14.1 goals Reading the future | ATSC 1 Read about lan Pearson, who has an unusual job. What does he do? What skills or attributes does he need in his work? | work as futurologst. | study the future. My day-to-day work involves tracking developments across the whole field of technology and society, figuring out where Its all going next, and how that will affect our everyday lives. My main tools a a strong background in science and engineering, trends analysis, common sense, reasonable business insight, knowing when to listen to other people, and a whole lot of thinking, | usully get it right, but since the future is never totally predictable, | sometimes get it wrong too, about 15% ofthe time. b . 2 @ lan has made predictions about these things. In groups, imagine how each invention might work. 1. active contact lenses 3 digitaljewellery 5 _ automatic transport systems 2. active skin 4 solar power stations 6 external brains b Read the article to check your ideas, {you'd easily solve te worit's energy 1eeds. To make thet gossibe, we'd need superconducting cables to get the electricity tothe rest of Attica and the ‘world, but once that technology’s there, {can see the Sahara turing into a vast solar power station. ‘Automatic transport systems By 2020, seltdriving vehicles could be quite Predictions for an inventive future ‘Active contact lenses In 2981.1 the Intemet r cal up fend and sae___Sommon. Fre fo theft, wo coud bredited the invention ofan actve everyting nyo acte contact enst Yo) wel hve a countnwie anspor fovtactons wich wou Une ITE cag jowatiory | redet bat cia tea actioduimes teu Seale Slowing yourto incite acyimece'n; phones wil Decome obsolete by 2020. car where you want too and le back as. our nonfal vision Accmam ita VOIce recognition wil be so advanced | hives tothe station, gets on the ral, UShas area maces oroitne Wh Yate al tceenoc andl cescon fore tan fost ae sow ansen? ie RT ee aie ee eee possibilty that ‘thought recognition’ could allow you to Just think the number. ‘Active skin It wil be possible to print This is already ints eary stages: the electronic circuits straight onto the skin. technology exists that allows you to ‘They ony ast a few days, which could be move a sereen cursor simply by having perfect for securty passes or uitrasecure electrodes hacked upto your brain. realty for games-piaying and so on. External brains By 2050, | can see us having probes that pel up signals from all over the bran. Wel then be able to use thought recognition and create computerised brain models in re which you could run ultrafast thought Ree Toe suPrised t solar power stations The smount processes before feading tem back into Ree ptreene cians of sunlight faling onto the Sahara is a the bain, massively inoreasing IQ. ater SSS tee aan tees couple of kilowatts per square metre. the Invention ofa few kay technologies, Seriatrteaan mare with the incresible fyou can maka solar panels that are the next step could be uplcading @ brain Peart ore abi ener nees 8 20% or 40% efficient something which onto a computer, then programming It levoperd og mote ntoge Decatee Wil Be availabe in the very near future into an android. ‘you could Just roueh your Skin to 2eC8SS ang yoy cover just 10% of the Sahara, 4 = ee ce3 Read again. According to lan, are these statements true or false? A simple kind of active contact lens already exists, We'll have permanent electronic ‘tattoos’ for identity purposes, We might be able to phone someone just by thinking their number. The Sahara could supply 30-40% of the world's energy needs, Cars could be running on electric railways by 2020, One day robots may be able to think in the same way as people. Ean 4 Talktogether. 1 If these predictions came true, how would you feel about them? 2 Which do you think wauld have the most significant impact on the world? How? 3. Which predictions do you find the most and the least convincing? Why? I'd be surprised if 1. Which group of hightighted expressions A-C expresses the most certainty? Which‘ Predicting the expresses the least certainty? future A 1 Inthe future, we'll see high-definition lenses with full 3D virtual reality You won't need a keyboard or a mobile phone, 1 2 3. I predict that mobile phones will become obsolete by 2020, B 4 I'd be surprised if an active skin prototype isn't available in about five years. 5 can see the Sahara turning into a vast solar power station. & Further into the future, we could very well have a country-wide transport system of small electric cars, C7 There's also the possibility that ‘thought recognition’ could allow you to just think the number. 8 The next step could be uploading a brain onto a computer, then programming it into an android. Sata ie reece oi wins mveart tO MBO Un TOOT 2 5 Sannin teens 10 saad teeny a 7 Intwoshortterm AT bee ng i a Sones eee oeter en 2. a Look at the sentences in 1 again and find four time expressions. Write them below. b Compare ideas. Which expressions in 22 would you say are about: @ thenearfuture? the distant future? the future in general? © Look at these pairs of sentences, Which mean the same, and which are different? 1a Mobile phones will become obsolete in 2020. 'b Mobile phones will become obsolete by 2020. 2. a Itwill become available in about five years, bit will become available in about five years’ time. 3a Oil will run out in a few years. bb Oil will run out within a few years. 3 Think about, for example: your company or college your country’s economy international relations the mind and body your city's population transport and travel ~sports the media and information exchange SPEAKING 4 Ingroups, compare your predictions and give reasons for them. Choose the two predictions you think are most likely to come true, and the two that are least 3 Useespresnios trom 1 and 2 io ites satances pret the ature | | | | 5 Tell the other groups which predi which are the two most andSica Yes Man guess - what it's about? aa to everything? glazed windows? was angry at myself. had wasted halfa year after being dumped. Half year gone. Thrown away. ‘Swapped for toast, and evenings in ftontof the telly. Thad to get back out there. Thad to stare living life, rather than just living, ‘And it was obvious how. Say Yes more. would say Yes more. Saying Yes more would get ime out ofthis rut. It would rekindle my love for life. Ie would bring back the old me. I just needed alitde Kickstar, A liede fun, A chance colive in a completely dlifferene way. could reat ic like an experiment. A study in my own behaviour. A study in positivicy, and opporcunity, and chance. ‘A day. Yes. A day of relentless positivity. What hharm could that do? A day of saying Yes. Yes to anything. Anything and everything. “Hello, can I speak to Mr Wallace, please?" “Yes! “Hello, Mr Wallace, I'm phoning from Mark 1 Double Glazing in London. Would you havea moment to alk about double glazing sr?” “Yes! “Have you ever thought about having your house of apartment double-glazed at all?” 1a Look at the cover of Yes Man, by Danny Wallace. Do you know ~ or can you 'b Read the blurb on the back of the book to check. How do you think Danny's decision could affect his life? 2 Read an extract from Danny's book. 1 How does Danny feel? 2 How long does he plan to say yes 3. Why doesn’t he want the double- demic 2 eee Yes Martis the story of what — Shere, “Yes!” ‘And have you been put off in the pase by high prices at all?” “Yes, Thave, Yes! “Can [ask you, would you be interested in a free, ‘no-obligation quote for double glazingon your propercy, Mr Wallace? Yes!" “Okay .. well, what we can do is, we can certainly send one of our representatives round to your residence. Is cherea particular time or day that’ good for you? "You suggest atime? “Right. How are you fixed for Tuesday, Mr Wallace?” “Yes, Tuesday. Yes! 2pm?" “Yes. Um... Ishould warn you, though . [am already fully double-glazed “You're what, sory?” “Talready have double gazing throughout my fat “Well, waica second .. why would you want a quote?” “Well you asked, and—" “Thave to go now, Mr Wallace, okay?” "Yes! ‘And that is how my Yes experiment starved. 2 Find these expressions in the first part of the extract. Discuss what they could ‘mean, using the context to help you. Then check in a dictionary or ask your teacher. 1 dumped 2 get back out there 3. get out of this rut Talk together. 4 rekindle my love for life 5 alittle kickstart & relentless 1 Would you ever be prepared to try an experiment like Danny's? Why? / Why not? 2 Doyou know of anyone wha got tired of their old life and made @ big change? How? What was the result? or