Say it to yourself out loud: twenty fourteen. It seems downright crazy that the human race has made it this far. Then again, the twerk-tastic year we’re leaving behind is hardly one most of us are likely to miss — we lost Nelson Mandela and Lou Reed, and in return we gained a devastating typhoon, a government shutdown and, well, Rob Ford. In an effort to get that lingering 2013 taste out of our mouths, we’ve listed five things to look forward to in the upcoming calendar year.
The cure for baldness might become available
If genetics dealt you a bad hand and hairlessness looms in your (near?) future, 2014 might just be the year for you. In a 2012 article for The Telegraph, scientist George Cotsarelis claimed that an over the counter anti-baldness medication would likely be hitting the shelves in two years. The key is an enzyme called prostaglandin D2, or PGD2, which tells follicles to stop producing hair — scientists now claim to be able to stop this process, abating hair loss in men and women. Similarly, scientists at Columbia University Medical Centre have been researching a way to generate hair growth in cells in order to cure baldness and facilitate skin grafts for burn victims. Whether or not either of these approaches will work remains to be seen — just don’t lose any hair over it!
The UK and USA will officially withdraw troops from Afghanistan
The War in Afghanistan has been one of the defining conflicts of the 21st century — from its beginnings as a civil war between the Afghan government and the Taliban to the intervention of NATO following the September 11 attacks, any discussion on foreign policy in the past two decades has inevitably included a mention of this ongoing war. December 31, 2014 will officially mark the end of the United States and Great Britain’s involvement in the conflict, 13 years later. Though both nations plan to maintain a peacekeeping presence in Afghanistan — similar to Canada’s choice to do so two years previous — for many, this date means the homecoming of long absent mothers, fathers, daughters and sons.
The Olympics will take place in Sochi, Russia
At least, we think they will. The Russian Federation has been no stranger to controversy in the past year — they’ve enacted anti-gay legislation, imprisoned riot grrrl rockers, granted asylum to an NSA whistleblower, and weakened relations with the Western world in the process. More recently, Russia has been the target of two (possibly linked) suicide bombings in a two-day span, raising questions over whether the nation is fit to host the games at all. However, Vladimir Putin is nothing if not persistent — expect Hell to freeze over and Siberia to melt before old Vlad lets a few human rights violations or domestic terrorist attacks get in the way of Russia’s spotlight on the world stage. With February fast approaching, get ready for even more controversy once the international competition gets underway. At least we’re bound to win some medals this time around.
Holographic communication may go from science fiction to science fact
As any Star Trek fan will tell you, holograms have always been one of science fiction’s coolest tropes. Who wouldn’t rather speak with a holographic 3D image of a loved one, rather than using a video messaging service like Skype — or, worse yet, phoning them? Thankfully, scientists have been hard at work gradually making our sci-fi dreams a reality: holographic telepresence, a process where your 3D image is transmitted into multiple locations at once, may become a common feature of computers and smartphones by the end of this year. Those of you who’ve seen Tupac Shakur’s posthumous holographic performance at last year’s Coachella festival will know that these holograms are a far cry from the pixelated miniature Princess Leia of the Star Wars trilogy. In 2014, science fiction is well on its way to becoming science fact.
People will finally shut up about the Oscars
Whether you’re a film buff or a celluloid critic, chances are you’re sick and tired of hearing about who’s going to win Best Picture, who’s a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actress and who’s going to wear what on the red carpet. For those of you who actually enjoy awards season, here’s a public service announcement: the Academy is 94 per cent white, 77 per cent male and has an average age of 62 — not exactly representative of film viewers as a whole. However, this one is a double-edged sword: as soon as the dust settles on 2013 Oscar winners, the harsh reality of the post-awards season sets in. Expect a lot of cheesy action movies, teen lit adaptations, and Sandra Bullock vehicles.
