Tomorrow’s world: A guide to the next 150 years

Tomorrow's World What's going to happen in 2013? In ten year's time? 50 years? 100? We look ahead to see what the future holds according to predictions from thinkers, scientists and pundits – and the odds on them happening KEY Computing and robotics OPolitics and business O Science and nature • Society OTechnology 2/1 Odds MOST LIKELY LEAST LIKELY DYSTOPIA UTOPIA The Great Firewall can no longer prevent Chinese people from accessing global information 7/4 The USA is overtaken by China in the field of scientific Patients are prescribed medical apps by their doctors 01/20 You can now play virtual games based in your own neighbourhood thanks to Google Earth • 100/1 research 08/1 Pinterest is bought by Google 02/1 2013 A digital currency is universally accepted in the USA O 1/5 You can get your entire genome sequenced for under $100 •1/2 2014 Facebook has been overtaken as the biggest social network OEVENS The first immortal mouse has been created •6/1 2015 Germany's gold reserves are overtaken by China's • 1/4 RMB People can touch one 2016 another through their phones 100/1 Robots are widely used for agricultural tasks on farms •1/25 Five years' time 2017 Your computer has a sense of smell •1/1000 The Arctic is free of ice throughout the summer months 3/1 2018 Many humans permanently wear devices which record, store and index every conversation they have 5/1 2019 High resolution bionic eyes are on sale • 6/4 2020 The Aral sea has dried up •4/5 You can upload the contents of your brain to a computer •100/1 2021 A successful demonstration of fusion power has taken place O 3/1 Ten years' time 2022 The USA presidency has been held by a third party candidate • 25/1 2025 Many commercial flights take place without pilots 03/1 The territory of the moon has been claimed by China 05/1 Tracking technology is embedded in the bodies of more than 50 percent of Americans •100/1 2030 A world government is in place •8/1 Land in/around Chernobyl is developed as a national park •3/1 Twenty five years' time 2037 You can log on directly from your brain • 10/1 Cars are now purely automated and O driver-free •4/5 The city of Bangkok needs to be protected by massive new sea walls 4/1 2040 The global population hits its highest ever point and then starts to decline • 1/4 The singularity has taken place: there exist machines with greater than human super-intelligence 08/1 2050 Wealthy people are able to select elements of their offspring's genetic makeup •1/8 There is at least one building whose height is in excess of ten kilometres 02/1 A base has been established on Mars Fifty years' time 2062 •33/1 The first cloned humans have 2070 appeared 33/1 2080 A new ice age has begun • 20/1 Tax has been abolished in the USA 0100/1 2090 2100 One hundred years' time 2112 At least one A.I. being has the status of a corporation 0100/1 2150 A human being has lived to older than 150 • 40/1 Sources: ABC, BBC, CNN, Discovery News, the Guardian, IBM, Information Week, The Life Scientific, Long Bets, MIT Technology Review Report, NASA, Popular Mechanics, 'The Singularity is Near', Time magazine, Trendwatching, United Nations Environment Programme. Odds provided by Ladbrokes Information is Beautiful studio