Ever thought of using science fiction predictions to make trades or perhaps to assess what might happen in financial markets in the future? Well, if you did decide to undertake a process, you might want to use a document called The Future, which was created by Tyler Durden in 2015 for Zero Hedge. The future predictions are helpfully broken up into predictions made about social, scientific, technological or political matters. Some are quite focused on disaster, as might be expected, since disasters and doom make for a good science fiction yarn. Some interesting predictions are included below.
Source: ourworldindata.org
In the near future there are a number of changes we might expect if we are to take the word for it of science fiction greats. For example, in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K Dick humanity was transformed with the idea that “if androids are the ones then don’t have feelings then why do those humans seeking to hunt and kill them seem like the heartless ones?” This was predicted for 2021. In the same year, a mutant great white shark was predicted to start stalking the sewers of New York City. That little gem was offered up in Sewer, Gas and Electric: the public works trilogy by Matt Ruff. Did you know that World War 4 is anticipated to end in 2024? That was a prediction made by Harlan Ellison in 1969 in the classic A Boy and His Dog. The prediction here was that men would spend their time looking for very scarce resources after the war, seeking clean water, food and weapons, but also women. Another prediction is the first colonial voyage to Mars, billed for 2026 and explained by Kim S Robinson in Red Mars. Maybe you might be more inspired by the prediction that Lady Gaga is to be arrested for civil disobedience after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, suggested by Charlie J Anders in Six Months Three Days. Amazingly all of this is predicted for the next decade or so.
Turning to the middle of the 22nd century, we have many other surprises on the way, if we are to believe science fiction writers. For example, by 2150 the Macro Society has been predicted to run the Earth. This was predicted by Thea Plym and Don Plym. Meanwhile in 2154 humans will be redundant in the sense that many will be unemployed and be living on welfare support thanks to the proliferation of robots. This suggestion was made by Monica Hughes in Invitation to the Game. Meanwhile by 2171, the population of Mars will seek to unify and to break its colonial ties with Earth. Gregory D Bear made this prediction in Moving Mars. Another century down the road from this in 2240 it is predicted that after a nuclear war between America and Russia the only humans that remain are only allowed to survive by mating with Oankali, a creature resembling a giant sea cucumber! This beautiful image was brought to us in 1987 by Octavia E. Butler.
In the longer term even more amazing events are explained by science fiction to occur. By 2966 humans are predicted to have colonised more than 900 worlds, and this is brought about by a process of Ethnic Streaming. This prediction was made in 2005 by Stuart Moore in the book The Escapist 2966. The year 2966 is also a great year for feline lovers, and we can expect to see robot cats in that year. This is another great prediction by the aforementioned author. A great prediction is made by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournellet in The Mote In God’s Eye. The prediction was made in 1974, and it is suggested that in 3017 research and security teams will journey to the star Mote. Once there they can expect to come across Moties which are sequential hermaphrodites. By 3172 it is expected that political power will be split across the galaxy, but some things won’t have changed as you will still be able to secure a liberal arts degree from Harvard University. The great author that brought this suggestion to us in 1968 was Samuel R. Delany in the work entitled Nova. In the end it is all good as the world is still predicted to exist in 802,701 which is a prediction brought to us by science fiction classic The Time Machine, written by H.G. Wells.
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