--- title: "From teleportation to robot servants: Americans’ predictions and dreams for the future" description: "Americans see the next half-century as a period of profound scientific change, but they don't agree on what will or won't come to pass." date: "2014-04-17" authors: - name: "Andrea Caumont" job_title: "Associate Director, Digital Outreach" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/andrea-caumont/" - name: "Aaron Smith" job_title: "Director, Data Labs" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/aaron-smith/" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/17/from-teleportation-to-robot-servants-americans-predictions-and-dreams-for-the-future/" categories: - "Automation" - "Biotech" - "Human Enhancement" - "Scientists' Views" - "Space" --- # From teleportation to robot servants: Americans’ predictions and dreams for the future https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4Dse6Jq494 Americans see the next half-century as a period of profound scientific change, according to a [new Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2014/04/17/us-views-of-technology-and-the-future/%20) in partnership with [Smithsonian Magazine](http://www.smithsonian.com/scifipoll), but they don't agree on what will or won't come to pass, and whether certain future developments would have a positive or negative impact on society. Here are some key findings from the survey: [![Civil Rights: Wide racial divides persist over fair treatment of blacks](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_Civil_Rights.png?w=161)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_Civil_Rights.png) [![FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_E](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_E.jpg)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/17/from-teleportation-to-robot-servants-americans-predictions-and-dreams-for-the-future/ft_14-04-17_futureoftechkeyfindings_e/) *Credit: Richard Newstead/Getty Images* **Opening U.S. airspace to drones:** After Amazon founder Jeff Bezos [revealed plans for 30-minute package delivery via drone](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-unveils-futuristic-plan-delivery-by-drone/) in a "60 Minutes" episode, critics [derided the idea](http://www.wired.com/2013/12/amazon-drone/) as nonsense, citing a number of technical, economic and regulatory hurdles. Another hurdle may be that the public is largely unenthusiastic about the idea of giving drones permission to fly through most U.S. airspace: 63% of Americans think this would be a change for the worse, compared with 22% who say it would be a change for the better. [![Civil Rights: Wide racial divides persist over fair treatment of blacks](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_Civil_Rights.png?w=161)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_Civil_Rights.png) [![FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_F](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_F.jpg)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/17/from-teleportation-to-robot-servants-americans-predictions-and-dreams-for-the-future/ft_14-04-17_futureoftechkeyfindings_f/) *Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images* **Devices feeding most people information:** Google hopes to begin selling its futuristic Google Glass eyeglass-like computers later this year, but it may confront a market of skeptics: 53% of Americans think it would be a change for the worse if most people wear implants or other devices that constantly show them information about the world around them. Women are especially wary of a future in which these devices are widespread. Americans may have good reason to be wary: 53% say they have been involved in a technology-induced [distracted walking encounter](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/01/02/more-than-half-of-cell-owners-affected-by-distracted-walking/). [![FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G.jpg)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/17/from-teleportation-to-robot-servants-americans-predictions-and-dreams-for-the-future/ft_14-04-17_futureoftechkeyfindings_g/) **Time travel:** About one-in-ten Americans (9%) say the futuristic invention they would most like to have is a time machine. But time travel holds little appeal for older adults—just 3% of seniors named a time machine as their future invention of choice. [![time-machine-interest](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G-jpg.webp?w=300)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G-jpg.webp) [![FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_H](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_H.jpg)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/17/from-teleportation-to-robot-servants-americans-predictions-and-dreams-for-the-future/ft_14-04-17_futureoftechkeyfindings_h/) *Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images* **Driverless cars:** Americans are split on the idea of riding in a driverless car: 48% say they would, while 50% say they would not. Opinions vary by education and urbanity: 59% of college graduates would give driverless cars a try, while 62% of those with a high school diploma or less would not. And half of urban (52%) and suburban (51%) residents are interested in driverless cars, compared with just 36% of rural residents. [![time-machine-interest](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G-jpg.webp?w=300)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G-jpg.webp) [![FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_D](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_D.jpg)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/17/from-teleportation-to-robot-servants-americans-predictions-and-dreams-for-the-future/ft_14-04-17_futureoftechkeyfindings_d/) *Credit: JP Laffont/Sygma/Corbis* **Personal robot servants:** Some middle-aged Americans just want a little help around the house—8% of those ages 30–49 named a personal robot or robot servant as the futuristic invention they would most like to own, at least double the share in other age groups. [![time-machine-interest](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G-jpg.webp?w=300)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G-jpg.webp) [![FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_A](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_A.jpg)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/17/from-teleportation-to-robot-servants-americans-predictions-and-dreams-for-the-future/ft_14-04-17_futureoftechkeyfindings_a/) *Credit: Cultura Science/Jason Persoff/ Getty Images* **Controlling the weather:** Will scientists rid us of catastrophic hurricanes and frigid polar vortexes by developing the ability to control the weather in the next 50 years? No, say more than three-quarters (77%) of all Americans. But there are a few optimists: one-in-five (19%) Americans say this probably will happen. [![time-machine-interest](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G-jpg.webp?w=300)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G-jpg.webp) [![FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_B](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_B.jpg)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/17/from-teleportation-to-robot-servants-americans-predictions-and-dreams-for-the-future/ft_14-04-17_futureoftechkeyfindings_b/) *Credit: NASA Ames Research Center* **Long-term space colonies:** One third of Americans expect to live in a world in which humans have long-term colonies on other planets. Young adults are especially likely to see space colonization as a viable future possibility: 43% of 18-29 year olds see this happening in the next half-century, compared with about a quarter of those over age 50. Among the pessimists are high-income Americans: just 20% of those with an annual household income of $75,000 or more think space colonization is a realistic prediction. [![time-machine-interest](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G-jpg.webp?w=300)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_G-jpg.webp) [![FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_C](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/04/FT_14.04.17_FutureofTechKeyFindings_C.jpg)](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/04/17/from-teleportation-to-robot-servants-americans-predictions-and-dreams-for-the-future/ft_14-04-17_futureoftechkeyfindings_c/) *Credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images* **Teleportation:** The idea of teleportation has long been a common science fiction trope, but Americans are relatively pessimistic about abandoning their planes, trains and automobiles: less than half (39%) say scientists will have solved teleportation in the next 50 years, while 56% say they won't have.