[ryandrake]

I wonder why everyone predicts the world is going to be so radically different in just 20 years? What will drive that, and why hasn't it happened in the last 20 years? Politically, economically, socially, things change very slowly. The status quo is one of the most powerful forces in the world, and it will continue to stay powerful. My prediction for 2040: The world will be pretty close to what it is in 2020, which is also pretty close to what it was in 2000. Really the only major difference between my life now and my life in 2000 is that there are mobile phones all over the place, and people are glued to them.