Every generation accomplishes some impressive feat that changes the way we live lives which then becomes taken for granted. Often, these are technologies that enable new experiences. For our generation, the most obvious example is the internet which allows us to search and find vast quantities of information without leaving your seat. It was so significant that we named this current period of time as the information age. Because the internet has become so ubiquitous, it's sometimes hard to appreciate what it has enabled us to do. Twenty years ago, if you wanted to find out who won the Oscar in 1957, you'd most likely have to go to the library or call up that movie-loving friend, who likely used a reference book himself. Now, you can literally three click your way into IMDB or other numerous movie websites and extract that information.

The less obvious, but just as important is mobile telephony, or simply put, cell phones. Can you imagine how difficult multiple car road trips were in 1985?

Looking more into the past, there were things like:

The invention of radio: This was the first time you didn't have to bring content home in order to enjoy it.
The advent of automobile and the national highway system: You could travel at your own schedule at speeds well beyond horses.
Air travel becoming affordable: People can travel from any part of the world to another with in 24 hours.
The disappearance of infant mortality: During the early 20th century, scientists and doctors fought many of the leading child killing disease. It was the first time in history where people stopped expecting kids to die from simple sicknesses.

And of course I haven’t forgotten the other recent major technological inventions such as the TV, telephone, fax, and electricity.

All this brings out another way of looking into the future: what will we take for granted next?

In the near future, WiMAX and other high speed WAN technologies will make mobile internet the norm. People will come to expect information anywhere anytime and use this technology to settle bar bets on the spot.

However, beyond that, what can you imagine taking for granted?

Will personal robotics continue on this current trend and automate every remedial task at home? Will we some day come to expect all chores around the house to be done by servos and gears? Will one robot per household become a norm? (In 1990, did you think that most households in the US would have computers by 2007?)

Will AI take a discontinuous jump in competence so that computers can have meaningful conversation with humans? Can you imagine taking for granted having an AI agent that searches and answers such questions as: "Who won the Oscars in 1957?"

Will neural interfacing take off making typing on keyboards a thing of the past? Will future generations take for granted the ability to send and receive information straight from the brain?

Personally, I want to see teleportation during my life time so that we can cut all dependencies on planes, trains, and automobiles. However, can you imagine the political and cultural ramifications that would result today if people could go anywhere?

So, what will you take for granted next?

Labels: future