Backwards Planet

Expect McCain to Go Young, Female and Alaskan

Expect McCain to look for a game-changer by picking a female and outsider. Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin would be a just that maverick and with a great backstory at that.

Russia Will Force Selection of Biden as Obama’s VP

With today’s news of Russia invading Georgia, expect Obama to choose Senator Joe Biden, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as his VP candidate.

2008 Olympic-Sized Forecast of Conflict

Expect Russia to take advantage of the Olympics to reassert itself but not in the way you may expect. Its athletes will do little to get the once great super power back into the headlines. Instead Russia will use the cover of the Olympics to launch operations against its pro-West neighbor Georgia. The US and EU will have no choice but to stand by and watch offering only their disapproval.

My First Olympic Predications…

With the Olympics right around the corner, it only seems appropriate to put in my two cents. So here it is… expect a glorious opening ceremony, a deluge of Chinese gold medals topping all other nations, Michael Phelps to become the greatest Olympian of all time, US gymnastics to take gold & silver in individual all-around, plenty of smog and overzealous Chinese police when it come to the media and protesters.

The Minority Report Yet To Be Written

Crime fighting and science converge.

Prediction: If you thought the Tom Cruise movie The Minority Report was farfetched it may be nearer to the truth than you realize. Over the next five years we will see a continuing convergence between science and crime fighting leading to more preemptive actions on the part of authorities. Initially it will focus on likely terrorists and potential repeat offenders. Tight local budgets will keep the process in check in the short term. However, eventually complaints will surface in regards to wide spread abuses. Within 10 years we will see the first court case involving a defendant being tried for something that he may do in the future.

Programmers Play Cupid

Online dating sites are springing up throughout the Internet.

Prediction: Get use to it. Dating of the future will no longer be wasting hard earned money cruising bars or being set up by friends who want the best for you (as long as he/she is not better than what they have settled for). The future of dating will be online, sophisticated and the process greatly accelerated. It will appeal to generations of lonely hearted singles. The upside will be the ability to find truly compatible mates through the use of clever web applications. The downside, divorce rates will skyrocket as those who did not have this advantage back in their day will feel they are missing out.

Education Evolves

The quality of education continues to decline as the cost of college moves out of reach for many Americans.

Prediction: You are likely to see an increase in state colleges, a greater variety of entrance exams as the SAT’s influenced becomes largely diminished. Finally, private institutions will be forced to compete by increasing the number of students accepted. They will accommodate by offering a greater number of classes online and at discounted rates.

Gas Prices Will Hit $5 a Gallon By 2009

This month gas prices were reported to have topped $3 a gallon due to the rise in the cost of oil.

Prediction: Gas prices in the US will hit $5 a gallon by 2009. Prices will be unlikely to decline much in the years to follow as the demand around the world continues to grow. Market speculation will also play a role. In response, Republicans will call for more drilling. Democrats will push for alternative approaches. Neither will offer a quick fix. US consumers will trade in their gas guzzlers for more fuel efficient automobiles and public transportation. The impact on businesses will be in the form of rising prices and more work-at-home positions (and 4 day work-weeks).

Dot Com To Lose Popularity

Businesses struggle to secure online identities as all the good domain names are taken. Many new businesses now consider domain searches as a key to selecting their business name.

Prediction: Before 2010 ICANN will be forced to allow registrants to replace “.com” with their own descriptors. Popular extensions will include .kids, .health, .shop and .sex.

What’s The Frequency?

It goes beyond the scanner at the checkout counter…

Prediction:  Radio Frequency Identification tags or RFIDs will take on a greater importance replacing many of the barcodes currently in use. The old mindset was to label a product and then scan it in order to retrieve information, such as pricing. This was to minimize human errors while speeding up the process of data entry. The future mindset will evolve to think beyond the checkout counter. Since RFIDs emit a radio signal, retailers, businesses and even the government will take advantage of the old school technology in new ways. ID cards will contain RFIDs for quick access. Checkout at grocery stores will by a breeze as you simply walk through the doors with your shopping cart and the products are instantly scanned and charged to your account. Patients’ records and prescriptions will utilize the technology. Soon serious privacy concerns will be raised in regard to the elaborate electronic profiles on individuals that emerge as a result.