What Will the World Be Like in 2100 and Beyond?

Every other morning I go down to the 20-metre indoor pool in our apartment building and swim 80 lengths, approximately one mile. The mental exercise accompanying this effort includes treating each lap as a number followed by 80 which then becomes a year. So the first lap equals 180 CE when the Roman Empire was near its zenith and the Han Dynasty ruled China. When I get to the 20th lap I find myself in future-world territory and my mind starts to imagine the state of the planet and humanity as each lap representing a century elapses. It’s just what I do to make sure I’m on count but as a mental exercise, it makes me consider how the future of humanity and the planet will unfold.

This blog site was created by me to consider technological, scientific, and societal changes from the pre-21st century to the present and then beyond to 2100. Think about how the human experience differs from 180 CE to the present. In less than 1,900 years, the human population of the planet has grown from a little over 300 million to 2.5 billion by 1950 and over 8 billion today. You can’t add that many humans to the planet and not leave a profound footprint.

From the Romans and Han to the 21st Century

Along with population have come advancements in technology. The Roman and Han Empires represented the advanced civilizations of their time in 180 CE. Both relied on water, wind, animal and human power to build their worlds. How far removed we are less than 1,900 years later.

During China’s Han Dynasty science and technological advances included the invention of paper, suspension bridges, the wheelbarrow, seismograph, blast furnace and more. Roman technological advances didn’t quite measure up to those from East Asia but included concrete, hard-surfaced roads, aqueducts and the modern Julian Calendar. If you think I forgot to mention the watermill under Rome, that was invented by the Greeks before Rome’s conquest of the Eastern Mediterranean.

These were the advances humans made to alter the world using the intellect of a mere 300 million minds. In the 21st century with 8 billion-plus minds and growing to 10 billion to mine, how different will the world be in 2100? What will be the advances in science? What technological wizardry will we unveil? When there are no more hidden realms on Earth to study, will we go extraterrestrial? This was going through my head as I reached the 21st lap of my morning swim.

Technology at the Cusp Today Will Be Reality in 2100

To describe this century as the most important in human history, past, present and future, would seem an ego and homocentric comment. It may, however, be the truth because, by the end of this century, human population growth will level off and begin to decline. We will be dealing with the ongoing fallout from climate change requiring us to alter how and where we live. We will rely on technologies to sustain us through changes to the environment and will encounter roadblocks and crises by mid-century that will test our collective wisdom and resolve. We will face future wars far different, and more lethal than what is going on today and has in the past. Our advances in technology and science will revolutionize work, travel, our cities and homes, our bodies, and our minds.

If you think humans are urban-centric today, by 2100, nearly 90% of us will call cities home. The playing field for economic and social activity will be levelled by satellite networks like Starlink and its current nascent competitors. This ubiquitous access to global communication will alter education, technology sharing, and commerce. Add artificial intelligence (AI) and robots to the mix and expect a world far different than the one we live in today.

How we produce energy in the future is already on the horizon today. Burning fossil fuels to produce electricity and move things around will come to an end. Instead, electricity produced through fusion and renewable sources will be what powers the world as the 22nd century unfolds.

Our understanding of genetics will allow us to re-engineer our bodies. We will eliminate genetic and epigenetic diseases. We will move from the corrective medical world of today to a wholly preventive one. Will there be designer babies? Very likely. Will we enhance our genes to add new human capabilities? Also likely. Will we be capable of living to age 200? If we want it to happen and some of us do, then it will be a done deal.

This is what goes through my head every time I reach the 21st lap of my swims. It is pretty nerdy stuff. But if you are intrigued, the next time I write about this subject I will share with you what I think as I swim the 30th lap and the year 3,000.