The British Government tasked the team at Fast Future Research to reveal the careers that will be needed in the very near future. YOU decide – Science fiction or science fact?
Body part maker
Advances in science will make it possible to create living body parts, so we could need living body part makers, body part stores and body part repair shops.
Nano-medic
Advances in nanotechnology for creating molecular-scale devices and treatments could transform personal healthcare so we would need a new breed of nano-medicine specialists to administer.
Genetically engineered crops and livestock farmer
New-age farmers will grow crops and keep animals that have been genetically engineered to increase the amount of food they produce and to include proteins that are good for our health. Scientists are already working on a vaccine-carrying tomato and therapeutic milk from cows, sheep and goats.
Old age wellness manager/consultant
We will need specialists to help manage the health and personal needs of an aging population. They will be able to use a range of new emerging medical, drug, prosthetic, mental health, natural and fitness treatments.
‘New science’ ethicist
As scientific advances speed up in areas like cloning, we may need a new breed of ethicist who understands the science and helps society make choices about what developments to allow. It won’t be a question of can we, but should we?
Space pilots, tour guides and architects:
With companies already promising space tourism, we may need space pilots and tour guides, as well as architects to design where they will live and work. Current projects at SICSA (University of Houston) include a greenhouse on Mars, lunar outposts and space exploration vehicles.
Vertical farmers
Vertical farms growing in skyscrapers in the middle of our cities could dramatically increase food supply by 2020. Vertical farmers will need skills in a range of scientific disciplines, engineering and commerce.
Climate change reversal specialist
As the impact of climate change increases, we will need a new breed of engineer-scientists to help reduce or reverse the effects.
Quarantine enforcer
If a deadly virus starts spreading rapidly, few countries, and few people, will be prepared. Nurses will be in short supply. And as death rates rise, and neighborhoods are shut down, someone will have to guard the gates.
Weather modification police
The act of stealing clouds to create rain is already happening in some parts of the world and is altering weather patterns thousands of miles away. Weather modification police would need to control and monitor who is allowed to shoot rockets containing silver iodine into the air – a way to provoke rainfall from passing clouds.
Virtual lawyer
As more and more of our daily life goes online, we will need specialist lawyers to resolve legal disputes which could involve people living in countries and regions with different laws.
Alternative vehicle developers
We need the designers and builders of the next generations of vehicle transport using alternative materials and fuels. Could the dream of zero-emission cars or even underwater and flying cars become a reality within the next two decades?
Waste data handler
As data and information about us increases on computers everywhere, we may need waste data handlers to securely get rid of our data so we can’t be tracked or have our identity stolen.
Virtual clutter organiser
Clutter managers will help us organise our electronic lives. They would look after our email, make sure our data is stored properly and manage our electronic passwords and profiles.
- 100 years ago we thought the world was flat (hey, some still do!).
- 30 years ago the smartphone was science fiction.
- Who knows what the jobs of the future will be?
You can be sure, the careers above are a fraction of the ideas already being tested, though!
