Predictions for 2020, from 1989

We love making predictions. We can't help it, and we're not alone. Some companies have no hesitation sharing their futuristic visions (with varying levels of success), and there are even TV shows entirely dedicated to them. One such show was Tomorrow's World, which stayed on BBC1 for 38 years. In one of its 1989 broadcasts, Tomorrow's World decided to jump ahead more than three decades and predict what homes would be like in 2020. To be honest, it did quite well...

A Look Back at 1989

Many of our readers were probably born after 1989. What can we say about that year? Well, MacGyver was still airing, the Soviet Union was pulling out of Afghanistan, the Exxon Valdez was poisoning half of Alaska, the protests in Tiananmen Square were shaking China, and the movie theaters were full of releases: Back to the Future II, Batman, Ghostbusters II, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Millennium, The Punisher, Tango & Cash... plenty to keep us entertained.

But 1989 also had Tomorrow's World, the quintessential BBC1 program dedicated to exploring developments in science and technology. In fact, Tomorrow's World introduced many things we now take for granted, like the touchscreen, the digital watch, artificial grass, the barcode reader, robotic vacuums, and much more.

The 2020 Predictions

The first aspect the participants mention is still a challenge today: People want to enjoy the benefits of modern technology without being overwhelmed by gadgets and controls. In other words, "transparent technology". We've made some impressive progress, but there are still homes struggling with half a dozen remote controls that are completely incompatible with each other.

Even more impressive is the description of smart lights that turn on automatically when they detect someone in the room and learn our favorite brightness levels, or asking a background assistant to play music. Both of these already exist today, at very reasonable prices. The idea of 'energized walls' to eliminate traditional outlets never caught on, but lithium batteries and wireless charging offered an excellent alternative.

Another option that didn't gain the expected popularity is dynamic windows, but filling an entire wall with a television or computer monitor? That we already have. However, I think the most chilling prediction from Tomorrow's World for 2020 is the ecological one.

One of the participants states that "there will be enormous pressure in 2020 to reduce fossil fuel consumption and protect the environment." Home energy management will be crucial, as will building materials, with an emphasis on aerogel. Unfortunately, we only made it halfway.

In summary:

• Technology transparent, free of gadgets
• Smart lights
• Music on demand
• Energized walls without electrical outlets
• Dynamic windows and massive screens
• Energy efficiency and ecological designs

Not bad at all. What do you think?