What will the world be like in 2030 or 2050?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I often think about life in the future as a futuristic utopia like that of Star Trek or Back to the Future II, or other visions of the future. I would like to know what will be different in 2030 or 2050? How will we live? Will things be different or will they just look like today?

2

I think you’ll still be posting the same thing.

3

In 2030, someone doing a zoogle search or something like that, will find this thread, join the SDMB, posting an opinion, thereby resurrecting it, which will then cause some long time member to post something along the lines of “Zombies don’t have futures”.

4

I just want my damn hover-board already.

5
  1. The weather will be much crazier than it is today, as the world will do nothing concerning climate change. [Among other things this will have an adverse affect on the world food supply. While the western democracies will be able to afford it there will be massive riots, deaths, worldwide]
  2. Massive decline in the availability of oil and other natural resources. Again with the weather, a decline in the standard of living among most in the world–and very substantial decline in the third world.
  3. The Middle East going crazy with wars (Shiite/Suni and multiple other causes)
  4. Big political change in the U.S. (both the Republican and Democratic parties are controlled by Wall Street with its philosophy the rich should get richer and poor get poorer). And 80% of the population will be very upset with declining standard of living. Unfortunately rather than turning their ire onto Wall Street, it will probably go to immigrants, the non-working poor, various dissidents.
  5. Straightdope will be doing very well (staying home and participating on Straighdope will be close to free, while going out on a date would cost a significant amount of money–and who can afford that with the cost of food and energy?)
6

The Cubs will still not have won a World Series.

Overpopulation and climate change start to get felt big time. The now more violent weather extremes hamper food production and prices go up in the developed world while starvation is a new way of life in the third world. The electrical grids are strained to the max and brownouts and blackouts are commonplace. Gasoline is $50 per gallon and leisure driving is a thing of the past.

7

Didn’t you ask this already? “What will it be like in the year 2050?”

8

Sometimes, you get the chance to post the perfect response. A tip of the hat, sir.