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The Future of Today is Happening Tomorrow

by Elizabeth Rembelska, 7 April 2022
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Copyright: Nils Blaesi

During the spring semester of 2021, ETH Zurich’s Strategic Foresight Hub launched an essay contest called “a day in [y]our life”. The ETH community was invited to take a journey to the year 2040 and encouraged to describe a typical day in their imagined future. This year, the theme is "hybrid", and the deadline for the open call is 1 May 2022. You will find more information below. But first, read last year's winner "The Future of Today is Happening Tomorrow"!

Zurich, April 24th 2040

It’s another beautiful but hot April day. About 20 years ago, April was the beginning of spring with mild temperatures and nature slowly reawakening after winter. In 2040, summer is the only season of the year.

I am 36 years old and work at the University of Zurich. My role as an event coordinator gained importance after the COVID-19 pandemic ended because social events are the only opportunity to shake other people’s hands. All other aspects of studying and working on campus are held online for the reasons of cost-efficiency, flexibility and reduction of CO2.

If you cannot remember these old times when classes and examinations took place on campus, or you cannot even imagine this because you were born within the last two decades, visit the main building of ETH Zurich – it has transformed its library and a few classrooms into exhibitions with holograms which move, talk and behave like people from the pre-2020 era.

As an employee of UZH and a student of ETH, I can work and study from home, or I can use one of hundreds of booths located throughout the entire Zurich region: in the busy city center, at a quiet lakeside, facing the Zurich Opera House or in an endless meadow with cows – different locations offering a variety of sources of inspiration.

Today I need the hectic spirit of Paradeplatz to inspire me, so I am choosing a booth there. The booths are made of glass and equipped with everything you need to be productive and feel good.

Travelling in Zurich has never been more convenient: Zurich is finally a non-smoking and advertisement-free city. Oh, and public transportation is free of charge!

The world in 2040 is a graphene-dominated one. Devices, clothing and almost everything we use every day are all based on graphene – even my Walkman, which is enjoying a second life and tremendous popularity. By the way, people who still have the first Walkman launched by Sony in the 20th century can sell it now and make a fortune. I should probably check my parents’ attic...

Let’s get back to the city again. There are certainly fewer vehicles than ever before – especially trucks, since Galaxus, Coop (yes, they still exist) and other retailers use the cargo sous terrain (CST) system, where goods are transported underground.

The way we do shopping has changed, too. On my way home later today, I will stop by at one of many interactive boards located literally everywhere. I will select the items I need for dinner that evening, place my finger with a built-in chip containing personal data on a sensor and ... voilà! I’ve just paid and confirmed the address where goods need to be delivered. They may be next to my door before I arrive, delivered from the CST station to my home address by a robot.

Robots are very friendly. They are hard-working and therefore have very strong representatives lobbying for their rights. Some people are saying that we should not worry since rights for robots are something to deal with in the future. But the future of today is happening already tomorrow.

Links

2040 Essay Contest - 2022
Share your vision of a Hybrid University!
More information
Selected Essays from 2021
During the spring semester 2021, the SFH launched the "2040 Essay Contest: A day in [y]our life". The ETH community was invited on a journey to the year 2040 and encouraged to describe a day in their imagined future.
Read More
Intern aktuell article
Contest: What will the university of the future be like?
Read More
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