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As someone who has vague memories of Canada’s Centennial celebrations in 1967, I’m tempted to mark Canada 150 by looking through the rear-view mirror. What has been the biggest change over the decades? (The thing you’re reading this on) What is better? (TV) What is worse? (TV)
Beyond our personal observations, Canada Day this year has stimulated a long-overdue national discussion about what we’re celebrating – and why for some of of us, it’s not a day of celebration at all.
In its first week of publication, The Conversation Canada felt it was best to leave the rear-view mirror contemplations to others. Instead, we wanted to gaze into the future – another 150 years from now. So we asked several leading academics and researchers to imagine Canada when it will be marking the 300th anniversary of Confederation.
For your holiday weekend reading, we present our Canada +150 series. Will there be time travel? How will we feed space travellers? What will jobs and politics be like in the future? Those are just a few of the many wonders of the future that are contemplated and explained by our academic authors.
Thanks to everyone who has supported our new journalism startup. We’ve doubled our newsletter list in the first week and our Twitter and Facebook followers continue to grow daily.
Happy Canada Day from your team at The Conversation Canada. You’ll hear from us next on Tuesday morning as we take a holiday weekend break.
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Canada in 2167 could see genetically engineered humans living alongside sentient machines in cities radically altered by ecological change.
(Shutterstock)
Bryan Gaensler, University of Toronto
By 2167, genetically designed, digitally enhanced humans with Internet-connected brains will live with intelligent machines in a transformed environment and maybe even among the stars.
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The future of citizenship is more distributed, interactive and local than dealing with central government through new technology. That may be sad news for those who wish to interact with the likes of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in virtual reality if not in person.
(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)
Curtis McCord, University of Toronto
The disruptive impact of intelligent machines and new social movements will force us to remake citizenship into a more personal pursuit over the next 150 years.
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Will AI and robotics erode or enhance the labour market for humans?
(Shutterstock)
Sunil Johal, University of Toronto
What will Canadians do to earn their keep in 150 years? We won't manufacture goods, but jobs with the "human" touch, like nursing, will still be important.
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William Shatner as Star Trek’s Captain James T. Kirk is depicted on a commemorative stamp issued by Canada Post in 2016.
Handout/Canada Post
Joshua Gans, University of Toronto
Canada's economy faces a radical shift as abundant energy and resources could propel the country toward a Star Trek future.
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Matt Damon as astronaut and exobotanist Mark Watney in the film The Martian grows crops on Mars.
(20th Century Fox/Handout)
Michael Dixon, University of Guelph
We will one day grow food in conditions as extreme as Mars. Developing the controlled environments required will help not only space explorers but also support our own survival here on Earth.
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Using passive eDNA detection, we won’t have to wait until we see massive algae blooms to know lakes are struggling.
Robert Hanner, University of Guelph
By 2167, DNA barcoding scans will lead to weather-style "biodiversity forecasts," enabling us to more easily protect and care for the environment.
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