibly within a thousand years. In this projection, the financial constraints of raising children and an overall increase in education will lead to a trend where the number of children per fertile woman matches the replacement rate for the population. Whether or not this population will be sustainable based entirely on current world resources, however, is still a pertinent issue. The lifestyle currently lived by many in the U.S., for example, will not be sustainable on a global scale. In particular, energy consumption would outstrip the ability of science to provide. I project therefore that either more efficient methods of energy production will be found as an offshoot of demand or more energy-efficient products will be designed - most likely a combination of both.
Far more pressing a matter is the issue of food production for this population. At this time, the price of wheat is increasing due to demand despite the fact more wheat is being produced than ever. Genetic engineering may eventually lead to higher-yield crops, but even this may not prove enough to feed a global population with decreasing agricultural space. As a matter of necessity, therefore, I believe that in a thousand years meat consumption will have dropped dramatically as grazing land is freed up for more efficient staple crops. As an alternative or perhaps in addition, growing crops via hydroponics in orbiting satellites might also be attempted. Space travel will need to have improved enough such that the transport of the crops will not outweigh the profit garnered from them, but in a rotating space station with artificial gravity, such an enterprise could be reasonably attempted. Such sites could also cater to specialty rotating restaurant satellites. The remaining market for meat will be cornered by synthetic meat produced more cheaply in labs as the population gradually forgets the taste of actual meat, similar to how cheaper artificial flavors replaced the real ones in drinks.
Under increasingly crowded conditions, the nation-state in many instances will die out and several former countries will form larger republics, similar to how the various fiefs and kingdoms of the Middle Ages eventually morphed into our present-day countries. These boundaries may or may not be determined by continent. There will most likely not be a universal language such as Basic, though there will be significantly fewer languages than today and a universal auxiliary language will be in use for international communication and business. Public transportation will become the norm as space becomes more costly and private transportation impractical. Technology will be a significant part of daily life. Even the smallest child will own a computer as a matter of course, because they will be used innumerable times in a single day. To this end, computers will be smaller and less susceptible to damage, particularly the ones for young children. A single person will likely own three to four different types of computer based on their job and activity level. In this vein, exercise will be given a much greater emphasis in a thousand years, along with the maintenance of emotional health through social interaction so as to preclude the isolationism possible with technology.
The future a thousand years distant will not be simply one sprawling metropolis with not a tree in sight, however. Parks, for one, will be an essential part of city planning to ensure proper oxygen production and a viable site for exercise, particularly for physical therapy patients. Some regions of the earth will have been sectioned off to preserve biodiversity and produce additional oxygen. Despite this, a majority of species will have gone extinct due to the destruction of habitat. Animals will only exist in zoos, in carefully controlled preserves, and as domesticated house pets. Finally, as a reaction against the encroachment of urbanization and subsequent technology, some communities of the world will insist on turning their backs on progress and living a simple life “close to nature” - on the level of technology found in the late 20th century.
The geekfest continued later as, feeling more nostalgia in the absence of fanfiction, I looked up King's Quest online and I discovered a fan-made text-only version of KQ V. I can hardly believe the amount of effort that must have gone into this. It's incredible -- ridiculously fun -- and the terrible part is I can still picture all the graphics perfectly in my mind. Oh, my impressionable young childhood -- how kind you have been to me. The game is even possibly better with the absence of Cedric's voice. Oh, that whiny bird.
And the coolest thing to top them all, instantaneous freezing in Grand Central station. Apparently, the group is called Improv Everywhere. I want to start my own chapter. Who's with me?!
. . . well, I'm a show by myself anyway. Kampai!