A cure for cancer

I’m sure there’ll be a number of big breakthroughs in the fight against cancer in the next couple of decades.

They’ve already worked out that a virus (HPV) causes almost all cases of cervical cancer, and thus they’ve been able to stop that in its tracks. They’re also using viruses to destroy cancer cells, which is showing a fair bit of promise.

I reckon one of the first to be conquered (at least if you’ll have the money to get the treatment) will be skin cancer. But the others will follow too.

You watch.

I’ll die from heart issues, not from cancer.

 

A cure for baldness

A cure for baldness will emerge perhaps in 2018. It will involve spreading a topical cream or minor day surgery to inject some sort of stem cells just under the skin with a message or a direct order to grow hair.

Of course it will be expensive, and not everyone will use it.

Small particles and your health

Small particles in the air (particulates) are now becoming known as a major health concern.

This will be a huge issue in the next decade (2010-2020), affecting insurance liabilities, workplaces, homes, roads and may change urban development and even entice some people back to the lovely countryside air.

Watch out for particulates!

Antibacterial load of crap

Those antibacterial products that we see advertised everywhere these days, will soon be shown to be not only a waste of time but also harmful to humans.

There are 10-20 times as many bacteria cells in your body than your own cells. Say what? You heard right… read here or here if you don’t believe me.

Good luck trying to kill them all off! Learn to live with your neighbours, rather than trying to nuke them all.

Energy decline and solutions

The world will solve the energy crisis… but not before it gets worse.

2009: World is running hot with massive oil use and change is very slow.

2010-2025: Climate change will really kick in, as will oil decline, massive price hikes for oil and other ‘old’ energy types, and a major ‘energy crisis‘ will emerge.

2025-2050: Massive move to new energy technology. Structural adjustments and broadscale changes in how we use energy to power things.

2050: Energy crisis solved. Climate still changed and changing. Still a long process of massive adjustment to new world.

What do I mean: ‘energy crisis solved’? Well here’s a quick statistic for you: enough sunlight falls on Australia in 40 minutes to power it for a year. And in terms of the ‘base load conundrum’ – well that’s been solved. Solar will be one of the keys, but there’ll be plenty of other impressive solutions.

Computers and your body

Computers are shocking for the body. As I sit here, my back aches largely because of the time I’ve spent sitting at a desk staring at a computer screen.

It won’t be like this in 2030.

Seen Minority Report? This stuff is prescient. If I was a computer manufacturer, I’d be working on prototypes now.

Soon we should have wristband devices that are like iPhones on steriods. Speech technology is fairly lame at the moment, but is improving exponentially and its uses are popping up all the time now. All we need is holographics or projector technology to take off and we won’t need crappy computer screens at all.

You watch. By 2012 things we’ll get a taste of what’s to come. Hold on to your hats, and get ready to chuck the keyboard and the old flickering screens.

Australia, Asia and the world

My next prediction is far longer-term and amorphous, and is:

Worldwide, I see a continued surge in demand for resources over the next decade and booming economies throughout Asia. However, I also see massive upheaval throughout the world, affecting Asia as much as anywhere. This will be due to climate change, (ps we will stay well above 350ppm – more like 480ppm and we’ll have to see where that takes us!) water scarcity (big, big problems ahead), and other problems related to ‘development’, including the impacts on the human psyche when you get rich and fat… Turns out it doesn’t turn out to be as good as you imagine when you’re lean and keen.

In terms of the Australian economy, it will be far more linked to Asia than the United States and Europe in 2010 and beyond. See this great article by Michael Pascoe in BusinessDay (the age) if you need to be convinced.

First prediction

Ok, here’s my first prediction:

The favourite of the Melbourne Cup (Australia) horse race to be held next week will be: Alcopop.

The winner will be: Shocking.