Disposable houses, mind-reading computers and 90-year-old women giving birth to children-those are some of the wonders futurists see down the road for 1988 and beyond.
Also on tap: mood-changing aromas that keep drivers awake on long trips, relax hospital patients and make workers more efficient.
The World Future Society in Bethesda, Md., has come up with its annual list of predictions culled from articles by scientists and scholars that appeared this year in the society`s magazine.
Some of the predictions are more ominous than edifying.
For example: ”International terrorism will increase in the number and violence of incidents.”
On a more upbeat note, the futurists say ”nuclear terrorism is unlikely for the near future because of technical as well as moral and political restraints.”
Futurist Timothy Willard suggests that nuclear terrorism would be counterproductive. ”Blowing up New York City is not going to endear you to anyone`s cause,” he points out.
Here are the 10 most ”thought-provoking” forecasts of 1987:
– Houses may be disposable in the future. Factory-built houses will be less expensive, making it simpler and cheaper to scrap the house than to repair it.
– Terrorism will increase, but nuclear terrorism will not.
– Mind-reading computers may be possible by the turn of the century. These telepathic machines would pick up human thoughts and place them on a screen in front of the thinker.
– Transplant surgery of a younger woman`s uterus may allow a 90-year-old woman to have a baby. A profoundly retarded child could receive a transplant of a few brain cells that would give the child normal intelligence. People may have themselves cloned so they can have a set of spare parts.
– Society will be increasingly dominated by single people. Fewer children will mean more leisure time and money for adult luxuries and amusements. Without children, older single people may take little interest in the long-term future.
– Bartering may account for 50 percent of world trade by 1990, up from 20 percent today.
– Powerful supercomputers may soon make it possible to accurately predict the weather more than three months in advance.
– There will be 100,000 Americans aged 100 years or older in the year 2000. Many will be in good health.
– Odors that alter people`s moods may be manufactured.
