Now it's been ten thousand years,

In My Humble Opinion
1

Man has cried a billion tears.

But what else have we done? I realize the time scale is along the lines of asking Mr. Cro Magnon to envision the internet and large hadron collisions, but let’s give it a go.

I’ll grab some of the low hanging fruit since I’m starting this. The genomes of just about everything has been completely mapped and decoded so all genetic defects have gone the way of polio.

By the same token, all soft tissues are subject to OTC modifications. Changing your hair color and skin tone is simple as drinking a glass of water. Including colors and hues that aren’t normally found in humans.

Technological telepathy is commonplace as cell phones.

I’m pretty sure the AD dating system will have been replaced at least twice.

Room temperature superconductors have long since revolutionized communications, transportation, and energy production.

And we’re still waiting on flying cars.

2

Teleportation has been effectively solved, with the exception of the occasional messy accidents.

Transportation in private vehicles is completely automated. Accidents are not only rare, they’re non-existent.

Nobody can sit or lie down, as world population now dictates that you must kill at least four people to accomplish either of those feats.

3

According to Back to the Future MMMMDXL, they should be here in 20 years.

4

We’ll all have gone post-physical by that time, and left this universe for more interesting places.

It’ll be known as the Zager-Evans transformation. It’ll be a real wonder, but only once.

5

Duke Nukem Forever will have been released two years ago.

6

And Rush will still not be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

7

Predict what human life will be like 10,000 years from now? Impossible

Given the pace of technological change, I predict that within a few centuries genetic engineering and artificial intelligence will so utterly change what “human” is that we can’t even begin to comprehend what life will be like.

8

Plastics.

9

The City of Toronto will finally have finished the studies and found the funding to build more subways. Construction will be more interesting than originally anticipated, because of the volcanoes that appeared around the city after the sea levels rose and transformed Lake Ontario into an arm of the Atlantic.

10

I don’t think we’ll be around in 10,000 years. There are too many lunatics around, and too many destructive toys for them to play with.

11

On the subject of Zager and Evans. . . a neat video that someone put together for the song.

12

Advil gelcaps? Gimmee a break…

13

Some other great ones by Z&E:

Mr. Turnkey/Cary Lynn Javes

Fred (“when he reached the age of 10, he stole the neighbor’s guinea hen/wrapped its beak in masking tape, it starved to death in 13 days”)

14

Why not both? I think it’ll be here way sooner than 10,000 years.

15

Should have taken the red pill…

16

I think the overall rate of scientific and technological progress will slow over time, not increase, due to physical limits, costs and limited human understanding. I’m not a believer in the technological singularity.

Something that will make a huge difference to our future is whether we will be energy-rich or energy-poor. If fusion power isn’t viable, we will almost certainly have a smaller energy budget to work with.

17

About that…

18

Civilization will have fallen, and we will have reverted to the Cro-Magnon life of hunting and gathering. “Mmm, Zog, no kill 5 legged, glow in dark buffalo. Bad juju!”

19

I’m pretty sure we won’t be around in 1,000 years, for the same reason. Even getting through the next 100 might prove a challenge, at least for civilisation as we currently know it.

20

And the Cubs are still waiting for a trip to the World Series.