Even in a volatile, ever-changing future, many things will stubbornly refuse to change. Shane Hegarty reports
For all the advances in technology over the past two decades, we still live in houses with four walls, malfunctioning central heating and without being able to turn on the lights by simply saying "lights". Yet, within that house, we can watch television from around the world, buy movies, and buy our shopping through the computer.
Barristers will probably still wear silly wigs in 20 years' time, and footballers will still have bad haircuts. We will still be moaning about prices, saying that things were better in the olden days of the early noughties. But there will be alterations. A few years ago, it was speculated that the high-street shop would become a dinosaur. The shopping revolution happened, but in a quieter way. We buy some things online, such as records, books and, sometimes, our food shopping. But we still like to try on clothes before we buy them, and actually enjoy the sensation of browsing through aisles. So, don't expect the demise of the shop.
However, as shown by the rise of mobile phone shops - which now make up, it seems, 90 per cent of all retail space - the face of the high street will change. The traditional record store may be extinct as people will be able to download music through their television, computer or phone. Electronics stores will not sell CD players, video recorders or even DVD players, as all your home entertainment needs will be available through your TV set and a phone line. Besides, the humble album may be endangered by the increasing ability to just pick the songs we like.
We may not, though, be paying for much with paper money. The arrival of chip and pin technology should make it easier to pay for everything with your bankcard. Already, we carry less cash than we used to, and have the ability to put ourselves in more debt than before. This is likely to continue.
WE WILL STILL WEAR CLOTHES
"Intelligent textiles" will let you change the design on your T-shirt at the switch of a button, or alter its colour to keep up with trends. It might also mean being able to take a phone call or listen to music through technology embedded in your fabric. Both of which will irritate enormously the people sitting beside you on the train. Which will still be packed and running late.
WE WILL STILL DRIVE CARS
Increasingly, cars will run on hybrid fossil fuel/electric engines and may ultimately be hydrogen-powered vehicles. So, your car will be a little greener. There will still be traffic jams, of course. Cars will still only fly in the movies. Given that so many people now work from their cars, they will become more domestic, with fridges and microwave ovens for snacking.
WE WILL STILL PLAY GAMES
Sport will be the same, bar the odd rule change, but a child born this year might be able to dream of being a professional GAA player, while the winning point in the All-Ireland final might be scored by a player born of Nigerian parents. Kids will not ride computer bikes or throw virtual frisbies, but they will play computer games with kids on the other side of the world.
WE WILL STILL LIVE IN HOUSES
Minimalism will be out and flowery textiles, mix-and-match furniture suites and net curtains will all be back in fashion. As for dinner, spaghetti Bolognese will still taste the same and potatoes will still be floury for half the year. However, better communications technology will mean that you can sit down for dinner with your brother beamed on to the television screen from Tokyo.
WE WILL STILL MAKE CALLS
And if the future is all too much for us, we will see our therapist or doctor via the videophone rather than going down to the surgery. There is great opportunity for those in health-related areas to exploit the changes in mobile phone technology. Already, the less legitimate area of telephone psychics is a massive money-spinner. Although if you really want to know the future, they're probably the last ones to ask.