So much for flying cars and made-to-order weather

Here we are, rushing headlong into not only a new year, but a new decade as well, and the pundits are busy predicting what is in store for all of us. While it may be fascinating to think that we can see into the future, a new book by Paul Milo shows just how foolhardy that can be.

Called “Your Flying Car Awaits,” it is a guide to some major “oops” and phenomenally inaccurate predictions made by some clever people. Among some of the forecasts about what our life would be like today:

- Space tourism by the year 2,000

- Nuclear explosives used for commercial demolition

- Man-made oceans will cover the planet

- Weather will be as predictable and controllable as a train schedule.

- Underwater cities

- 200-year life spans

Ann Mack, director of Trendspotting from J. Walter Thompson, while not a clairvoyant, is in the business of short-term predictions based on current trends, and according to one of their reports, here are some important trends for 2010:

- Retooling for an aging world: With the world’s population aging, watch for a proliferation of products and services that cater to this group as they strive to live independently for as long as they can.

- Searching for stability: Consumers will continue to exercise restraint until they see clear, dependable signs of stability. Consumers will also be working harder than ever, putting more time and energy into finding good values. As banks, airlines and other ailing service industries impose complex fees and conditions on customers, failure to pay close attention will be costly.

- Maximum Disclosure: Legal requirements and competitive pressures will force fuller disclosure, from ingredients and calorie counts to carbon footprints and sourcing. Additionally, as the eco-spotlight focuses on the environmental costs of packaging, brands will switch to items that reduce, reuse, recycle and renew.

- Life in real time: The Web is evolving into a constantly updating stream of real-time information, conversation and images, which creates a mass culture. Shifting perceptions of “current” move modern life into the “now.” Use of the Web and phone messaging has also given rise to a new vocabulary of “buzz words.” Some examples are:

- The new normal: The recession has forced Americans to change their lives in many ways. With less disposable income, it’s a world of “new normals.”

- Buycotting: A conscious effort to buy from companies whose environmental and social policies you support ... the opposite of a boycott.

- Delab: A dead celebrity who is still making money. Some examples are Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Dr. Seuss.

- Deficit Neutral: This term, meaning bills that pay for themselves over a certain budget period, will become a mainstay of political debate.

What all of this tells us is that we have a human need to want to know what lies ahead. The unpredictable makes us uncomfortable. However, those of us who have been around awhile have already learned, “Life is what happens when we’re making other plans.”

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