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May. 11th, 2012 08:01Writing exercise: Fifty years in the future, an ordinary person going through an ordinary day.
May. 11th, 2012
One Ordinary Future Day
May. 11th, 2012 18:58Exercise: Write about an ordinary person, fifty years from now, going through an ordinary day.
I'll use an adult male American living in Minneapolis. If you are (for example) a teenaged female Singaporean, use someone more like yourself.
He begins the day with his usual breakfast; similar to what someone of today would eat, but not identical. It's likely to include one or two items which few Americans now eat.
And the familiar foods might not be quite the same. Lower in salt, perhaps; flavored differently; slightly different in texture.
The same goes for lunch, supper, and snacks.
How does he cook it? Wood stove, microwave oven, a device which uses the Casimir Effect? (That last one is unlikely.)
He wants to know this morning's news. Does he read a holographic display of a newspaper, listen to his wrist radio, watch a replica of a 2005 TV set?
What IS the news? It might include: Quebec's government expressing indignation over the Newfoundland secession movement. A US city banning all cars which aren't self-driving.
It's time to go to work. There will probably be many more people who work at home; but let's say he works where his employer can keep an eye on him. Is his job one which exists today? What equipment does he use? What is considered appropriate clothing for his workplace?
How does he travel to work?
After work, he goes to a convenience store. Buys a state lottery ticket -- or does he? Perhaps they've been outlawed. Perhaps paper lottery tickets are no longer issued.
When he gets home, he relaxes by consuming __? Let's restrict it to legal stuff. Tobacco is probably still legal; but almost certainly less common than now. Marijuana might or might not have been legalized.
If he chooses alcohol, it might be something no one drinks today. In 1971, Larry Niven took for granted that vodka would continue to be unflavored (see "The Fourth Profession.") Nor did anyone else predict bacon vodka or marshmallow vodka.
I'll use an adult male American living in Minneapolis. If you are (for example) a teenaged female Singaporean, use someone more like yourself.
He begins the day with his usual breakfast; similar to what someone of today would eat, but not identical. It's likely to include one or two items which few Americans now eat.
And the familiar foods might not be quite the same. Lower in salt, perhaps; flavored differently; slightly different in texture.
The same goes for lunch, supper, and snacks.
How does he cook it? Wood stove, microwave oven, a device which uses the Casimir Effect? (That last one is unlikely.)
He wants to know this morning's news. Does he read a holographic display of a newspaper, listen to his wrist radio, watch a replica of a 2005 TV set?
What IS the news? It might include: Quebec's government expressing indignation over the Newfoundland secession movement. A US city banning all cars which aren't self-driving.
It's time to go to work. There will probably be many more people who work at home; but let's say he works where his employer can keep an eye on him. Is his job one which exists today? What equipment does he use? What is considered appropriate clothing for his workplace?
How does he travel to work?
After work, he goes to a convenience store. Buys a state lottery ticket -- or does he? Perhaps they've been outlawed. Perhaps paper lottery tickets are no longer issued.
When he gets home, he relaxes by consuming __? Let's restrict it to legal stuff. Tobacco is probably still legal; but almost certainly less common than now. Marijuana might or might not have been legalized.
If he chooses alcohol, it might be something no one drinks today. In 1971, Larry Niven took for granted that vodka would continue to be unflavored (see "The Fourth Profession.") Nor did anyone else predict bacon vodka or marshmallow vodka.