Hi John,
I think your last statement may provide a timeline. However, like you, I would have a hard time guessing what the world will be like that far in the future. Basically, you're talking about 50+ years from now. I grew up reading Sci Fi and thinking/reading a lot about what the future would bring and what things would be like 50+ years in the future--which is now. At that time, the big predictions tended to be:
International relations: A nuclear war ravaged planet on the one hand, or some type of global government (which might have been dictatorial).
Technological advance: In terms of transportation, lots of space travel, monorails, flying cars, etc. Lots of nuclear power. In terms of communications, some prognostications for portable communication devices (similar to the cell phone), but lots more for 3D television. In terms of computers, big main-frames, lots of household automation, and possibly some humanoid type robots.
Climate: Back then the big predictions were that we were due for an Ice Age.
Social: A lot more equality (or at least equal treatment) of people on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, etc.--but not much change in terms of gender relations or acceptable sexual behavior. [Edit: I forgot to mention horrible over-population and resultant starvation, poverty, etc.]
SO, what can I say from the prognostications of 50+ years ago? THE AUTHORS AND THINKERS OF THE TIME GOT ALMOST NOTHING RIGHT.
International relations: These continue to muddle along with some shifts in terms of the principal players. The biggest changes seem to be: A continuing global energy crisis and the rise of radical Islam as an international threat. The Soviet Union fell, but the Russian Federation has ended up being pretty surly and obstructive. Communist China went through a radical economic expansion, and now may be more of a threat to the current world order than before. The continued demographic decline of Europe coupled with its import of workers from Islamic countries (to keep its social welfare systems going) looks like it may end in Europe's final conquest (from within) by Islam (which failed to accomplish this through military force over more than a millenium).
Technological advance: Transportation is much the same as it was then--cars, trains, jets, ships--though somewhat upgraded. Space travel is still muddling around with chemical rockets, and has not advanced nearly as fast as expected. Not a lot of nuclear power (at least in the U.S.). The biggest techno changes have had to do with information technology, personal computers, the internet, etc.
Climate: The latest craze is human created global warming, which generates a lot more hysteria and bad science than the formerly predicted ice age.
Social: Radical feminism and its impact were really not on anyone's minds back then (at least not to my recall). The same was generally true of the sexual revolution, including alternate sexualities, etc. Actually, I don't think we were thinking about anything much but a nicer and more complete version of what we were trying to accomplish in the early 60s. [Edit: on the overpopulation issue with starvation, poverty, etc.--there are definitely areas that don't have as much food as they need, as well as impoverished areas, but I don't hear as much about famines a I used to back then--in any case, this doesn't seem to have become the predicted global issue]
ANYHOW, you can come up with your own list. However, it seems to me that reasoned prognostications got almost nothing correct. And, overall, the biggest and most important changes always seemed to come from directions that no one was expecting. Consequently, in terms of 50+ years in the future, you may want to think of areas of change that no one is really looking for or that actually defy current predictions.
Cordially,
S&S
