ok, so every now and then i begin to feel smart. i begin to feel like i know what is going on in the world, and so on and so forth. But most of the time, there are too many factors for anybody to really claim — “yup, i got this one figured out.”
But recently i have been fascinated with the job title “futurist.” A couple of my friends call themselves this — Tom Sine is a futurist as well as Leonard Sweet. I like the thought of being a futurist because the main task of a futurist is to read alot of stuff and make predictions about the future based upon these readings. So, in my ill-informed crass way I will make some Joel VandenBrink Futurist Predictions — Round 1.
1. The world will not end today (6.6.06)
2. Artificial Intelligence will have their own country by 2025
3. In 30 years United States of America will not be a superpower (ever heard of the Roman empire? we are following the same trajectory)
4. The human being has already been born that will break the 150 year old barrier
5. My grand children will live to be 1000 years old
6. We will have our first woman president in 2016 (we aren’t ready yet — as the failing of the show Commander in Chief demonstrated)
7. Our failure to see the value of Stem-cell research will be our country’s demise, and we will fall further behind economically because of this
8. In the year 2032 Tom Ryan from Minnesota will be president
9. Through their justified anger the AIDS orphans of Africa will teach us about our need for economic justice
10. In the year 2006 a small number of people will read this posting and laugh. Others will get angry. Others will dismiss it, and still others will question how many of these will come true.
peace
joel
I would totally vote for Tom.
Oh, for Pete’s sake!!!!!
thw true question is, how many of these will actually come true — so far, in just one week of having it posted two of them are true. (number 1 and number 10)
joel
Okay, Here are some of mine:
The US will have a Latino president before we get a female president, probably in 2020.
Gas-powered cars will be outlawed in 2030 (add 15 years if Republicans remain control of House and Senate)
By 2010, Google will have an online OS with tons of functions, Apple will release an iPhone, a minilaptop, an iCamera,and an iVideoCamera. Windows will almost be ready to release Vista.
There will be 6 X-Men films made including a prequel, 3 more Star Wars films, and Rocky 16 will come out in 2015.
In 2040, the US won’t be a superpower. Mega-corporations will fully run the states under a political facade and everything will be sponsored, including national parks and monuments & polititians.
By the end of the decade, advertising will be personalized (think GoogleAds on TV, Newspaper, and billboards…if we still have newspapers by the end of the decade.)
In 15 years, Central & South America along with Africa will be the central places that shape the future of Christianity.
I love the idea of Tom Ryan for President. Tom, your thoughts? And to be able to say, “it all started by running the MHGS book store.” WoW. What a story.
As far as the rest of the predictions go, #3 will surely be true and perhaps sooner. #9 is sadly true today if we were to listen. I love the idea of #6 as long as her name isn’t Hilary.