I've steered clear of US politics as I think it's impossible to figure out the machinations of public facing party politics when the titans of US wealth and power are having an identity crisis. It will sort itself out in a term or two. Expect rhetoric to be loud, outrageous, amusing and actions to be - well, pretty much the same as usual.
I suggest that if you take out your "Magic 8-Ball" you'll get the same results... a great use for a 20-sided (icosahedron) die by the way. Just keep in mind that 50% of the time it's going to be a "go for it" answer. (only 5 out of 20 replies are "don't do it.") Meh, as good an answer as anything those overpaid, pretentious and obnoxious talking heads in main stream media ever spout off about. World events simplified and without all of those pharma commercials! Just keep an 8-ball on the night stand - it's all good. But I digress...
Interesting times. I too have been thinking a lot about our little planet these days, so I decided to bring back my annual attempt at a glimpse into the future... Our dog usually has a lot to do with shaping my world views and after discussing the matter we've winnowed it down to ten, so here we go.
The ten predictions for 2021 are:
1. Mobility energy breakthrough - the solid state battery will emerge as the clear winner negating the need for all of the exotic metals and finally returning rhodium to its rightful status as a so-so - whaddya do with that stuff kind of element.
2. Dystopian application of technology will create a global backlash for law makers to enact civil liberty protections - one always follows the other - but intoxicating power takes time to subdue. Don't forget the genie is out of the bag and good guys and bad guys are out there. If your gonna keep bad guys from bad digital things you eventually need real laws for everybody. Sorry silicon valley si-pals, the wild west is gonna have to get tamed.
3. New building and transportation codes will slowly be rolled out as a result of acknowledged learning about airborne virus infection pathways. Re-circulating air in common occupant spaces not so good, electrostatic scrubbers good... UV-C 260 nanometer lighted air filtration good... Mass transit health related codes are ancient or non-existent, time to integrate some easy low tech - low cost public health improvements. Really, how many times have you caught something from a flight? Too many times for me and way easy to improve.
4. Tensions flare in the Malacca Straight as the idea of building your own island and weaponizing it catches on... yeah, it's been done before. Tit for Tat, expect it. Japan, Australia and India probably have ideas of their own. I dunno, they say good fences make good neighbors.
5. Blow back on all things digital. I'm not sure what it will look like, but I think enough folks have lost enough income to maybe bring into focus the down side of silicon valley.
6. The US re-discovers S. America. Trade agreements start to ramp up. So does tourism.
7. US agriculture booms as Brexit opens up a huge 60M people opportunity for export of high quality agriculture to the UK. Gas up the John Deere - it's gonna be big!
8. IoT expands into pet products. Expect to see an "iCollar" for your cat or dog to be worn in place of their old ID tag. Yup, new ways to train - imagine giving your pet voice directions from across a field or from work. Apps that plot where they are, cameras to show what they see, no longer just a license dangling on a d-ring - but a digital record any smart phone can read through a blue tooth app... New possibilities, a renaissance in pet training. Books will be written! 5G and your Dog... Do you Know your Cat's URL? The Cat as Witness... LOL - endless marketing po$$ibilitie$. Pure gold for PETCO, CHEWY and infomercial producers. Maybe even enough oomph to displace pharma in the US tv ad business!
9. Geophysicists will publish some amazing science on the natural course of global climate change that will achieve escape velocity from the talking heads and politicians... It's good to know what really happens from the prospective of those who do the research, take the data and validate theory with replication. See my earlier post about the "fact of the matter." I believe climatologists are cranky enough not to allow their science to get politicized. Talking heads onthe other hand... just read what's in front of them with the tonal inflections and banter their producers write in the margins of their scripts...
10. Northwest Passage picks up volume as satellite based solutions for avoiding sea ice are found. Oooooee the trek from Asia to Europe gets shorter and waaaay less expensive. I wonder if new cities will emerge up there? Real estate in the frozen North must be a real bargain right now!
11. BONUS - natural mutation of the COVID - 19 virus reduces it's lethality to a bad cold by the end of the year. It is shedding RNA, just not as fast as MERs or SARs... Let us hope.
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