Ideas of the future.

[Dave Gray]

I just heard about a post in a magazine from 1901, where they predicted various things for the year 2001.  They were pretty right on with a lot of it, and even things where they weren't correct, they still had similar concepts or ideas in some parts, or trends leading in that direction.  BTW, these weren't any kind of supernatural predictions, like psychics or fortunetellers....just a group of thinkers.

Anyway, it got me to thinking what I thought might be possible in the future.

One thing I see happening, hopefully in my lifetime, is the way we shop for groceries.  To me, the concept of bringing the food in trucks, unloading to a shelf, putting the items from the shelf to the cart, putting the items from the card to the conveyor, putting the items in a bag, putting the bags back in the cart, putting the items in your car, and putting them in your house seems like a lot of inefficiency.  You're moving the same product at least 5 times.  I think we probably won't be using a cart system at some point, and possibly just scan the items as they go in the cart.  ...and then take the carts with us in the car.  Redefine the whole process.  You're already seeing parts of this now.

I also think that eventually, we'll all speak offshoots of the same language.

Anyone have any thoughts?

[stinkfish]

I don't see much of an evoluition in grocery shopping coming. Things have pretty much been the same all along. The only way to avoid moving food multiple times would be to grow your own.

I don't understand what you mean about language. A large population of the world already does speak off shoots of the same language. (Latin).  Mandarin and Cantonese are off shoots of the same language I believe. Are you suggesting that there may be a global, universal language that all people may use one day, or use variations of?

[Dave Gray]

^^ Yes, when I say offshoots of the same language, I mean that we may have different dialects, but by and large, we'll all be able to understand each other across developed nations.

[stinkfish]

^^ That's the role that English plays now, and has played for quite some time now. It may not always be that way, but English should remain thje lingua franca for many more generations. (If I'm totally not getting your point, and making you pull your hair out, please stop doing that, and I'm sorry.)

[bsfins]

Well I'm going to disagree with Stink here for aminute...Grocery stores,or General stores..used to have you walk to a counter and tell the clerk what you wanted and he would run the Isles to get what you wanted....Piggly Wiggly was the first store that you actually went through and shopped for yourself...They opened in 1916....(I remember seeing a history channels special about it) People would get dressed up to go shopping....I wouldn't mind seeing an idea alot like Daves....
http://www.pigglywiggly.com/cgi-bin/customize?aboutus.html

I'd like to see a realistic virtual reality system...
An internet that was more like a virtual reality...
Have the ablity to live on another planet....

[Dave Gray]

Stinkfish, you're on the track to what I'm saying.  English is starting to become that language, but only when it comes to business.  High-level Chinese businessmen may speak English now, but the average guy on the street doesn't.

What I'm saying is that I see more than just a common language between the elites of a country, but also down into the middle class, as technology improves.

[Dave Gray]

There have also been some changes in grocery shopping recently.  Publix had a program where you ordered online and delivered your groceries.  It tuned out to be ahead of its time and not cost effective for most, but it did provide a different way of doing things.  I see a possible variation on this -- maybe buying online and then doing the pickup yourself?  ...but I don't see things laid on on big aisles in a traditional way forever.  As our population grows, that experience is going to become unmanageable to do manually.

[StL FinFan]

I have the feeling that all music will go digital eventually and the cd will become a thing of the past.

[Dave Gray]

CDs are already digital.  I think that because of that, CDs are almost future proof.  The distribution models may change, but so long as its a digital format, and CDs can hold digital media, they'll be relevant.  ...the same for DVD.

If you mean that they might stop selling them, you may be right.  But I question how long it will take people to let go of a physical product.

[StL FinFan]

Yes, I meant they would stop selling pre-recorded cds eventually.  I enjoy the artwork and liner notes (I miss albums, they were easier to read), so I would miss that aspect.

[bsfins]

Well reading STL's post made think of this ....I want to quit paying for the same piece of music,over,and over,and over...because of change of format....I have some music,On 8 track,Vinyl,Cassette tape,and Cd...
I shouldn't have to Buy the music over again to put it on the latest device...I've bought it enough...

(Sorry for the Hijack there)

[StL FinFan]

I feel ya, Lil B.  Then they put out a "deluxe" version with 2 or 3 more tracks on it, or with a DVD and you end up having duplicate cds!  Or you have very nice friends who will rip and burn stuff for you.

[Guru-In-Vegas]

I think we're going to come up with something to replace some biological needs.  Like sleep.  I wouldn't doubt that some pill or therapy is going to simulate the brain's waves produced while asleep to drastically reduce the amount of sleep we need or maybe even eliminate the need for sleep altogether.  Instead of humans needing to sleep half of their lives, maybe it will be reduced to 1/3.  Talk about efficiency and 20 hour work days...

[stinkfish]

I'm glad that I don't work for Vegas

[DolFan619]

  I don't think we're that far away from having the option of cars driving themselves.