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30 Day Blogging Challenge - Technology Predictions

High schoolers graduating this year, in May 2019, are as old as the first iPod. Make a prediction for how technology will advance in the next 18 years.

Oh, my word. I'm getting so old. I'm already two decades older than a graduating high school student. I'm old enough to remember when the first iPod was released. But I don't feel old. Looking in the mirror is a shock often. What will that be like in a decade? I tremble to think of it.

I digress. Age equals wisdom (I hope). Age equals experience. Age equals understanding. I have all of those. As for how technology will advance, I have some ideas about that.

I think self-driving cars will become a reality, hopefully within the next decade. Automakers are already testing features, like back up cameras and assistive cruise. Dodge has already put out the 2019 Ram with 360-degree cameras (and tested it in a local Texas parade at Thanksgiving while hauling a massive float). We have vehicles with blind spot assistance and lane departure alerts. This self-driving technology will likely come in stages or at least, I hope it will. I can foresee auto-driving technology for highway travel, which has already been started with the assistive cruise. I drove a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe and I have to say the technology really lowered my driving anxiety. I no longer had to worry about getting too close. The technology definitely has a long way to go in regards to traffic below 30 mph as it got way too close and the reaction time was far too slow for my comfort. My poor husband, I thought he would have a heart attack. He panicked and slammed on the brakes, which really aggravated my neck and gave me an instant headache. But overall, it was a great feature.

I think we will continue to see computer technology improve, with devices becoming more powerful and smaller. It'll take the next generation to improve on that further. IBM is already producing nano-chips as small as a grain of salt, less than an index finger wide.

In medical science, I hope we'll start to see more cures and more cost controls. I'd like to see us get more of a handle on severe illnesses like cancer and schizophrenia to make those prognoses less disabling. We've already made great progress on AIDs treatments.

I believe we'll start to see 3D printing gain some real-world applications that change industries around the world. Manufacturing, in particular, will be directly affected as things move from large mass-production to more micro-production applications. This will be especially true for small parts used in other more sophisticated manufacturing processes. There will always be a need for mass production capabilities but I think we'll see the scale of these operations reduced into smaller and more manageable footprints.

I hope we'll see the capabilities for instant translation services via earbuds and other technology, eliminating communication barriers around the world. Science fiction stories for decades have talked about such ideas, now there's work being done to turn that idea into a reality. It would change the face of so many industries and allow improved access to healthcare, legal services, and services in our country and others. It would move us one step closer to a global marketplace.

I pray we see advancements in biotechnology to help us produce cleaner fuel sources and find ways to solve the continued issue with carbon production that's affecting our planet. I hope we'll find technology that can help restore the icecaps and other ice plains that have been melting these last ten years.

I believe we'll see DNA unlock genetic puzzles and mysteries, further helping us eradicate disease and disorders.

With all these advancements, there's a dual-edged sword. Because without proper morals, ethics, and common sense laws, all of these advancements have the propensity for abuse of power. Fake news is a perfect example of the corruption that's possible and distortion of information can have some far-reaching consequences, as shown by the 2016 presidential election and the last two years of political intrigue.

Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/02/21/here-are-the-top-10-breakthr...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/03/19/5-big-technology-innovations...

https://www.technologyreview.com/lists/technologies/2018/



Charity Marie
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