Writer and futurist Michael Lindemann postulated on what life might be like in the year 2035, when he appeared as the main guest on Tuesday night. His novel Excelsior(1) which has just been published under his pen name Michael Paul, explores a variety of future developments which Lindemann based on geopolitical trends and realistic extrapolations.

The field of biotechnology will drive many of these changes. We'll be able to increasingly rid ourselves of diseases and birth defects and "human cloning will be a fact of life," Lindemann said. In this brave new world, if for instance, there are a hundred clones that are virtually identical, he suggested they may develop unusual psychological profiles. Bioweaponry will continue to evolve, and new generations of designs will attempt to target specific populations, Lindemann projected.

Commercial space travel (likely to arrive prior to 2025), is something investors like Robert Bigelow have been backing, Lindemann said. While he estimated the cost of a week's vacation at a space hotel would run $15,000 to $20,000, new types of transportation may make such trips readily available.

Bumper Music

Bumper music from Tuesday July 22, 2003