In 20 years, you may be able to communicate with your pet if the predictions of Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology come true, The Asahi Shimbun reports.
The ministry's White Paper on Science and Technology made 37 predictions for the year 2040. Japanese officials approved the ministry’s predictions Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting.
In addition to talking to your cat or dog, predictions include being able to taste what your partner is eating for dinner through a shared human consciousness and robots being able to grow produce at farms and harvest the crops, with drones delivering fruits and vegetables to shops and homes.
Other predictions include people with disabilities being able to experience activities like skiing through enhanced virtual reality gear and human-operated heavy machinery becoming automated.
The 2020 white paper imagines what life will be like in 2040. The predictions show a world where reality and virtual reality are intertwined.
About 70% of the ministry’s predictions have come true since it started issuing the white papers in the 1970s, the newspaper reports.
In 1977, the ministry forecast the invention of televisions that could be hung on the wall. In 1982, the ministry predicted the arrival of mobile phones.
But not all predictions have come to fruition yet. A cure for prevention of cancer metastasis made in 1977 still hasn’t materialized. Neither has a complete exploration of the world's ocean mineral resources, which was predicted in 1992.
“We incorporated experts’ opinions into the predictions. Most of the predictions will come true in 20 years,” a ministry official said.
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