They have no access to the technology that makes the good life possible, nor to education, the key to survival in the year 2046. Not so, according to several groups of Penn students assembled recently to discuss how the world will look in the year 2046. Although each group articulated virtually the same vision of a frightening underground uprising by the have-nots, all the students remain optimistic that technology will also bring forth changes for the good of society and the planet. But while video stores have proliferated, movie theaters continue to rake in our entertainment dollars. Indeed, many of the students see technology opening new channels for us to meet people we would not normally meet.
Communication is easier and faster, and media coverage of world events is instantaneous.
But technological advances will also allow us more time to think and be creative, which will in turn lead to innovation and better technology. Economic growth will occur, some world problems will be solved, and exciting innovations in the arts, sciences, business, and government will take place. All the students agree that regardless of the outcome of technological innovations over the next 50 years, some level of social responsibility needs to accompany the advances. We will, for example, enjoy viewing three-dimensional murals. We will be able to call up the name of a playwright and view a production of the play we select.