In 1964, American author and Professor Issac Asimov,
following a visit to the world fair technological conference,
penned his imagining, in an article for the New York Times,
of what technological advances would come to be in the
world of 2014 [1]. Remarkably, he was quite accurate in his
extrapolating of not only future global population growth
and corresponding technology chasms but also with regard
to future technological advances based on the exhibits
displayed at the fair. Examples of Asimov’s envisioning
included:
“Communications will become sight-sound and you will see
as well as hear the person you telephone. The screen can be
used not only to see the people you call but also for studying
documents and photographs and reading passages from
books.”
“In 2014, there is every likelihood that the world population
will be 6,500,000,000…. Although technology will still keep
up with population through 2014, it will be only through a
supreme effort and with but partial success. Not all the
world's population will enjoy the gadgetry world of the future
to the full…. Nor can technology continue to match
population growth if that remains unchecked.”
“the I.B.M exhibit at the present fair has no robots, but is
dedicated to computers which are shown in all their
complexity…. if machines are smart today, what may not be
in the works 50 years hence? It will be such computers,
much miniaturized…”