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    When most of us think about the future, we think about things like what we’re going to have for lunch or what time we might be able to cut out of work. While we’re occupied with these trivial matters, there are brilliant minds taking a longer view of the future and making bold predictions about how technology and societal changes will impact the way humanity lives in the decades and centuries to come. Here are some of the more interesting predictions by these brilliant people and what we foresee as possible impacts if they are to come true.

    Prediction: "By 2030, a large number of people will have robot lovers. Robots that are physically indistinguishable from humans are only 15-20 years away." -- Christian H. Nesheim

    Impact: Bars will replace condom machines with battery machines.

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    Prediction: "Learning will become more social and game-based, and online social gaming may soon replace textbooks in schools." -- The Futurist magazine

    Impact: "Grand Theft Auto" will finally become a recognized college major.

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    Prediction: Utilizing advanced technologies, human beings will create "transhumans," improved versions of themselves that will eventually pose a threat to non-enhanced humans. -- Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan

    Impact: "Revenge of the Nerds" will be remade, but instead of nerds vs. jocks, it will be about humans vs. transhumans.

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    Prediction: "Within a couple of decades, we will have 'nanobots' in our blood stream, basically small robots the size of blood cells, that will keep us healthy at the cellular and molecular level." -- Ray Kurzweil

    Impact: The hangover will be a thing of the past, but people will still feel the need to complain about them.

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    Prediction: "Robotic earthworms will gobble up our garbage." -- The Futurist magazine

    Impact: The robotic earthworms will go on a homework-eating binge that will bring the educational system to a standstill.

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    Prediction: "Machines will claim to be conscious in 30 years. These claims will be largely accepted." -- Ray Kurzweil

    Impact: Your refrigerator will start drinking your beer and hitting on the toaster oven, resulting in some awkward moments in your kitchen.

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    Prediction: Similar to prosthetic arms and legs, there will be well-working and fully functional prosthetic brains. -- Stephen Euin Cobb

    Impact: Apple will make the coolest brains, and Apple elitists will become even more insufferable.

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    Prediction: "We will have the ability to communicate through thought transmission." -- BBC News Magazine

    Impact: Despite being able to easily transmit whole words and sentences directly to someone else’s brain, "LOL" will still be used, and senior citizens will continue to believe it stands for "lots of love."


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    Prediction: "By 2030, most film actors will be out of work due to competition from cheap, computer-animated actors. Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) technology will enable us to create movies with animated characters so lifelike that they become indistinguishable from humans, rendering actors (in film anyway) obsolete." -- Christian H. Nesheim

    Impact: CGI Tom Cruise and human Tom Cruise will fall in love and get married.

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    Next: Insane Predictions that Came True

    Prediction: "Everything you say and do will be recorded by 2030. All conversation and activity will be recorded and recoverable." -- Gene Stephens

    Impact: The phrase "I never said that" will still be widely used by people, even when they’re confronted with recordings of themselves saying that exact thing.