Weekend Assignment 324: The year 2062

In honor of Carly's upcoming birthday we are imagining what America might be like in the year 2062 for this week's assignement. I decided to do this a little differently and have some fun with it.

Next Tuesday is my birthday, I am not quite 50 yet, but when I was a little girl I liked to sit and imagine what the world, more specifically, America, would be like when I reached 50! Having nearly arrived at my goal age, I am now aiming for another 50 years! So, in honor of my 48th birthday, I want you to search your imaginations, and tell what I can expect in the year... 2062!

Hi, Welcome to the year 2062. Did you have a nice cryo-sleep? Good. Oh yes, the facilities are this way. Follow me.

Feel better? Good. Pardon the flicker of my holo, I need to get that fixed. I guess I should explain. About 20 years ago a company designed the holo-projector for business meetings. It was a better option than traveling and videoconferencing. If it seems like the person is right next to you it's much harder to ignore their ideas, or to put it down. It turned out to work really well, so people started using it for everything. Now, nobody leaves the safety and comfort of their house anymore.

Oh, food? Yes, it's delivered automatically. Our refrigerators and cabinets are all hooked up to the local food suppliers and gets sent to our houses automatically by auto-piloted vehicles when something runs low. We never run out of food.

Hmm. Okay, the toilet you just used reports you are a little deficient in calcium and slightly dehydrated. Pretty good, considering. You should see how some people come out of cryo-sleep. If you aren't healthy going in, how are you going to be when you come out. So many people do this thinking they can be cured of their diseases when they wake in the future. They watch too much TV.

What? No, that's not gross. The toilets are a good way to see what we might be lacking. Vitamins and medicines are all automatically ordered when needed. I can't imagine going to the doctor all the time. I don't want someone prodding me like you had to go through 50 years ago. Give me a cold, unfeeling robot hand any day, I say. Besides, the average life expectancy is 110 years old right now. Not a bad improvement in such a short time.

Here, come over to the table by the window. This machine here will take you vital signs. Just sit, it's okay. I know it looks a little scary, but it is quite gentle, if a bit on the cold side. Take a peek out the window while the robo-doc does it's work. Nice day, no? Yep, just as planned. We get rain when we want it and sun when we don't. We can't change the temperature too much, the sun and earth move the way they want. We can't control differential heating, but we can work with moisture to a degree. No pun intended. Yes, we still get tornadoes and hurricanes. Again, we can't control everything. Yet.

Notice anything else? Yes, not many cars out there. The ones you see are all robo-cars that are sending food, materials or other goods to people and places where they are needed. Since nobody goes out anymore, except for emergencies, there is little traffic and the air is much cleaner than back in 2010.

Okay, the doc says you are good to go. A car will be by to take you to your home. Enjoy your time here in 2062. If you feel you can't live here, let us know. We have ways to get you back.

***

Okay, obviously I went a little overboard. But, so what? It's all for fun, right?

Extra Credit: Tell me, is the world anything like you imagined it would be when you grew up? What's different? What's the same?

No, I guess it's not the way I imagined it. I really thought I'd have my Corvette by now. Or my Porsche.

Oh, did you mean the world, or my world?