Anything's Possible

There's something about predictions of the future that we as human beings seem to be eternally fascinated with.

From the enigmatic Nostradamus who is claimed to have foretold everything from The French Revolution to the Kennedy Assassination; to the late Sir Arthur C. Clarke who predicted the emergence of something he referred to as a 'global library', now more commonly known as the Internet, or Porn Library; and George Orwell who envisioned a future omnipresent totalitarian entity that in these days is no more better exemplified in the form of reality television series, Big Brother. History is peppered with soothsayers, prophecies and crystal-ball readings that forecast a multitude of future possibilities.

But what is it about these predictions that we find so captivating? Is it the idea of a better world, a better life that is the allure? A hope that, one day, we would all live in a Utopia filled with wonder, joy and, erm, spaceships? Or is it just our inherently strong desire to see what's around the corner, an early peek before the big reveal?

Recently published online, an article printed in 1968 holds some surprisingly accurate details of what life would be like in 2008. Titled "40 Years In The Future", author James R Berry wrote about cashless transactions, GPS units, phones with TV screens, space tourism and even newspapers that you can read on a screen; things that may sound like common fare today, but 40 years ago were the stuff of sci-fi fantasies.

Which made me wonder, what kind of things will we see 40 years from now? What kind of future-fantastic things can we expect?

Well, I've looked into my crystal ball, jumbled my runes and divined the tea leaves at the bottom of my cup, and have come up with the following predictions for 2048, all with a gay bent, of course:

PERSONAL FORCEFIELDS. People are now individually equipped with an invisible, impermeable barrier that protects in all sense of the word and takes the term of safe sex into a completely different meaning. Just think of it, those awkward moments at the height of passion are forever eliminated.

MIXED DNA. Same sex couples are now able to combine their individual DNA without the need for conventional reproductive means to produce an offspring in their likeness. Brad Pitt and Colin Farrell would surely have the most gorgeous baby in the history of mankind; Iggy Pop and Michael Jackson, not so much.

HOLOGRAPHIC PERSONALS. Gone are the days of grainy pixelated pictures that one must do neck acrobatics with in order to view properly, personal ads of the future will all come with holographic images. Not only can potential partners be viewed head-on but now also back-to-front, upside down and, well, any which way you like. Be warned though: reports of holograms with heads attached to disproportionately-sized bodies also increases.

BIO-ORGANIC GAYDARS. No longer relying on subtle cues and secret handshakes, implanted bio-organic gaydars will soon take the guessing game out of finding out. Not only will you know whether the person you may be interested in is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, intersex or anything else in between, but this sophisticated little implant will also let you know if they're single, attached, in an open-relationship, or just way too drunk to care or remember.

GAY WORLD. Human civilisation finally becomes an all accepting society with prejudice and bigotry eliminated. Gay marriages are not only legalized but common, but also are gay divorces. Adoptions are open to all sexualities and children are not preferentially provided. Gender identity and sexuality studies become a compulsory subject in all schools which results in youth suicide rates plummeting to zero. There are openly gay leaders in several countries and the world has even seen the installment of the very first gay pope. Equal rights are provided to all.

Okay, so perhaps these things seem a little too fantastical even by today's standards. I mean, who would be comfortable walking around in a forcefield all day? Or be willing to replace an implant that's malfunctioned? I know I probably wouldn't...

But that last one sure sounds great, doesn't it?

Well, whatever happens and however fascinating, there's one thing about the future that's certain: anything IS possible.

Here's hoping.