Life in 2045
The film, Back to the Future II, released in 1989, made a series of outlandish predictions about 2015, the year its key characters travel to from 1985. Although several of the film's predictions, like video calls and wearable technology, came true. Back to the Future II shaved the pit falls of making long-term forecasts. The world of 2015 was one of hover boards, flying cars and power clothing, and instead we got Snapchat and selfies. Several experts have made their predictions about what the world of 2045 will look like. Alex Ayad, head of Imperial College London's Tech Foresight practice forecasts that people will be able to purchase high-quality emotions online. Emotion-sharing experiences are the latest fad in 2045. Imagine your friend at a music festive I can post a photo on Instagram and with it comes bundled a faint twinkling of what she was feeling right there in that moment, so you too can share emotionally in her social experience. Recently, techniques for direct brain stimulation, like optogenetics, have made it possible to not only read but also write information into single neurons. At the moment data transfer rates are still very slow, the best we can do is a few bits per second, but this could well increase to kilobits maybe reach broadband speeds by 2045.This means the range of human perception could expand beyond its current design limitations.
Our cities will be made from living, dynamic materials that respond to the environment. In 30 years. Tall buildings made of glass and twisted steel will be seen as relics from a bygone era. in the same wey we think now of 1970s concrete tower blocks: ugly, out-dated and unfit for contemporary purpose. The urban environment of 2045 blends architecture with living materials that are mould able, adaptable, responsive and disposable.
Entirely new synthetic life forms, or biological machines, made of engineered living cells from bacteria, fungi and algae will grow and evolve with the changing needs of a building's inhabitants. They breathe in pollutants, dean wastewater, and use sunlight to make useful chemicals, energy, heat and vibrant vertical gardens. We will start to see a convergence between biology and technology, to the point where there is no longer a perceptible difference between the two.
Invisibility cloaks, according to Alex Ayad, will be used to 'disappear' ugly objects. Invisibility has forever been a tantalising prospect. The key to cloaking lies in the way the electromagnetic spectrum (including visible light) interacts with objects. The human eye picks up electromagnetic radiation that falls and scatters from objects and we perceive this as light. In recent decades, scientists figured out using mathematics that it might just be possible to imagine a new class of artificial materials made of intricate tiny features with light-(and sound-) bending properties. They named them metamaterials.
And Tamar Kasriel, founder and MD of Futureal, a future-focused strategy consultancy, has forecast that we won't be able to tell the difference between VR hover boards and real hover boards. By 2045 quite a few of us might have a hover board, but it will be struggling to compete with the thrill of the virtual reality version. What we are likely to see is the breakdown of much of the current distinction between the real and the digital, and the artificial and the human. Driver less cars will just be ... cars. And for many driving will have become only a leisure pursuit, a kind of sport, and buildings will power themselves. Being optimistic, Marty and Doc won't find themselves in a smoggy apocalypse in 2045. Rather, a powerful mix of sense and/or fear will have continued the momentum behind increasing the efficiency and reducing the cost of alternative power sources Solar panels will be built into lots of different building materials, so whole neighbourhoods can quietly and cleanly power themselves.
Richard Watson, futurist, writer and founder of online magazine 'Atar’s Next predicts phones, cars or homes will be able to read people's feelings and adapt accordingly. Machines will be able to sense and then adapt themselves to the emotional state of an individual user. At the moment machines can work out where someone is, who someone is and perhaps what they are doing or 'like' but that's about it. The next stage will be for machines to intuit human feelings. This can be done by 'harvesting' facial expressions, body language, heart rate, voice and so on. If you are typing text into a computer the computer might consider the speed you are typing, decide you are stressed and conclude that this isn't the best time to allow you to read negative emails.
If you are driving a car, the car might consider how you are driving and infer certain conclusions. If the car decides you are angry and in danger of driving unsafely, it might adapt itself to make things safer. On the other hand a shop might use this technology to work out when customers are more likely to buy things, including things they probably don't really want.
May be the predictions above will be realised fully in the year 2045 or maybe life will turn out to be even more fantastical than we can now imagine.
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Detail question - asks what the passage says about the accuracy of the film's predictions
Correct Answer: A
Why this is correct: This is correct because the passage clearly says that several predictions came true, such as video calls and wearable technology. This shows the forecasts were not completely wrong.
Passage Reference: The film, Back to the Future II, released in 1989, made a series of outlandish predictions about 2015, the year its key characters travel to from 1985. Although several of the film's predictions, like video calls and wearable technology, came true. Back to the Future II shaved the pit falls of making long-term forecasts.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'several of the film's predictions... came true' = Option: 'were not completely wrong'
Tips: Always check if the passage shows a mix of true and false ideas before choosing extreme answers.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B: Students may choose this because the passage mentions many predictions did not happen. However, it also says several predictions came true, so saying they did not turn out to be true is a Contradiction trap.
- C: Students might think this because technology is discussed. However, the passage never says the film led to inventions. This is a Causation trap.
- D: The film's predictions were all about future technology like hover boards and video calls. Saying they were not related to technology is a Contradiction trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- outlandish = very unrealistic
- prediction = forecast about the future
Question Focus: Inference question - asks what can be concluded about brain stimulation techniques
Correct Answer: B
Passage Reference: Recently, techniques for direct brain stimulation, like optogenetics, have made it possible to not only read but also write information into single neurons. At the moment data transfer rates are still very slow, the best we can do is a few bits per second, but this could well increase to kilobits maybe reach broadband speeds by 2045. This means the range of human perception could expand beyond its current design limitations.
Why this is correct: This is correct because the passage says human perception could expand beyond its current design limitations. That clearly means these techniques could alter human perception.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'human perception could expand beyond its current design limitations' = Option: 'could alter human perception'
Tips: For inference questions, look at what the information leads to, not just what is happening now.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Students may notice that current data rates are slow. However, the passage focuses on future increase by 2045, so saying unlikely is a Time/tense trap.
- C: The passage says perception could expand beyond current limits, not reach the limits. This reverses the meaning and is a Reverse meaning trap.
- D: The passage clearly says perception could change, so saying no impact directly contradicts the text. This is a Contradiction trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- stimulate = activate
- limitations = limits
Question Focus: Detail question - asks what Alex Ayad predicts about cities
Correct Answer: C
Passage Reference: Our cities will be made from living, dynamic materials that respond to the environment. In 30 years. Tall buildings made of glass and twisted steel will be seen as relics from a bygone era. The urban environment of 2045 blends architecture with living materials that are mould able, adaptable, responsive and disposable. Entirely new synthetic life forms, or biological machines, made of engineered living cells from bacteria, fungi and algae will grow and evolve with the changing needs of a building's inhabitants.
Why this is correct: This is correct because the passage describes living materials and synthetic life forms used in buildings. That clearly means buildings will be partially alive.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'living, dynamic materials' and 'synthetic life forms' = Option: 'buildings that are partially alive'
Tips: Do not add your own opinions like beauty or attractiveness unless the passage clearly states them.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A: Students may choose this because glass and steel are mentioned. However, these are described as relics from a bygone era, not the future. This is a Time/tense trap.
- B: The passage mentions materials that are disposable and adaptable, not reusable. This changes the meaning and is a Paraphrase trap.
- D: The passage focuses on function and living materials, not beauty. Saying more attractive is adding information. This is a Not Given trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- synthetic = man-made
- relics = objects from the past
Question Focus: Detail question - asks what new man-made life forms will do
Correct Answer: A
Passage Reference: Entirely new synthetic life forms, or biological machines, made of engineered living cells from bacteria, fungi and algae will grow and evolve with the changing needs of a building's inhabitants. They breathe in pollutants, dean wastewater, and use sunlight to make useful chemicals, energy, heat and vibrant vertical gardens.
Why this is correct: This is correct because the passage says these life forms will grow and evolve with the changing needs of a building's inhabitants. That means they respond to what people living there need.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'grow and evolve with the changing needs of a building's inhabitants' = Option: 'respond to the requirements of the people living in them'
Tips: Be careful with words like all or only. The passage usually uses more careful language.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B: Students may notice pollutants are mentioned. However, the passage does not say all pollutants are removed. This is a Qualification trap.
- C: Monitoring people is never mentioned. This is adding an idea not in the text, a Not Given trap.
- D: The passage talks about function like cleaning and energy, not helping architects design buildings. This is a Context shift trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- inhabitants = people who live there
- evolve = develop over time
General Tips:
- MCQ questions follow passage order, so use the location of the last answer to find the next one faster.
- Do not choose answers that sound logical in real life unless the passage clearly supports them.
- Watch for extreme words like all, never, or no impact. They are often wrong.
- Always read all options before choosing, even if one looks correct quickly.
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