It's the season for "Best of 2007" and "Predictions for 2008" posts. I'm just as clueless a futurist as anyone else, so I figure I'm qualified to pass along what I see in my fog-filled crystal ball. Now I've noticed a trend in the prognostications I have read in the past (though "noticed is perhaps too subtle a word, as the pattern would be obvious to a moron in a hurry"). Nobody gives a crap if you predict boring things ("France will continue to be located somewhere in Western Europe..."). I want links and attention, so I'm shooting for the most AMAZING yet POSSIBLE predictions. Move along if you're looking for a sure thing -- I am way, way out on a bloggish limb here.
My "First Annual Predictions for the Coming Year" are:
Environment
- A large volcano will erupt, blocking out enough sunlight to temporarily lower global average temperatures. Someone of note will seriously suggest this as an approach to dealing with Global Warming.
- No serious progress will be seen in delivering Electric, Hydrogen, or greatly improved Hybrid cars (but 2009 will be better)
Science
- CERN will not observe the Higgs boson.
Sports
- Doping will wane as a story in the news even as it waxes in its importance and use in all sports.
Technology
- The are we / are we not in a bubble debate will cease when the Web 2.0 bubble bursts. LinkedIn and Digg will be the highest-profile collapses (selling out for much, much lower than once predicted). "Digg it" will become a derogatory term.
- The Chumby will be an unqualified success, with numerous unimaginative copycats. At least two other embedded-general-purpose Linux devices will make it into widespread use. A vending machine will begin selling $100 laptops in Taiwan.
Communications
- Traditional newspapers will continue their efforts to drive themselves out of business -- led by the San Jose Mercury News ("Silicon Valley's Newspaper") which will eliminate nearly all of its editorial staff. The "Palo Alto Daily News" will begin publishing an almost-completely automated "San Jose Daily News". "Mr. Roadshow" will switch papers. This pattern will repeat nationwide.
- The New York Times will greatly solidify its position as the US's premier source of news.
Politics
- Vice President Winfrey
Fashion
- I will continue to dress the same way I have for fifteen year, more or less, though I might switch brands of sneakers.
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