future
Japanese kids can exercise their mouths and minds by participating in a contest to brainstorm ideas about the future.
The first question to a visitor from the future who could tell us about medical and technological breakthroughs? That’s right, it was about boobs.
With a little re-branding and a helping “leg” from technology, this wheelchair is ready for the 21st century.
The future doesn’t seem all that far away anymore, especially with tablets, 3D TVs and the advent of hoverboards, as predicted in Back to the Future Part II. But it’s not just Hollywood movies that gave us a glimpse of what was to come. If we take a step back and review certain classic anime, we see some hints and foreshadowing of things that we either have todayor soon will.
The guys over at nerdy-cool fandom website Dorkly, compiled a video list of 5 Times Anime Predicted the Future, doing a great job of picking out some startlingly accurate predictions and possible inspirations. It could have been premonition, it could have been that vital element that inspired today’s scientists. Either way, it’s pretty cool, if not creepy at times.
Once you’ve tired yourself out playing with your rideable 4-metre tall robot from Amazon Japan and experienced the neon assault to the senses that is Shinjuku’s Robot Restaurant show, you’ll also be able to visit a hotel in Japan with robot staff once the new Hen-na Hotel opens this summer.
As well as robot receptionists, porters, cleaners and waitresses, the aptly-named Hen-na Hotel (literally meaning “strange hotel”) in the Huis Ten Bosch theme park, Nagasaki, will also feature a whole host of futuristic technology aimed at reducing energy consumption and human staffing levels, therefore keeping room prices down.
On Tuesday, engineering company Shimizu Corporation announced the third entry in its “Shimizu Dream Series”–an idea for a futuristic deep sea underwater city named “Ocean Spiral.” The concept was developed over a period of two years through collaboration with Tokyo University, Saga University, the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology [JAMSTEC], and other leading research partners.
Although the project has a hefty price tag, officials also say that the proposed colony has the potential to become a reality in the not so distant future. Science fiction fan or not, you’ve got to take a look at these conceptual designs–this may be what’s in store for the future of our species!
On September 11, director Mamoru Oshii of Ghost in the Shell fame questioned Toshio Suzuki, general manager and long-time producer of Studio Ghibli films, in regards to the future of the beloved animation studio. Mr. Suzuki’s comments over the last month or so have been ambiguously vague, to the frustration of anxious fans everywhere. However, this latest exchange seems to have at least produced a new detail in the future of company, as Mr. Suzuki all but confirmed that the studio will be undergoing some restructuring, regardless of the future of its production division.
One of the magical things about anime characters is that they rarely age. Sure, for the sake of the plot some of them get a couple of years older as the episodes roll by, and we occasionally get a glimpse of their younger years in one of those flashback scenes, but we rarely get to see what happens to the characters at a later stage in life.
That’s the unrealistic part of anime, but at the same time, that’s where the fun is for fans as we’re able to use our imagination and come up with all sorts of scenarios we think is ideal for our favorite characters. Here’s what some Love Live! fans think their lovely idols would look like when they’re in their 30s!
With technology moving faster than ever, it’s hard to imagine what careers will look like 20 years from now. But The Canadian Scholarship Trust Plan (CST), a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to helping Canadian families save for their children’s post-secondary education, wanted to find out.
With help from foresight strategists, CST took a look into the future to find the jobs that may be commonplace by the year 2030.
Toyota Motor plans to unveil a new vision of an astounding future reality at the Tokyo Motor Show (23 November to 1 December): the Toyota FV-2, a vehicle that can read its driver’s mood and changes colour accordingly. Imagine how this could work—you’re cruising down the road in a great mood, with your car a friendly, sunny yellow. Suddenly, you spot another vehicle in a messed-up shade of dark red. Uh-oh, road rage alert, better give that one a wide berth. You start to feel nervous, so your car turns a sickly green. Then you notice a hottie in the car next to you as you pull up at the lights, and your car blushes bright pink.
For people like me who distinguish cars mainly based on their colour—“uh, it’s a blue one”— this chameleon trick opens up a whole new world of confusion. How are you supposed to spot your friend’s car if it’s constantly changing colour? Oh right, he’s always in a bad mood, so it’s probably the black one. Anyway, I’m sure they’ve already thought of this!
South Korean automobile manufacturer Hyundai revealed its new E4U single-person concept car at the recently completed Seoul Motor Show. Egg-like in shape, the mobility device measures 92cm in width while standing 123cm tall. Hyundai believes the vehicle to be suitable for narrow streets in urban centers where speeds are generally slow.
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