Welcome to 2124!

Close your eyes and imagine that you’ve time traveled 100 years into the future. 

What do you see? Kids getting rides to school in flying cars? Robots delivering donuts? Talking dogs?

Throughout history, humans have dreamed about what the future might be like. Some of these dreams have been shockingly accurate. In the late 1400s, for example, artist Leonardo da Vinci envisioned a helicopter-like flying machine—centuries before human flight even became possible. Others have been wacky and weird. In 1964, some experts forecast that by 2020, animals would be doing all our chores. 

Today predicting the future isn’t as much of a guessing game as it used to be. In fact, it’s become an important area of study. Experts called futurists research changing trends in the world today to anticipate what might happen tomorrow. Then they work with government and business leaders to make plans for the future.

Read on to find out what life might be like in 100 years, according to some futurists.

Close your eyes. Imagine that you’ve traveled 100 years into the future. What do you see? Kids going to school in flying cars? Robots delivering donuts? Talking dogs?

Humans have always dreamed about what the future might be like. Some of these dreams have been very accurate. In the 1400s, artist Leonardo da Vinci envisioned a flying machine. Da Vinci had his idea centuries before there was human flight! Other predictions have been wacky and weird. In 1964, some experts forecast that by 2020, animals would be doing all our chores.

Today predicting the future isn’t as much of a guessing game as it used to be. In fact, it’s become an important area of study. Experts called futurists look at trends in the world today. They do this to anticipate what might happen tomorrow. Then they work with government and business leaders to make plans for the future.

Read on to find out what life might be like in 100 years, according to some futurists.

The world’s population will have increased to 11 billion people, so new food sources will be needed to feed everyone. That’s why insects will be a major part of our diet. They’re packed with protein and require fewer resources—like water and land—to raise than chickens and cows.

The world’s population will have grown to 11 billion people. New food sources will be needed to feed everyone. That’s why insects will be a big part of our diet. They’re full of protein. And raising them uses up less water and land than it takes to raise chickens and cows.

Virtual reality technology will transport us to digital worlds where we’ll be able to hear, see, smell, and even touch what’s around us. Want to stroll with dinosaurs through a jungle? Swim to the bottom of the ocean? Sing your heart out to a packed stadium? Go right ahead! Some people will spend a lot of time in the virtual world, unplugging only to eat and sleep.

Virtual reality technology will take us to digital worlds. In these worlds, we’ll be able to hear, see, smell, and even touch what’s around us. Want to walk with dinosaurs through a jungle? Swim to the bottom of the ocean? Sing in front of a packed stadium? Go right ahead! Some people will spend a lot of time in the virtual world. They’ll unplug only to eat and sleep.

Life beyond Earth will be a proven fact. Maybe that life will be a tiny organism found on a space rock. Maybe it will be slimy moss on a faraway planet. It’s unlikely that it will be intelligent life-forms like our own. But who knows? Whatever this alien life is, we’ll learn about it in science class.

We’ll have proof that there is life beyond Earth. Maybe that life will be a tiny organism found on a space rock. Maybe it will be slimy moss on a faraway planet. It probably won’t be intelligent life-forms like us. But who knows? Whatever this alien life is, we’ll learn about it in science class.

Need a new notebook for school or a new pair of jeans? Don’t run to the store just yet! We’ll be able to print whatever we want—even our dinner—on a 3-D printer, a machine that uses a variety of materials to create solid objects. Every home will have one.

Need a new notebook for school? A new pair of jeans? Don’t run to the store just yet! We’ll be able to print whatever we want—even food—on a 3-D printer. This machine uses a variety of materials to create solid objects. Every home will have one.

Toilets will monitor our health by analyzing our waste. They will tell us when we’re not drinking enough water or getting enough vitamins, and even when we’re about to fall sick. Whatever we flush will be recycled and turned into energy to heat and cool our homes.

Toilets will monitor our health by testing our waste. They will tell us when we’re not drinking enough water or getting enough vitamins. They’ll even tell us when we’re about to get sick. Whatever we flush will be turned into energy to heat and cool our homes.

We’ll cheer for machines that have been built and programmed to play a sport, just like humans do today. The games will be thrilling events as exciting as the FIFA World Cup and the Super Bowl! Robolympics anyone?

We’ll cheer for machines that have been programmed to play a sport—like we cheer for human athletes today. The games will be thrilling events, as exciting as the FIFA World Cup and the Super Bowl! Robolympics anyone?

Insects like mosquitoes, flies, and roaches will have been almost entirely killed off. Officials will have drained all swamps and other bodies of water where mosquitoes breed, treating them with insect-killing chemicals. 

Insects like mosquitoes, flies, and roaches will have been almost all killed off. Bodies of water where mosquitoes breed will have been drained and treated with insect-killing chemicals.

English will be the most widely spoken language in the world. But we won’t use the letters C, X, and Q anymore because they will not be needed. “English will be a language of condensed words expressing condensed ideas,” one article reads.

English will be the most widely spoken language in the world. But we won’t use the letters C, X, and Q anymore. Those letters won’t be needed. “English will be a language of condensed words expressing condensed ideas,” one article reads.

Some of these airships will carry passengers and goods—though cars and ships will remain favorite forms of transportation. Other airships will be used by scientists making observations high above Earth.

Some of these airships will carry passengers and goods. Cars and ships will still be our favorite ways to travel, though. Other airships will be used by scientists making observations high above Earth.

These fast-flying fridges over land and sea will deliver fresh fruits from places like South America, South Africa, and Australia to the United States. That way, we’ll be able to enjoy delicious summer fruits like juicy mangoes and sweet strawberries all winter long. Yum!

Fridges will fly fast over land and sea. They’ll deliver fresh fruits from places like South America, South Africa, and Australia. That way, Americans will be able to eat summer fruits like mangoes and strawberries all winter long. Yum!

With the push of a button, we’ll be able to receive our mail, food, laundry, and anything else we need directly in our homes. How? Through a system of tubes.

Just push a button and we’ll be able to get our mail, food, and anything else we need directly in our homes. How? Through a system of tubes.

Cameras connected with screens will show audiences thousands of miles away all kinds of people and events from across the world. These screens will be viewed in theaters, as well as in our homes. 

Cameras connected to screens will show events and people from across the world. Viewers thousands of miles away will be able to watch. These screens will be in theaters and in our homes.