20 Things That Will Disappear in 50 Years
Remember the days of VHS tapes, MiniDiscs, and fax machines? If you show someone born after 2000 any of these antiquated objects, they probably wouldn’t even know what to do with them. It makes us wonder how many of the things we use every day will one day seem impractical, irrelevant, or downright bizarre. Here are 20 things that will probably be obsolete by 2066.
USB
Like the MiniDisc before it, USB keys are bound to disappear. Many new computers have already stopped including USB ports. In fact, the movement toward storing information virtually signals the beginning of the end for physical data storage devices. Even DVDs and Blu-ray discs are becoming irrelevant with the rise of the Cloud and the on-demand TV industry.
CAMERA
Smartphones are now equipped with versatile, high quality cameras, making them ideal for both the perfect selfie and that expansive mountain view. This could very well mean the end of professional photography cameras in the near future. If you are a die-hard camera aficionado, there’s worse news still: Sony, Google, and Samsung are all developing technology that will allow people to record everything through their contact lenses!
CASH
The old adage that you can’t take money to the grave will soon become the literal truth. All evidence points to the end of physical money (coins, cash, cheques, and even credit and debit cards) in our lifetime. All of your transactions will instead be made with your smartphone, using voice and fingerprint recognition technology.
EYEGLASSES
Contact lenses didn’t phase out glasses, but laser eye surgery just might. As it becomes more financially accessible and less invasive, laser eye surgery is proving an effective way to treat a large number of vision problems.
PLASTIC BAGS
Plastic bags—which we use for a few minutes and take hundreds of years to decompose—are a symbol of our ecologically destructive habits. In the past decade, there has been a general shift toward reusable bags. Now, many governments are putting forth legislation banning plastic bags altogether, forcing individuals to adopt eco-friendly alternatives.
FUEL-POWERED CARS
As electric cars become more affordable and charging stations more commonplace, the advantages (economic and environmental) of electric vehicles will make their gas-powered ｃounterparts seem inconvenient and old-fashioned. This shift will drastically decrease the world’s dependence on oil, as well as CO2 emissions!
KEYS
Your grandchildren are likely to see your house keys as an ancient relic of the past. New homes will have key card readers instead of physical locks. Many car companies already manufacture vehicles with push-button ignitions.
FLATHEAD SCREWDRIVER
Even if you aren’t very handy, you’ve probably already swapped your flathead for a multi-bit screwdriver because, let’s be honest, it’s just way more practical.
WOOD FIREPLACE
The romantic evening by the fireside may soon be a thing of the past. Pollution from wood stoves has been linked to a long list of serious respiratory illnesses, pushing many cities to ban their use altogether. In 2066, a wood fireplace will likely be nothing more than an antique decorative piece.
NEWSPAPER
What’s black and white and red all over? Soon, the answer may be nothing. The Internet has had a significant impact on print media, forcing journals and newspapers to focus on online distribution through paid apps and membership-access websites. Print newspapers are still pretty easy to find, but for how long?
STAMPS
Stamps are already a favourite among collectors, but collecting may soon become their main function. Though stamps are still commonly used to ship packages, personal correspondence has been almost completely eclipsed by email. But there is something really nice about receiving a hand-written letter by snail mail, so hopefully stamps won’t disappear too soon.
LANDLINES
Most households have already made the shift to cordless home phones, if they even have a land line at all!
TELEVISION
Remember planning your evenings around your favourite TV show? For millennials, scheduled television is already a mere childhood memory, as most have swapped their TVs for laptops and the freedom they offer. The rise of smart TVs that allow people to connect their television to the Internet and video-on-demand sites like Netflix, HBO On Demand, and Shomi mean cable television could soon be a thing of the past.
BLUETOOTH HEADSET
What’s the point of having a Bluetooth headset, other than looking like an out-of-touch real estate agent? Back in the day, they were practical if you wanted to talk on the phone while driving, but now that most cars come equipped with hands-free phone technology, these devices have little use.
BUSINESS CARDS
Business cards with your name, email, and phone number are more or less irrelevant now that all your professional information can easily be found online. If you can’t find someone, either they don’t want to be found, or you need a quick lesson in how to Google. And with Microsoft’s recent US $26.2 billion purchase of LinkedIn, expect online business profiles to become even more integrated into our daily work lives.
FLOURESCENT AND INCANDESCENT BULBS
The former are inefficient, and the latter leave behind toxic waste. It’s no wonder, then, that light-emitting diode lamps, or LEDs, are quickly becoming the new norm in household lighting. They are more energy efficient and less environmentally harmful than both of their predecessors.
STICK-DRIVEN CARS
You might believe that nothing compares to driving a stick and the excitement of accelerating as you shift gears on the open road. Once the standard for driving (hence the name), the manual transmission is now a dying breed. Not only is the automatic transmission the new norm, but there’s a good chance that by 2066 we’ll all have self-driving cars.
DOCTORS AND LAWYERS
In light of current job market uncertainty, law and medicine still seem like guarantees for lifelong employment. But this might not be the case for long. Given recent developments in artificial intelligence, it is quite possible that robots equipped with empathetic judgment and impeccable encyclopedic knowledge will take over these professions.
NATURAL SUGAR
Health officials are unanimous on this one: the large amount of sugar in our diet, especially processed sugar, is one of our most pressing health concerns. The struggle is real for those of us with a sweet tooth, considering how mediocre artificial sweeteners like aspartame taste. But food researchers are constantly on the lookout for an artificial sweetener that perfectly mimics the taste of sugar without its negative effects. If they succeed, natural sugar may become obsolete.
Article Source: http://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/photos/20-things-that-will-disappear-in-50-years/ss-BBA90V5?li=BBr8RiR&ocid=iehp#image=1
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VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Antiquated (adj.) ~ old-fashioned or outdated
2. Impractical (adj.) ~ (of an object or course of action) not adapted for use or action not sensible or realistic
3. Versatile (adj.) ~ able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities
4. Aficionado (adj.) ~ a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime
5. Adage (n.) ~ a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth
6. Relic (n.) ~ an object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest
7. Predecessor (n.) ~ a person who held a job or office before the current holder
8. Impeccable (adj.) ~ (of behavior, performance, or appearance) in accordance with the highest standards of propriety faultless
9. Mediocre (adj.) ~ of only moderate quality not very good
10. Obsolete (adj.) ~ no longer produced or used out of date
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. According to the article, what are the various items that could disappear in 50 years?
2. How would the disappearances of these items affect your everyday lives?
3. How do you feel about cashless transactions? What are its advantages and disadvantages?
4. What other items do you think could disappear in the near future? Give some examples.
