I put this timeline together several years ago to help with plotting my novel. It is based on several sources (I reference the sources). I need to update it. In general, I would say a lot of what is listed is too optimistic – that is the predictions on the effects of climate change pretty much universally underestimate how fast things are changing, and the predictions about technology over-estimate our progress, particularly with regard to anything that involves what could be termed “singularity” type things – e.g. brain uploads and robotics. But that is just my point of view and of course this is all highly speculative. If you have anything to contribute I would greatly appreciate suggestions, especially those from relatively reputable sources (academic research, NGOs, acknowledged experts in the field etc.). For long future history, see the Kardashev scale

2020

Demographics & Social

70 m over 65s in USA (20%)
Asia – 120 million to 1.2 billion will experience increased water stress by the 2020s
World population has reached 7.6 billion people
Privatised police forces
ID cards replaced by biometric scanning
Gated cities for civilised people

Source: BT

Energy

Solar islands and solar updraft towers
Helium-3 mining on the moon

Source: BT

First fusion power station in 2019. Source: Futuretimeline

Environment & food

Insect-like robots for crop pollination. Source: BT
Increase in annual rainfall runoff in northern Europe by up to 15% and decrease in the south by up to 23%.a Decrease in summer flow. Source: IPCC
About 2.5 to 10% decrease in crop yield is projected for parts of Asia. Source: IPCC
The chance of flash floods occurring in all parts of Europe will increase dramatically. While floods are occurring in Europe, intense droughts in other parts of the world will mean a shortage of food by up to 50 percent. Source: IPCC
Only a handful of African elephants remain. Source: Futuretimeline
Rhinos extinct
Borneo’s rainforests will be completely gone by 2023. Among the many species likely to disappear around this time is the Orangutan – one of the most intelligent of the great apes.. Source: Futuretimeline
Increasing risk of winter flood in northern Europe, of flash flooding across all of Europe. Risk of snowmelt flood shifts from spring to winter. Source: IPCC
Global emissions will hit 37 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide a year in the early 2020s.
Global concentrations hit about 430 ppm rising 3 ppm a year. Source: Joseph Romm
Climate-related increases in crop yields are expected mainly in northern Europe +2 to +9%. Source: IPCC
49 million could be at risk of hunger in Asia. Source: IPCC

Geopolitics & military

Smart bacteria weapons
Attacks facilitating natural disasters
Robots outnumber soldiers on the battlefield
Smart bacteria as a military threat to mankind; used in warfare to alter the behaviour of the enemy

Source: BT

Space, Science & Technology

Hotel in orbit
Use of bacteria to assemble small circuits
Super-computer as fast as the human brain
DNA storage device
Listing of individuals DNA
First bionic olympics – although you could argue this has already happened see Eurathalon
Production, storage & use of anti-matters
Space factories for commercial production
Thought reconciliation as everyday input means for computers
Emotion control devices
Identity theft forces all transactions to use biometrics
Biometrics ID required for all phone-calls
Anti-tech backlash & civil liberties revolt
Shape changing fabrics
Computer enhanced dreaming
Computer controlled hunger suppressants
Sims game using real genetics
Synthetic viruses
Tooth regeneration
Android gladiators
Circuits made with bacteria by own DNA
Bacterial supercomputer
Virus crosses over from machine to human
Use of bacters for processing & storage
DNA computer
Holographic TV
Robot gardeners
Totally automated factories
Robots in hospital
Robots guide blind people
Self-diagnosing, self-repairing robots
Source: BT
China’s first space station (Chinese space station) is scheduled to launch.
Humans on Mars – SpaceX mission. Source: FT
A Message from Earth (AMFE), a high-powered digital radio signal, will reach Gliese 581 c. Source:

2030

Demographics & Social

Diseases that cause diarrhoea will increase by up to 5 percent in impoverished regions of the world. (IPCC)
World population will reach 8-10 billion people.
In developing countries such as China and India, an urban population explosion will put the number of people at 4 billion per the city’s given space. The urban population in developed countries will increase even more by as much as 20 percent. Source: World Bank: The Dynamics of Global Urban Expansion
3bn people water-stressed. Source: BT
Global voting on some issues. Source: BT
Advanced countries competing for immigrants because of population decreases. Source: George Friedman

Environment, food & water

Carbon dixoide concentrations likely over 450ppm climbing more than 3ppm a yr. our fate out of our hands. Inland US warmed 10f or more. Sea level rises of a foot a decade. Source: Joseph Romm
Climate change and other environmental issues have already begun taking their toll on Mother Earth, as up to 18 percent of the world’s coral reefs will be extinct. Coral loss in other parts of the world such as Asia could reach as much as 30 percent. Source: IPCC
Record breaking heat waves & searing droughts will be the norm. relentless super-hurricane seasons, coupled with the reality of accelerating sea-level rises will mean stop rebuilding cities destroyed by hurricanes in gulf coast and eastern seaboard. Source: Joseph Romm
In Africa, global warming will cause glaciers on mountains near the equator to disappear. Source: Richard Taylor, University College London, Geophysical Research Letters
Carbon dioxide fixation technologies for environmental protections. Including artificial induction & precipitation control. Source: BT
Small glaciers will disappear completely by 2050, and the large glaciers will shrink by about 30 to 70 percent. Austrian scientist Roland Psenner of the University of Innsbruck says this is a conservative estimate, and the small alpine glaciers could be gone as soon as 2037. Source: IPCC

Geopolitics & Military

US develops scramjet hypersonic aircraft that can travel at 8,000 miles an hour or mach 10 and hit a target in Europe in under 30 mins. At Mach 20 can hit a target in 15 mins. Source: George Friedman
Use of solar wind deflectors to set fire to cities. Source: BT
Use of mutant insects for attack purposes. Source: BT
Nanotech type virus communicable between machines & people sent over the net. Source: BT
US building secret space rocket launch bases for military space programme. Source: George Friedman

Space, Science & Technology

Active skin makeup
Viewers can choose film roles
Virtual really used in retirement homes. Source: BT
Regular manned mission to Mars. Source: BT
Space elevator. Source: BT
Full direct brain link to PC. Source: BT
Genetically engineered teddy bear. Source: BT

2040

Demographics & Social

World population at 10bn. Source: 10bn

Energy

Wave energy providing 50% UK energy requirements. Source: BT
Use of nuclear fusion as a power source.

Environment

Global warming has already at least doubled the risk of heatwaves like that in 2003, which caused 35,000 extra deaths across Europe. By 2040 such summers are likely to be commonplace and by the 2060s they may well be unusually cool. Source: Hadley Centre
Warming in North America during the 2010 to 2039 time slice will be in the range of 1 to 3ºC. Source: IPCC
The Arctic Sea, usually packed with ice, will now be ice free in the summer, and the depth of ice during the winter may shrink drastically. This is up for debate though, as other scientists predict that the region will still have summer ice up to 2060 and 2105. Source: Marika Holland, NCAR, Geophysical Research Letters
By 2040, koalas may go extinct – due to the combined effects of drought, disease, climate change and loss of natural habitat. The koala is one of Australia’s national symbols. Futuretimeline
Global environmental management corporations. Source: BT

Geopolitics & Military

Terminator type robots. Source: BT
US Battlestar programme – creation of an orbiting military space station. Source: Friedman
Turks a major regional power – dominating Iraq & Syria & their sphere of influence reaches the Saudi peninsula with its dwindling oil reserves fueling the US economy. Source: Friedman
Asteroid diversion used as a weapon. Source: BT

Science, Space & Technology

Use of hibernation in human space travel
Faster than light travel
Start of construction of manned mars laboratory
Artificial brain
Micro-mechano fractal construction kit
Self sustaining Mars colony
Mining of water on Mars
Asteroid mining
By 2045 AI will be able to read – and understand – scientific papers, both text and figures. Source: Oren Etzioni, chief executive of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, quoted in the Telegraph

2050

Demographics & Social

World population at 11 billion. Source: IPCC
Freshwater availability in Central, South, East and South-East Asia, particularly in large river basins such as Changjiang, is likely to decrease due to climate change, along with population growth and rising standard of living that could adversely affect more than a billion people in Asia by the 2050s. 185 to 981 million people will experience increased water stress in Asia. Source: IPCC
132 million could be at risk of hunger in Asia. Source: IPCC

Environment, water & food

18% to 35% of a sample of 1,103 animal and plant species extinct. Source: IPCC
During 2050, animals and plants could be starting to face extinction from the face of the Earth. Source: Jay Malcolm, University of Toronto. Source: Jay Malcolm, University of Toronto, Conservation Biology
Half of all amphibians in Europe will be extinct by 2050, including many previously common species of frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians. The main threats are pollution, disease, loss of natural habitat and droughts caused by climate change. Futuretimeline
By the middle of the 21st century, millions of Chinese may be forced to resettle, as climate change makes large parts of the country uninhabitable. Shanghai and other cities will be inundated by rising sea levels – unless adequate sea defences can be erected. Futuretimeline
By 2050, some 70% of polar bears will have disappeared due to the shrinking of Arctic ice caused by global warming. They will disappear from Greenland entirely by 2080, and from Northern Canada, leaving only dwindling numbers in the interior Arctic archipelago. Of those few which remain, ice breaking up earlier in the year will mean they are forced ashore before they have time to build up sufficient fat stores. Others will be forced to swim huge distances, leading to exhaustion and drowning. The effects of global warming will lead to thinner, stressed bears, decreased reproduction and lower juvenile survival rates – possibly leading to their extinction by 2100. Futuretimeline
Temperature-related deaths will become a prominent issue at this time, as in different parts of the world, people will be dying from extreme heat and cold. It is predicted that 3,200 to 5,200 heat-related deaths will occur in Australia and 500 to 1,000 deaths in New York City. In the United Kingdom, just the opposite will occur as cold-related deaths will increase faster than heat-related deaths. Source: IPCC
50% of arable land will be salty. Source: BT
Severe drought By 2050 it is likely to increase to 12% (if global temperatures rise by 2 °C above pre-industrial values). Source: Hadley Centre
.5 to 1m sea level rise. Source: Joseph Romm
5 to 30% decrease decrease in crop yield is projected for parts of Asia. Source: IPCC
UK and Russia – 2°C warming. Source: IPCC
Decrease in annual rainfall runoff by 20-30% in southeastern Europe. Source: IPCC
Crop shifts will make agriculture very difficult, as in East and Southeast Asia, crop yields will increase by up to 20 percent, while decreasing in their counterpart regions of Central and South Asia. The same crop shift yields may occur on other continents, not only Asia. Source: IPCC
Increases in sugar beet +14 to +20% until the 2050s in England and Wales. Source: IPCC
Southern Europe, general decreases in yield (e.g., legumes -30 to + 5%; sunflower -12 to +3%and tuber crops -14 to +7%. Source: IPCC
At current rates of environmental degradation, more than half of butterfly species will be extinct within 50 years. Source: Futuretimeline
Great Barrier Reef is likely to disappear by 2050. Rising levels of greenhouse gases are making seawater too acidic for calcium-based organisms to grow. Most of the colourful fish for which the reef is famous will also go extinct. Source: Futuretimeline
Energy crops (e.g, oilseeds such as rape oilseed and sunflower), starch crops (e.g., potatoes), cereals (e.g., barley) and solid biofuel crops (such as sorghum and Miscanthus) show a northward expansion in potential cropping area, but a reduction in southern Europe. Source: IPCC

Geopolitical & military

Satellite battle groups – military surveillance satellites will be protected by auxiliary satellites which block laser beams and can attack other satellites. Ability to hit earth from space. Permanently manned military satellites with repair teams. Source: Friedman
American power rests in the global reach of its unmanned hypersonic aircraft and space-based missiles. With these US able to impose a naval blockade around Turkey and Japan and strike any landbased facilities it might want to destroy. Source: Friedman
Infantrymen in armored, powered suits. Source: Friedman
First space war. Source: Friedman

Science, Space & Technology

Moonbase the size of a small village. Source: BT
Brain downloads. Source: BT
Fully telepathic communication. Source: BT

2070

Demographics & social

Water stress in Europe 16-44m people – Southern & Eastern Europe – summer flows reduced by 80%. Source: IPCC

Environment, water & food

Northern Europe (including UK) average summer rainfall for 2070-2100 is likely to decrease by between 5 and 20%. Average winter rainfall is very likely to increase. The number and intensity of extreme rainfall events will increase in winter. Source: Hadley Centre
Increase in annual runoff in the north by up to 30% and decrease by up to 36% in the south.a Decrease in summer low flow by up to 80%.d, b Decreasing drought risk in northern Europe, increasing drought risk in western and southern Europe. Today’s 100-year droughts return every 50 years (or less) in southern and south-eastern Europe (Portugal, all Mediterranean countries, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, southern Russia). Source: IPCC
Today’s 100-year floods occur more frequently in northern and north-eastern Europe (Sweden, Finland, northern Russia), in Ireland, in central and eastern Europe (Poland, Alpine rivers), in Atlantic parts of southern Europe (Spain, Portugal), and less frequently in large parts of southern Europe. Source: IPCC
The hydropower potential of Europe is expected to decline on average by 6% but by 20 to 50% around the Mediterranean. The melting of the glaciers and the intense drought ensuing in other regions will decrease hydropower potential by up to 50 percent. The dry conditions will undoubtedly result in more frequent and longer droughts, longer fire seasons, increased fire risks, and more heat waves. The hardest hit area will be regions in the Mediterranean. Source: IPCC

2080

Environment, water & food

1.6 million people each year in the Mediterranean, northern and western Europe, might experience coastal flooding. Source: IPCC
The extreme shifts in climate will be occurring all over the world by the year 2080. While some parts of the world are trapped in extreme droughts, other regions will be swamped with water. Scientists predict that nearly 20 percent of the world’s population will be affected by rising flood hazards. The 20 percent account for about 100 million people that could experience coastal flooding each year. People that live in densely populated, low-lying areas will be in hazardous zones because of their inability to adapt to rising sea levels, as well as other conflicts such as tropical storms. Source; IPCC
600 million people will be in a state of starvation and 1.1 to 3.2 billion people will be experiencing water shortages. Source: IPCC
Summer Arctic sea ice is predicted to disappear. Source: Hadley Centre
Increases in crop yields are expected mainly in northern Europe +10 to +30%. Source: IPCC
New York City could be flooded by more than three feet of sea water, potentially devastating the areas of Rockaways, Coney Island, Southern Brooklyn and Queens, sections of Long Island City, Astoria, Flusing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, lower Manhattan and eastern Staten Island from Great Kills Harbor north to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Source: NASA GISS
As a result of climate change, dengue fever is expected to affect up to 3.5 billion people. Source: IPCC

2100

Environment, water & food

Temperatures 6 degrees C higher than 2010 WW. Source: IPCC
Based on current trends, a global average temperature rise of 6°C (10°F) by 2100 is almost inevitable.** This was the worst-case scenario envisaged by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its latest report. Carbon dioxide concentrations could reach 1000 parts per million (ppm), compared with 390ppm for 2011 and just 280ppm for pre-industrial times. Source: IPCC. 800ppm according to Jospeh Romm
World temperatures expected to rise by between 1.8-4.0 °C, depending on future greenhouse gas emissions. Source: Hadley Centre
Sea level rise of 1m. Source: IPCC. 1.5-2m seal level rise. Joseph Romm. Loss of ice from the West Antarctic ice sheet is likely to contribute some tens of centimetres to global sea level by 2100. This will contribute to a projected total sea level rise of up to 1.4 metres (and possibly higher) by 2100.
400m ww exposed to rising seas 4m sq km flooded. Bangladesh inundated. Source: Joseph Romm
The CO2 in the atmosphere will be radically higher than any single given time during the past 650,000 years.
North America – Late in the century, projected annual warming is likely to be 2 to 3°C across the western, southern, and eastern continental edges, but more than 5ºC at high latitudes. Source: IPCC
20 to 30% of the species in the world could be extinct if global temperatures rise more than 2 to 3 degrees of pre-industrial levels. A quarter of the world’s organism, account for more than a million species total, could be facing certain extinction. According to IPCC, “we are currently unprepared for climate change and responses to the adaptation could be costly.” Under the extreme circumstances of global warming and other factors, ecosystems will be pushed beyond their natural ability to adapt to climate change. Scientists predict that the ocean pH levels could decrease by as much as 0.5 pH units, the lowest it’s ever been in the last 20 million years. Marine life could be harmed through this drop in pH levels as it could impair their ability to create shells and exoskeletons. Source: IPCC
The permafrost at many parts of the world covers tons of carbon dioxide that has been frozen in the ground. With the thawing permafrost, Earth will be emitting more carbon dioxide into the air than it absorbs. Source: IPCC
New climate zones that we have never seen before could begin to cover 39 percent of the world’s land. Source: Jack Williams, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The notorious “Dust Bowl” drought of the 1930s that occurred in the United States could be seen elsewhere, from the American Southwest, to northern Mexico, and even the eastern side of the world including Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Source: Richard Seager, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Science