Life in the Future

Do you forget to turn off the lights and heaters when you go out of a room? In 2040 it will not matter. They will turn themselves off—and on again when you return. You will choose the temperature for each room, the lighting and the humidity. A sensor will detect the presence of a human (and, with luck, ignore the dog) and turn the systems on, and when the humans leave, it will turn them off again.

The sensors will work through the central home computer, and they will do much more than just turn the fires and lights on and off for you. They will detect faulty electrical appliances, plugs or switches, isolate them so that they cannot harm anyone, and then warn you that they need repair. They will detect fire and if you are out of the house, the computer will call the fire brigade. It will also call the police should the sensors detect an intruder. This will not be very difficult because the lock on the outside doors will be electronic. You will open them using your personal card—the one you use for shopping—may be using a number known only to you.

It will be impossible to lose the key, and a housebreaker will have to tamper with the lock or with a window. It is not very difficult to make such tampering send a signal to the computer.

The computer will be more than a fireman-policeman-servant. It will be an entertainer, and most of your entertainment will come right into your home. It does now, of course, but by 2040 "entertainment" will mean much more. For one thing, you will be able to take part actively, rather than just waiting.