A list compiled in September 1994 by BT futurology unit.
Twenty-five years ago there were no personal computers, laptop machines, liquid crystal displays, digital wrist watches or pocket calculators. Most households didn't have a telephone or a colour television set and tape recorders still used open reels. Washing machines, cars and other domestic appliances contained no intelligence and there were no camcorders or VHS players. However, man had been to the moon and the space race, plus the cold war, had promoted the creation of integrated circuit technology. Since that time, our electronic based industries and society have seen a doubling in capability every one or two years across a broad range of technologies.
The listing that follows therefore represents the combined wisdom and guesses of a multitude of organisations and people. We have also taken the insights and projections of our own team to temper and shape the listing of two hundred and one technologies we predict to be key features of our society and individual lives by the year 2020.
Our purpose in compiling this list was to create a concise and, hopefully, visionary document that condenses a wide range of views from a large number of organisations.
BIOTECHNOLOGY, HEALTH & MEDICAL
1. Effective management of the organic environment
We will know the genomes of most plant and animal groups, so will be able to manage gene pools effectively, and also control their populations.
2. New engineered organisms used to produce chemicals
Organisms will be designed for production of commodities, medicines and complex chemicals, and for waste disposal, agricultural processing and environmental management.
3. Widespread genetic intervention programs for animals and plants
Many genetic enhancement techniques will be applied to wild and domestic organisms, including pets.
4. Many new forms of plants and animals from genetic engineering
5. Custom foods for particular medical conditions will exist.
6. Genetic links of all diseases identified
The important biochemical mechanisms and interactions with the environment will also be known for most diseases.
7. Genetic screening widely used
8. Genetic programs to enhance human well-being
Beyond curing disease, we will see the enhancement of physical and mental abilities.
9. Genetic, chemical and physiological bases of human behaviour understood
This will allow control of mental disorders. Brain and mind manipulation will allow control of emotions, learning, senses, memory and other psychological phenomena.
10. Full personal medical records stored on smart card
Records will be highly comprehensive, with videos of operations, audio-visual interview records - complete life history on a smart card size device.
11. Individual's genome part of their medical record
12. More people will live into their 80s in good health
13. Many synthetic body parts available
14. Home (health) diagnostic systems, daily/real time check-up via radio
15. Home AI based elderly and handicapped support devices
16. Devices roaming within blood vessels under own power
17. Sensors directly connected to human sensory nerves. Also artificial nerves
189. Network will still be a significant bottleneck for some services
190. New mechanisms for communication discovered
191. Laser interferometer detection of gravitational waves
TRANSPORT
192. Interactive vehicle highway systems
193. Use of fibre gyros in car navigation
194. Various traffic information systems in use
These will help with navigation, traffic control, ETA, dynamic routing, monitoring, taxation and crime prevention/detection
195. Energy provided by hydrogen fuel cells and/or solar power
196. Nuclear propulsion systems for various transport types
197. Ships with super conductive electromagnetic thrust
198. Fully automatic ships able to navigate and dock automatically
199. Passenger planes with speed beyond Mach 4 and >300 capacity
200. Super conductive magnetic levitation railways at 500km/h
201. Wormhole technology using fluctuating electromagnetic waves H2O and lasers in sequins in order to open a hole in space and time, allowing transportation instantaneously from one point in space and time to another point in space and time anywhere in the universe in the blink of an eye.