THOUSANDS OF CHOICES TO SHAPE YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE.

20 Million Choices per Day or More

Can you imagine what a random person living in 2122 might look like?
Probably they would look pretty much the same as people today – we can even picture that person jogging in the park in 2122. While our physical appearance has not changed much over the centuries, our everyday life has been evolving a lot more dynamically and unpredictably. What we wear, use, possess, or eat will probably be different, and this change will never stop. Using science fiction sources, we may take a look at various imaginary future worlds that our children might live in.
The most fascinating aspect of thinking about future everyday life is that there are so many components. Ideas presented by science fiction do not exist in isolation but are connected with technologies and also with ethical issues.

Combining various elements may bring up new issues we hadn’t thought of before. Thus, science fiction sources provide material we can use to mix and imagine the future and help us think outside the box.
Movies as source of inspiration
Movies have often been a source of inspiration, setting trends or influencing fashion. Above all, they open up a rich world of options and possibilities.
Will we wear simple jumpers as in Star Trek  or stylish clothes and extravagant hairdos as in The Hunger Games? Will we still be going to restaurants or create our hamburger or pizza with a 3D printer as in Upload?

Will we go to work with air taxis and be watched over by flying police cars as in Total Recall 2? Will we find a perfectly matched partner with the help of algorithms as in "Hang the DJ", a famous episode of Black Mirror?

Will we have children who are designed to our liking and genetically engineered so as to avoid defects and diseases? Will we be able to prolong our lives? Will we spend the final days of our life in a virtual world, reliving our happiest moments? Will we be able choose self-determinedly the moment of our death?

Value studies that examine changes in attitudes that may affect our future lifestyle point to the younger generations’ propensity to consume and their focus on a healthy work–life balance, but also to massive and rapid changes caused by technological progress. Science fiction adds detail to the findings of value studies. They complement each other.

The most fascinating aspect of thinking about future everyday life is that there are so many components. Ideas presented by science fiction do not exist in isolation but are connected with technologies and also with ethical issues.
Combining various elements may bring up new issues we hadn’t thought of before. Thus, science fiction sources provide material we can use to mix and imagine the future and help us think outside the box.
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William Gibson, Science Fiction Author
The future is already here - it's just not evenly distributed

Film Recommendations

Glimpse (2018), Episode Analog Boy
Ex Machina (2015)
Iron Man  (2010)
Swan Song (2021)
Robot & Frank (2012)
Soylent Green (1973)
The Fifth Element (1997)
Upload (2021), Episode 1 & 3

Perspectives

Simo
Foresight student at THI
Sci-fi is set to be one of the main pillars that will shape our common future.
JooHye
Foresight Student
Science fiction is a rich and diverse source for foresight research.
Prof. Dr. Jan Oliver Schwarz
Author & Foresight expert
Pictures derived from fiction shape our construction
of reality.