[djmcmath]

Nanotechnology. There's a lot of talk, but I think in the next 10-15 years, at least some of the talk will actually materialize into something tangible. With luck, the things they're talking about could change our lives in a big way. Cure for cancer, process garbage, all of that sort of thing.

RFID implanted credit cards and ID markers. No more worries about leaving the wallet at home -- your money card and ID are implanted under your skin. The right fringe will complain about the location (inevitably the right hand or the forehead), but it will be so popular that everyone will adopt the technology anyway.

I also definitely see a trend towards changes in the workplace and in people's work-life balance, but I don't think it's The Next Big Thing. Corporate drones (like myself, thank you) are increasingly bucking the miserable commutes, windowless cubicles, and 24/7 Blackberry leash. Soft rebellions will occur as workers insist on more work from home. The harder rebellion will be entrepreneurs leaving the office to start businesses that work the way they've envisioned, and in workers leaving conventional cubicle farms to work for people who don't treat people like cattle. (Or at least, pretend not to treat people like cattle.)

"Green" is the next bubble; that's clear. Starbucks is selling coffee presses and mugs made from post-consumer materials -- it's a bubble. Solar and wind power are beginning to take hold in the consumer market, and I think that some of those things will provide lasting benefit as we go forward. The investor in me -- just an amateur -- recognizes that today's consumers are idiots for anything that pretends to be eco-friendly, and that this is a trend that cannot last forever.

Traffic congestion will be improved by either fewer commuters (see corporate changes, above), or by flying cars. Building more roads in highly congested areas (think I-95 between Quantico and DC) is increasingly impractical. Adding levels is similarly expensive. But if someone developed a vehicle that could fly in a semi-automatic fashion, say 30' above the normal road surface, with up/down ramps at controlled locations ...

Ok, that's all of my pondering for one morning.

Dan