MARTIN:

Dr. Ramos, will the future be very different?

RAMOS:

Yes, in some ways. But in other ways it will be very familiar.

MARTIN:

How will it be familiar?

RAMOS:

Do you know how your grandparents lived?

MARTIN:

Yes. Not in all ways, of course. But I know some things. I remember some things, and they told me other things.

RAMOS:

Do you have some of their things? You know, furniture or dishes or books. Things like that.

MARTIN:

Yes. My parents had them and now I have them.

RAMOS:

So you have some things from the past. We are surrounded by things from the past. Buildings, objects, parks, rivers, and so on.

MARTIN:

I see. We have things from the past now, in the present. And we'll have things from the present in the future.

RAMOS:

In some ways the future will be very familiar.

MARTIN:

Then, how will things change?

RAMOS:

Let's think about one or two things. Let's think about housing. In fifty years, what kind of houses do you think people will live in?

MARTIN:

Like they do today?

RAMOS:

That's right. Many of the houses will be the same. Today we see houses built in nineteen fifty. In the year two thousand and fifty, we'll see houses built in the year two thousand.

MARTIN:

What differences will there be then?

RAMOS:

There will be many more people. That is one thing that will make housing different. Where will be put all those people? What kind of houses can be built for so many people?

MARTIN:

Do you have any ideas?

RAMOS:

Houses and apartments will be smaller. Many houses will be under the ground.

MARTIN:

Underground? I don't think I would like that.

RAMOS:

Some people will live in higher and higher apartment buildings. Complete towns will be in one building.

MARTIN:

How do you know these things?

RAMOS:

We don't know exactly. But we will plan for the future. First, we will study the present.

MARTIN:

What will you study?

RAMOS:

The numbers of people. The space we will have. The kinds of buildings and building materials, like wood, brick, metal, plastic.

MARTIN:

Then what?

RAMOS:

Second, we will look at the future. We'll decide on a twenty year plan, or a fifty year plan, or whatever.

MARTIN:

I see.

RAMOS:

We'll use the information from the present. So, third, we will predict what will be necessary in twenty years. Finally, we will be able to say what will happen.

MARTIN:

When you predict, are you correct?

RAMOS:

Sometimes, sometimes not.

RAMOS:

Let's talk about some other areas.

MARTIN:

Yes, I would like to know more.