The Futuristic: Top 10 Forecast From Outlook 2003.

Each year since 1985, the editors of The Futuristic have selected the most thought-provoking ideas and forecasts appearing in the magazine. Over the years, Outlook has spotlighted the emergence of such epochal developments as the Internet, virtual reality, and the end of the Cold War.

Here are the editors’ top 10 forecasts from Outlook 2003:

1- Web-based control over transportation could eliminate drunk driving. Smart cars connected to public databases might automatically run a series of network checks on drivers before they’ll move. Sensors would collect and analyze your breath for signs of alcohol, for instance. Fail a test, and you won’t go anywhere.

2- On the Technology Timeline:

-Confessions to artificial intelligence “priests,” 2004.

-Designer babies, 2005.

-Video tattoos, 2010.

-Insect-like robots used for crop pollination, 2012.

-ID cards replaced by biometric scanning, 2015.

-Nanobots in toothpaste attack plaque, 2020.

-Thought recognition becomes everyday input means, 2025.

-First Bionic Olympics, 2030.

-Emotion-control chips used to control criminals, 2030.

-Moon base the size of a small village is built, 2040.

3- Nanotech will be the new “new thing” for venture capitalists. Tools for developing and commercializing nanotechnologies are rapidly gaining power and sophistication, capturing the imagination of investors seeking new growth opportunities following the dot-com collapse.

4- Aquacultural veterinarian: Hot job for the coming “eco-economy.” A future economy that is environmentally sustainable will be rich with new career opportunities, including ecological economists, wind meteorologists, recycling engineers, geothermal geologists, wind-turbine engineers, and environmental architects.

5- Good news, bad news for water in Africa. Enormous amounts of pure water exist below Africa’s deserts, which could help avert a future water crisis. But underground aquifers cross international boundaries, raising the specter of future water wars as populations increase and competition for water resources heats up.

6- Animals will gain more human rights. Activists for humane treatment of animals are increasingly insisting on human rights for at least some animals. Researchers working with gorillas, dolphins, elephants, and other highly developed species recognize hierarchies of animal autonomy, communication skills, and self-awareness that could be used to determine which animals should be granted rights–or even legal personhood.

7- Future homes will be healthier habitats. New technologies will improve indoor air and water quality by filtering out particulates, allergens, and contaminants. Bacteria-killing devices will make food safer, and future foods may be bioengineered to prevent diseases. And home security cameras and sensors will give vacationing homeowners peace of mind.

8- Hydrogen may supplant fossil fuels in the near future. Automakers such as DaimlerChrysler and Toyota are developing fuel-cell-powered cars that convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, with plans to put them on roads by 2010.

9- Eco-workers of the world, unite! Creating a sustainable “eco-economy” meeting the needs of future generations will mean new career and investment opportunities in such areas as fish farming, wind-farm construction and turbine manufacturing, hydrogen generation, fuel-cell and solar-cell manufacturing, light-rail construction, bicycle manufacturing, and tree planting.

10- Supersoldiers on the march. New materials for uniforms will give soldiers superhuman capabilities. MIT’s new Institute for Nanotechnologies is developing fabrics that could change properties as needed, such as becoming rigid to serve as a cast if the wearer breaks a leg. Shoes could store energy, allowing soldiers to catapult themselves over 20-foot-high walls.

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