PERREAULT Magazine February 2014 | Page 30

A GLOBAL FUTURIST'S

2014 PREDICTIONS

3Cold Reality: Virtual Rollercoaster Causes Death.

Oculus Rift, the manufacturer of the popular new virtual reality goggles, was named in the wrongful death lawsuit of a college student who suffered massive head trauma after hitting the corner of a coffee table while wearing the virtual simulation technology. The young man’s parents said their son suffered severe vertigo and fainted due to the realistic nature of the virtual ride. In a statement released to the press, they family added, “This technology is so realistic that it needs to be regulated.” Attorneys for the family are now considering a broader class-action suit against Oculus Rift after learning two middle-aged users suffered heart attacks in March experiencing the company’s new virtual haunted house.

4The Six-Million Dollar Man to Retire in Peace.

If Steve Austin—AKA the “$6 Million Dollar Man” from 1970’s hit show of the same name—were a real person, he’d likely be nearing retirement age. If so, Austin would feel right at home as the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a bioelectronic implant for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in April of 2014.

1The Strange Saga of the Serial Sleep-“Sexting” Senator. January, a prominent U.S. senator claimed he had no knowledge of sending multiple late night text messages of a sexual nature—or “sexts”—to a female intern in his Washington, D.C. office. An attorney for the senator claimed the midnight messages were sent by his client in his sleep and the senator isn’t guilty of any crime because he wasn’t cognizant of his actions. The attorney added, “While the senator’s actions are unfortunate, his behavior only highlights how connected people have become to their mobile devices.” The senator is now being treated for “textual addiction” at an undisclosed treatment center.

2An “Irrationally Exuberant” Alan Greenspan Agrees to Accept Bitcoin. In a surprise announcement in February, former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan announced he would accept his $100,000 speaking fee to Cato Foundation in the increasingly popular digital cryptocurrency Bitcoin. The value of Bitcoin, which had plummeted since the beginning of the year because of reports the currency was easier to produce than expected, temporarily rose on news of Greenspan’s decision.

BY JACK ULDRICH

[Editorial note: An exaggerated level of specificity - and, in some cases, humor - has been added to each prediction for the reader’s enjoyment. The trend or technology behind each “prediction” is real but are not intended to be taken literally. Rather, each is merely demonstrative of a broader trend that will continue to shape society in the coming year.]

12