2021 marks the year when the life expectancy of a newborn in the United States will extend into the 22nd century.

Other than curiosity, I have no desire to live an extraordinarily long life. But it would indeed be fascinating to see what the world will look like in 2100.

1990 wasn’t so long ago, equidistant from today and 2050. I think we can see the general contours of life in 2050. But not 2100. That’s why it’s fascinating.

Life in 1940 vs 2020.
Life in 2020 vs 2100.

Will be a totally different world, most likely. Many living today will see it.

Of course, it is always possible that some event changes life for better or worse very suddenly. History isn’t a linear path of progress.

1990 vs 2020. The most extreme change is communications. The internet. I don’t think anyone in 1990 imagined this. We just had AOL, Prodigy, and Compuserve. Maybe we will have things in 2050 we cannot conceive of now as well. One advantage of getting older is seeing it unfold.

When I listen to Munger talk, soon to be 97, I hear the amazement of a man who remembers well the depression years and has seen this amazing unfolding of history over a very long lifetime. Who wouldn’t want to see a century unfold?

One of my favorite videos - NYC 109 years ago