Just what kinds of things will we be using in the future? TED Fellow Chris Woebken and a host of contributors came up with a series of objects fit for a future pawn shop. Check them out.
对我们大多数人来说，试图描绘未来是一项徒劳的练习，充其量只会冒出一些最好永远不要说出口的糟糕想法。但对于TED研究员克里斯·韦伯肯这样的人来说，这正是当下存在的意义。
韦伯肯与艾略特·蒙哥马利共同运营”外推工厂”工作室，专门致力于构想未来场景。近期的一个项目邀请纽约艺术与设计博物馆的参观者，设想2050年当铺里可能出现的商品。和所有优秀的科幻小说一样，这些成果都源于现实世界中已初现端倪的事物。也和所有优秀的科幻小说一样，其中一些想法不乏疯狂之处。有趣的是，这些物品全都可以购买，所得收益将捐给相关领域的研究人员。来看看这16件尚未存在……但或许终将存在的物品吧。（编者注，2019年4月：这些产品目前已停止销售。）
1. 一只用来替代因疾病灭绝的青蛙的机器人青蛙。
这款人工仿生机器人青蛙”Anura-43″，用于替代那些在2050年前已灭绝的真实青蛙。遗憾的是，这种损失并非完全不可能发生：正如《卫报》所报道的，一场真菌疫病早在1987年便开始威胁哥斯达黎加的青蛙，如今已波及近3000种两栖动物。
2. 一种可以”设计”你的孩子（乃至孙辈）的装置
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