Ever Wonder What the Future Hold?
Will we use jet packs and flying cars? Or live on other planets and have robot friends? With technology advancing by leaps and bounds1, it seems practically anything is possible—and you don't even have to look that far ahead to find some pretty amazing ideas. Here's a peek2 at a few gadgets3 that already exist, though you won't find them at the local mall just yet—these things take time!
Starring... You
When you go to the movies, do you wish you were on the screen? At the World Expo 2005 in Japan, members of a movie audience became part of the cast. Visitors' faces were scanned by digital cameras as they entered the theater, and the images were then inserted into the film. Only two real actors appeared in the movie—all the other roles were played by digitally-animated4 versions of the audience members. Just think: Someday you could make your movie debut5, without even having to learn your lines!
Sun Inspired
Sunglasses may be a thing of the past! How would you like to wear special contact lenses6 that protect your eyes from the sun's damaging glare? Professional athletes are now testing lenses by Bausch & Lomb7 that block the sun's rays by tinting8 the wearer's eyes a reddish-orange color. By reducing the amount of blue and green that your eyes can see, the lenses make it easier to block out harsh9 light and allow you to keep your eye on the ball during a bright, fast-moving game. Let's hope they invent a clear version, though, because the red eyes make people look pretty creepy10 !
The Quietest Conversation
Wouldn't it be great if you could hold a phone conversation wherever you wanted—and without uttering a sound? If you had something urgent to tell your BFF11 , you could call her from a no-talking12 zone—say, the middle of the school library—and other people wouldn't hear a thing! Scientists are developing new technology that measures a person's vocal cord13 movements and translates them into sound. (Put your hand on your throat and talk silently—you'll feel your vocal cords moving.) These measurements are fed into a device that changes them to a computer-generated14 voice that's sent to the listener. Your friends will hear a robot voice instead of yours, but that's a small price to pay for carrying on a conversation without saying a word.
Robot Soccer
RoboCup, an international research organization, holds yearly soccer competitions for robots. For now the robots only compete with each other, but RoboCup hopes that by 2050, their soccer robots will be good enough to beat human soccer champions. Wherever you are in 2050, remember to mark that game on your calendar! RoboCup isn't always about fun and games, though. The technology used to make the soccer robots is also used to build search-and-rescue15 robots that help save lives in emergencies16 .
Say It with Style
Do you like sharing photos and funny messages by email? How would you like to do the same thing on your clothes? A few companies are experimenting with shirts and jackets that feature flexible17, programmable18 displays. Think of the possibilities: If you were feeling shy about meeting new people, you could set your shirt to display a friendly message or flash a greeting. While you're riding a bike, your flashing shirt could signal turns. Or someday you may be able to program the pattern on the fabric19 , then change it anytime for a different look!
Home-Grown Nuggets20
You know how some people have bread machines in their kitchens, and can bake a fresh loaf in just a few hours? Someday, you might have a meat machine on your kitchen counter that works the same way. NASA has experimented with using animal tissue21 to grow meat in a lab so astronauts can make their own meat during long-term space journeys. As the technology develops further, it could reach the general public, so instead of coming from a farm, the chicken nuggets of the future might grow right in your house. It may sound freaky22 , but you won't know how good(or bad!) they are until you taste one!
A Fantastic Feat
Hungry? Maybe your computer can help. Homaro Cantu, a chef in Chicago, has a menu of ideas for creating exciting and futuristic dining experiences. When he wanted printable food, he used edible23 , flavored ink in his printer and printed on soybean24 paper. If edible paper doesn't tempt your taste buds, how about inside-out bread? Cantu wants to use a high-powered laser to try new ways of cooking, like heating bread from the inside so the crust25 stays hidden in the middle. This creative chef knows it's important for food to be fun, too, so he's also experimenting with using nitrogen26 and helium27 to make your meal float in front of you. (Just don't let it get away!)
Anything Is Possible...
Who knows? Maybe you'll invent a new technology that helps or inspires people around the world. Your daydreams and drawings may lead to a useful gadget or a new kind of clothing. Keep thinking and dreaming, because your ideas could help make the future an exciting place to live!
想知道未来我们会拥有什么吗？
我们将来会使用喷气背囊和飞行汽车吗？ 抑或生活在别的星球和拥有机器人朋友？随着科学技术突飞猛进的发展，事实上似乎一切皆有可能。你大可不必过于超前去寻找一些令人惊异的想法。现在让我们看看已经存在的几件小玩意儿，尽管目前在当地的销品茂还不能看到它们——这些东西的普及还需要一定时间！
让自己成为明星
看电影的时候，你是否希望自己出现在银幕上？在2005年日本举办的世博会上，电影观众变成了电影演员。进入电影院时，观众的脸被数码相机扫描下来，然后嵌入电影画面。演电影的只有两名真演员，其他角色都是由经过数字动画处理的观众扮演的。试想一下：将来某一天，你可以首次登台演电影，却无需背记任何台词！
来自太阳的灵感
太阳镜或许会成为历史！你愿意佩戴特制隐形眼镜以保护双眼免受强烈太阳光的伤害吗？职业运动员正在测试博士伦公司设计的镜片，其方法是给佩戴者的眼睛着上红橙色以阻挡太阳射线。通过减少眼睛可以看到的蓝、绿光线的量，镜片很容易就可以阻挡刺眼的光线，让你能在一场进展快速、令人目眩的比赛中双眼紧盯着球。不过我们还是希望他们发明一种清澈的镜片，因为红红的眼球令人毛骨悚然！
最安静的谈话
如果你能在任何地方与人煲电话，而不发出一点声响，岂不妙哉？如果你有什么急事告诉你的好朋友，你可以从任何禁止谈话的区域给她打电话，比如学校图书馆里，而别人什么也听不到！科学家正在开发新技术，以检测一个人的声带运动，并把它们转变为声音。（把手放在咽喉处，轻声说话，你可以感觉到声带的振动。）这些检测数据可以输入一个装置，然后把它们变成电脑合成的声音，传送给聆听者。你的朋友听到的是机器人的声音而不是你的声音，这是有点遗憾。不过就连声都不出就能进行交谈这种大好事来讲，这真算不了什么。
机器人足球赛
机器人世界杯联合会是一个国际性研究机构，每年组织机器人足球赛。目前，机器人只能相互之间比赛，但是机器人世界杯组织希望到2050年，他们的机器人球员能够打败真人足球冠军。2050年无论你在哪里，请一定记住在日历上标出这场赛事！机器人世界杯组织不光涉及娱乐和游戏。制造足球运动机器人的技术同样可以用于制造搜救机器人，以在紧急情况下拯救生命。
风格独特的表达
你喜欢通过电子邮件与人共享照片和有趣的信息吗？你是否想在自己的衣服上做同样的事情呢？几家公司开始在衬衫和夹克衫上进行试验，以反映出其灵活、可编程的特点。想一想：如果你羞于与生人打交道，你可以对自己的衬衫进行设计，向人传递友好的信息或问候别人。在骑自行车的时候，闪闪发光的衬衫可以发出拐弯的信号。或者，有一天，你可以在纺织物上进行结构设计，随时改变其外观！
自产的鸡块
你知道有些人在厨房里备有面包机，能够在几小时内烤出新鲜的面包吗？将来有一天，你会在自己的灶台上配备一台制肉机，亦有异曲同工之妙。美国航空航天局已经试验用动物组织在实验室里生产肉制品。如果可行的话，航天员就能在长途航天旅行中自己生产肉制品。随着科技的进一步发展，这项技术还可以运用于日常生活。因此，将来的鸡块可能就在房间里生产，而不是产自农场。听起来怪玄乎的，但是如果你不尝一下，你怎么知道其好（或坏）呢！
奇异的盛宴
饿啦？也许你的计算机可以帮上忙。霍玛若·坎图是芝加哥一位富有创意的厨师，希望创造令人激动的、未来主义的进餐体验。当需要可印刷的食物时，他在打印机上使用可食用的、有风味的油墨，在大豆制成的纸张上进行印刷。如果可食用的纸张不能刺激你的味蕾，尝一尝里面翻到外面的面包怎样？坎图希望用高能激光尝试新的厨艺，比如从里面烤面包，这样脆脆的面包皮被包在面包心里。这位想象力丰富的厨师知道重要的是：厨艺也是为了娱乐。因此，他还用氮气和氦气做实验让食物漂浮在你的面前。（千万别让它漂走了！）
一切皆有可能……
谁知道呢？也许你将来会发明一项新技术来帮助或启发全世界的人们。你的白日梦和草图可能导致发明一个有用的小玩意儿或一款新式服装。坚持思考和梦想吧，因为你的理想可能使未来成为一个令人激动的生活之地！
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1. by leaps and bounds 突飞猛进地，迅猛地
2. peek n. 一瞥，很快的一看
3. gadget n. 小玩意儿，小装置
4. digitally-animated 数字动画的
5. debut n. 初次登场
6. contact lenses 隐形眼镜
7. Bausch ＆ Lomb 博士伦公司
8. tint [tint] v. 给…着色或染色
9. harsh adj. 刺目的
10. creepy adj. 毛骨悚然的
11. BFF: Best Friends Forever的缩写形式
12. no-talking 禁止交谈
13. vocal cord 声带
14. computer-generated 电脑合成的
15. search-and-rescue 搜救（工作）
16. emergency n. 紧急情况，非常时刻
17. flexible adj. 灵活的
18. programmable adj. 可设计的，可编程的
19. fabric n. 织物，织品
20. nugget n. 小块，鸡块
21. tissue n. （生物）组织
22. freaky adj. 捉摸不定的
23. edible adj. 可食用的
24. soybean n. 大豆
25. crust n. 面包皮
26. nitrogen n. （化）氮
27. helium n. （化）氦