25 Ideas That Will Shape the 2020s
By Sara Shaw • January 3, 2020
Fortune asked 25 of the sharpest minds to weigh in on the epic, disruptive, thrilling, terrifying, and fascinating ideas that will mold the next decade. A few of these predictions include:
1. A “gold standard” for digital currencies will emerge – Over the next decade there’s the potential for an entirely new form of money, “stablecoin.” If achieved, it could help include the world’s unbanked population and ensure a more stable financial system for all.
2. Cell-based meat will change the way we eat – Over the next decade, diets will become increasingly individualized—vegan, ketogenic, gluten-free, etc. One innovation expected to break is cell-based meat. In the long term, it’s going to be bigger than plant-based meats, which don’t taste like meat without being extremely processed. But cell-based meat—that is, meat grown from animal cells—could change the entire planet.
3. Showing up will matter again – In the 2020s people in developed economies will rediscover the value of physical presence. The opposite trend, social isolation, has been building for decades. Researchers find that social isolation increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Trends like shared workspaces encourage people to embrace what we don’t share with machines.