The World in 2030
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The World in 2030

The World in 2030 The World in 2030

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01.09.2015 Views

The World in 2030 265 Such packaging need not be expensive. The polymer spheres and carbon particles arrange themselves spontaneously into the correct crystal structure when encouraged by a little heat, so manufacturing opalescent film should be easy. Indeed Merck, a German chemical company that was a partner in the research, has already produced rolls of the stuff a metre wide and 100 metres long. Perfect for wallpaper. 485 Because so much of our time will be spent on the superweb it is likely that the present trend towards increased sporting activity and increased public support for sports will be even stronger by 2030 (although the arrival of genetic enhancements for sports competitors will make the policing of fair competition a nightmare – and why is it considered fair today for Tiger Woods to compete in golf tournaments when his vision has been enhanced to 20/15 486 by laser surgery?). In entertainment, the current strong trend to the visual, away from the written word, will accelerate as visual forms of entertainment and interactivity become more and more appealing (despite the fact that book sales are increasing year on year; this is the effect of overall economic growth and, in comparative terms, book sales are falling behind the sales of faster-growing visual entertainment and information). As a life-long career writer, I find it painful to write these words but I am certain of the decline of my chosen medium. In ‘Mind Set!’ John Naisbitt observes: In a triumphal march, movies, TV, videos, and DVDs are replacing storytellers and books. It is a visual

266 The World in 2030 culture embedded from childhood, and this culture is taking over the world – at the expense of the written word. With it, the novel, the cradle of fantasy, is not dead – as has been announced so many times – but it is losing blood at an alarming rate. And Naisbitt goes on to list eight social developments which underscore the demise of the written word in favour of visual communication. These are: 1. The slow death of the newspaper culture 2. Advertising – back to a ‘picture is worth thousands of words’ 3. Upscale design for common goods 4. Architecture as visual art 5. Fashion, architecture and art 6. Music, video and film 7. The changing role of photography 8. The democratization of the American art museum 487 And to this list I would add two further elements that are hastening the decline of the written word: 9. The arrival of low-cost software tools for home photo editing and video production 10. The emergence of the web as a medium in which anyone can publish and ‘distribute’ visual (and written) material

266 <strong>The</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>2030</strong><br />

culture embedded from childhood, and this culture<br />

is tak<strong>in</strong>g over the world – at the expense of the<br />

written word. With it, the novel, the cradle of fantasy,<br />

is not dead – as has been announced so many<br />

times – but it is los<strong>in</strong>g blood at an alarm<strong>in</strong>g rate.<br />

And Naisbitt goes on to list eight social developments which<br />

underscore the demise of the written word <strong>in</strong> favour of visual<br />

communication. <strong>The</strong>se are:<br />

1. <strong>The</strong> slow death of the newspaper culture<br />

2. Advertis<strong>in</strong>g – back to a ‘picture is worth<br />

thousands of words’<br />

3. Upscale design for common goods<br />

4. Architecture as visual art<br />

5. Fashion, architecture and art<br />

6. Music, video and film<br />

7. <strong>The</strong> chang<strong>in</strong>g role of photography<br />

8. <strong>The</strong> democratization of the American art<br />

museum 487<br />

And to this list I would add two further elements that are<br />

hasten<strong>in</strong>g the decl<strong>in</strong>e of the written word:<br />

9. <strong>The</strong> arrival of low-cost software tools for home<br />

photo edit<strong>in</strong>g and video production<br />

10. <strong>The</strong> emergence of the web as a medium <strong>in</strong><br />

which anyone can publish and ‘distribute’<br />

visual (and written) material

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