THE "ODD"YSSEY OF FUTURE LIVING

"A Space Odyssey" is an epic 1968 science fiction film which follows a voyage to Jupiter with the sentient computer HAL after the discovery of a featureless alien monolith affecting human evolution. It dealt with mind-boggling themes like existentialism, human evolution, technology, artificial inteligence and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The production is noted for its scientifically accurate depiction of space flight, pioneering special effects, and ambiguous imagery receiving diverse critical responses ranging from those who saw it as darkly apocalyptic in tone to those who saw it as an optimistic reappraisal of the hopes of humanity. The film garnered a cult following and became the highest-grossing North American film of 1968. It was nominated for four Academy Awards.

A Space Odyssey seemed like a far-off and mind-blowingly, amazing depiction of the future. In some ways, like flying cars, we’re still a ways off but a whole range of other innovations, such as smart home technology, eco-friendly dwellings and video calling, indicate that we are actually right in the middle of it.

Here, according to a recent exhibit at the Design Museum in London, are a few future living trends that will be part of our lives in 2020 and beyond:

Living with others: With the cost of real estate and renting so high in big cities like London, Tokyo, New York and Toronto, many are opting to pool their resources and buy or rent larger homes than they might otherwise be able to do alone. Some banks are even customizing mortgages to adapt to this new reality. Others are opting for co-living, smaller apartments similar to student residences, where renters share common spaces like gyms, work lounges with free Wi-Fi, utilities and housekeeping.

Living with less: While co-living also falls under the category, this also includes trends like down-sizing your home and living with less clutter as well as reusing and sharing items. For instance, Turo is a car-sharing company that allows private car owners to rent their vehicles to others when they’re not using them and make money in the process.

Living smart: Many of us are already familiar with smart home technology like smart thermostats that save energy and money and smart doorbells allow you to monitor who’s at your door 24/7. Megaretailers like Amazon and Walmart are also experimenting with services like auto-delivery where groceries are delivered right to your fridge and freezer or technology that sends out alerts to restock your milk or ice cream when it’s running low.

Some “digital nomads” are even ditching a permanent home altogether and opting to travel full-time, working from wherever they are. Others are retiring on cruise ships, which researchers have determined to cost less than living in an assisted living facility. 

All very interesting, but...I dunno!

For now, I think that I will settle for living the best in-the-moment life within my means and let nature take its course with my hands on the wheel. That way you never know where you’ll end up – and that’s the best part of the future.