What's Next?

I was recently on a Skype call with my brother in Minneapolis, and we were talking about what my parents would do to fill their days in retirement. My parents believe they'll have plenty to do to keep them busy, and if they feel like working, they'll volunteer for the Salvation Army, the non-profit organization in which they've spent their regular employment years.

My brother remarked that he would have no trouble filling his days with things other than work if he had the option. He could sit in front of the t.v., play around on the computer, and have fun with his iPhone all day. What was strange was that we realized that we have no idea what sort of technology or entertainment will even be available 40 years from now, at which time we'll both be around the age my parents will be when they retire.

So the logical question is to ask what's next. Looking back 40 years doesn't help much. Computers were in existence, of course, but 1970 wasn't exactly known for its high-tech accomplishments. Would they have foreseen me being able to sit in front of an amazing color screen and literally talk with my brother thousands of miles away without the aid of a telephone, and more importantly, without paying anything for it? I would think not. The idea of Skype was only science fiction at that point, and even Star Wars was a few years away from existence back then.

This takes me to the cheesy Bruce Willis movie Surrogates. According to the Wiki for the movie, "In 2017, people live in near-total isolation, rarely leaving the safety and comfort of their homes, thanks to remotely-controlled robotic bodies that serve as "surrogates," designed as better-looking versions of their human operators. Because people are safe all the time, and damage done to a surrogate is not felt by its owner, it is a peaceful world free from fear, pain, and crime."

Is this even possible in seven years? Probably not, and I think that's a funny way of thinking about the future, but what about 40 years out? Could we live in a virtual environment that's actually part-reality, combined with all the sensory effects of living life? I don't personally find much fun in that idea, but wouldn't it be interesting to think about?

I know this post has more questions than answers, but it's interesting to think about as we talk about cloud computing, where virtual is real. With the speed in which technology innovates these days, I really might be saying "Beam me up, Scotty" when I retire.