Back to the Future, again...2045

Back to the Future II, released in 1989, made some predictions about 2015, the year its key characters travel to from 1985. Although several of them, such as video calls and wearable technology, came true, the film showed the pitfalls of making long-term forecasts. The world of 2015 was one of the hoverboards, flying cars and power clothing, and instead, we got Snapchat, selfies and man buns. What will the world be like in the next 30 years? Three futurists shared their predictions:

Katie Aquino, also known as Miss Metaverse: Super-fast travel, nanomedicine and virtual immortality

No longer will expensive and lengthy flights be the norm for world travel. Instead, frictionless maglev trains will allow us to travel at speeds of 6,000 miles per hour while only feeling a G1 gravitational force. It’s the same we feel when riding in a car. At those speeds, going from New York to Beijing will only take two hours. What if you get sick on your trip? Nanomedicine, although not a hot topic today, will likely unlock the keys to destroying cancer cells and programming stem cells for a variety of health benefits in the future. Customised drugs will solve a lot of ailments. Death isn't one of them, but we could still find a way to become immortal – kind of.

Jamais Cascio: Jurassic pets and augmented reality clothing

Love the movie Jurassic Park but don't like being eaten by terrifying symbols of man's pride? Synthetic biology will let people create miniature versions of various dinosaurs or other prehistoric creatures. That might include a mini-Velociraptor on a leash, with the right behaviour modification to make sure it's safe to be around, or a micro-Brontosaurus that's perfect for a kid to ride. Also, people will be wearing the ubiquitous smart glasses, digital contact lenses and eye upgrades when riding around on their dinosaur.

James Canton: Digital memories and robot soldiers

Sharing a Facebook photo won't seem very impressive in 2045. That's because people will share entertainment memories, which are like real-time videos, except that others can experience the emotion, physical sensation and actual experience as if they were there. It's intense and kind of creepy! For example, for Terminator fans, there will be machine combat, as robots will fight our wars instead of human soldiers.