I think Robotics will be big.
Ask HN: Predictions on what will be the most surprising technology in 10 years?
11–20 of 70 posts
Re: Ask HN: Predictions on what will be the most surprising technology in 10 years?
#12Well, it's like guessing which number is least likely to be guessed in the same game. If you could predict it right, it's probably not that surprising :)
Sadly this is all too true. By their nature, surprises are unexpected. That said, I would be surprised if we had an operating fusion power plant, a workable age reversing treatment, or a recreational space station.
10 years ago in 2007 I would have been surprised if we had a car that could drive itself, or a way to edit fairly specific genes.
Re: Ask HN: Predictions on what will be the most surprising technology in 10 years?
#13AI. Nobody knows what will happen, or if/what roadblocks await. If it continues to scale in the best case, we are in for strange times ahead.
Re: Ask HN: Predictions on what will be the most surprising technology in 10 years?
#14cryptocurrencies, whole new asset class, wild west
If cryptocurrencies get very "wild" as an "asset class", then the US SEC, etc. will make regulations and/or Congress will pass laws to calm it down.
The powerful governments in the world won't let crypto be means for money laundering, tax evasion, moving lots of money across country boundaries secretly, undisclosed assets, inheritance and gifts without taxes, etc.
It may be that the important, remaining, applications will be for cases of contracts, secure communications, etc.
Re: Ask HN: Predictions on what will be the most surprising technology in 10 years?
#15Paraphrasing Douglas Adams, I'd go with a volume knob for children, simply because it would be quite surprising if someone was able to get that working...
Re: Ask HN: Predictions on what will be the most surprising technology in 10 years?
#16I think the transition to self-driving electric cars as a service will be in full force by then, and it will only be slowed down by the sheer number of interlocked changes and requirements to finish that process. The sheer scale of the numbers will ensure significant palpable changes, and for once, it's a change occurring in the physical world of atoms.
Re: Ask HN: Predictions on what will be the most surprising technology in 10 years?
#17Bioweapons.
Re: Ask HN: Predictions on what will be the most surprising technology in 10 years?
#18I heard something recently about how terrible we are at predicting the future inherently.
I can't find the source, but I heard on a manager tools podcast that ~50 years ago they surveyed professionals about the future of flight. There was a ton of predictions about crazy concepts, but the winner was "bigger planes going more places"
This is also kind of a fun read: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Incorrect_predictions
Re: Ask HN: Predictions on what will be the most surprising technology in 10 years?
#19Well, it's like guessing which number is least likely to be guessed in the same game. If you could predict it right, it's probably not that surprising :)
I think people can be vaguely expecting something to happen yet still be entirely surprised when they see what it actually is in practice.
Re: Ask HN: Predictions on what will be the most surprising technology in 10 years?
#20cryptocurrencies, whole new asset class, wild west
If cryptocurrencies get very "wild" as an "asset class", then the US SEC, etc. will make regulations and/or Congress will pass laws to calm it down. The powerful governments in the world won't let crypto be means for money laundering, tax evasion, moving lots of money across country boundaries secretly, undisclosed assets, inheritance and gifts without taxes, etc. It may be that the important, remaining, applications…
It is one thing to make regulations and the other to enforce.