What will life be like a century from now? 

I know. You’re still trying to get through January. Who’s got time to think about 2125?

In 1925, one man made the time and thus the headlines for his 2025 prophesies. 

Professor Archibald Montgomery Low was an engineer, research physicist, inventor and author of over 40 books. He was a pioneer in many fields, invented the first powered drone and worked on developing television.

In 1925, Low made remarkably accurate predictions, including radio alarm clocks, live television and escalators. He predicted how home loudspeakers and “a television machine” would replace “the picture paper” – or newspapers – for information and on-demand entertainment; access to global broadcasting at the press of a button; and the use of secret cameras and listening devices to catch criminals.

How many of you have one of those wireless secret surveillance cameras to keep your home safe from unwanted intruders?

Low believed that alarm clocks would have radio functions and that people would have portable communication devices, similar to smartphones and two-way radios. He foresaw the use of moving pavements (escalators), as well as “automatic telephones” with the benefit of getting the right number every time, as opposed to the 1920s rotary dial phones and the need for an operator to make the connection.

You might have to explain to the kids what a rotary dial phone and an operator is.

Some of Low’s imaginings were considered really, really out there – like illuminating streets with herbs and mind-to-mind electrical communication. Yet, he also predicted that women would wear pants as the norm and that it would be possible to determine a baby’s sex before birth.

His ideas were widely reported by the newspapers at the time, with some journalists dismissing his predictions as “ruthlessly imaginative”, including everybody wearing synthetic felt one-piece suits and hats.   

We don’t think anything these days about the need to invest in offshore wind and solar power, but I’m guessing that you would be hard-pressed to find too many other folks in 1925, besides Low, predicting that “wind and tide are also to be harnessed to the service of man.”

All of this made me wonder about what will life be like a hundred years from now? 

While 1925 had Professor Low, we can turn to AI, who suggests that by 2125, the internet will no longer be confined to devices—it will be woven into the very fabric of human experience. Imagine thinking of a question and having the answer appear in your mind, or communicating with a loved one across the globe without speaking a word. Holographic projections will replace screens and physical devices. Offices and classrooms may exist entirely in virtual environments.

Humanity might harness advanced green technologies to reverse climate change and renewable energy sources—solar, wind, and perhaps fusion power—could supply most of the planet’s needs. Or, rising sea levels and extreme weather events could reshape coastlines and displace millions. 

Scientists might unlock the secrets of cellular regeneration, extending lifespans by decades—or even centuries. Medical nanobots could monitor and repair your body from within, preventing illness before symptoms arise. 

A hundred years from now Mars, the Moon, and perhaps even floating colonies on Venus could host human settlements. Art, music, and literature might take on forms we can’t yet imagine, driven by collaboration between human creativity and AI innovation.

All of that sounds a bit far-fetched? Ruthlessly imaginative?

We’ve come a long way in 100 years. Let’s hope we’re smart enough to leave something for our grandkids and great-grandkids to build upon for the next 100.