Famed Futurist Faith Popcorn Envisions 2025 and Travels Back In Time

Since 1974, Faith Popcorns BrainReserve has forecast the future for companies including IBM, Bayer and American Express. Her hits include predicting the cocooning trend, the penchant for Americans to spend time and money at home. Its going to be on my gravestone: Here she lies cocooned, Ms. Popcorn, 67, said with a chuckle the other day in her Midtown office decorated with a gleaming white conference table and potted purple orchids. She was more circumspect about her mistakes. A lot of things Ive predicted, she said confidently, didnt happen yet.

Your companys website states: Consumers, anxiety-ridden by simultaneous social, economic, political chaos, find themselves beyond the ability to cope with today or imagine tomorrow. Yet consumer confidence is at an eight-year high. Isnt there a disconnect between that statistic and your findings?

I think people are very nervous. I interviewed a whole bunch of kids, and I said, How long do you think the planet is going to last? They said, 50 years, 75 years. Youve probably seen Interstellar? The planets a dustbowl, which is exactly whats happening. Somebody told me a story yesterday. She found that she had breast cancer and she said to her friend, Oh my God, I have breast cancer. Her friend [replied], who doesnt? Consumer confidence may be up, and they say people are buying things, but I dont think consumer confidence is up.

Envision 2025. Where would you invest?

Humanoid robots. You are going to have a robot that hugs you, kisses you and goes to bed with you, takes care of your mother, and takes your kid to school. You wont be able to tell the difference between a person and a robot.

Just to clarify, you are not a robot?

Not yet. Sometimes, Id like to be. I want to be faster. It annoys me just to have one brain. Thats the other thing: well have add-ons, chips. Want to speak French when you go to France? Here, you speak French.

You think brain implants are 10 years away?Fifteen.

What short-term change to society do you forecast?

100 percent delivery. Pepsi coming out of your faucet. Buildings piped up not only with air conditioning but food.

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Famed Futurist Faith Popcorn Envisions 2025 and Travels Back In Time

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