2010s

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The 2010s decade is a period of time that consists of the dates from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019 inclusive. Informally, it could also include a few years at the end of the preceding decade or the beginning of the following decade.

This decade is expected to be called the tens, the twenty-tens, the two thousand tens, or maybe even the teens.[citation needed]

Millennia: 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium - 4th millennium
Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century
Decades: 1980s 1990s 2000s - 2010s - 2020s 2030s 2040s
Years: 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Contents

[edit] Pronunciation

Among experts and the general public, there is a debate as to how specific years of the 21st century should be pronounced in English. Although the majority of English-speakers say "two thousand (and) X" for any specific year post–1999, it is often suggested that the continuation of this type of pronunciation for the entire 21st century would be inappropriate or unnatural, given the alternative "twenty X" option.

Academics suggest that since former years such as 1805 and 1905 were commonly pronounced as "eighteen oh" or "nineteen oh" five, the year 2005 should naturally have been pronounced as "twenty oh-five".[1] Many experts agree that majority usage of "two thousand (and) X" is a result of influences from the Y2K hype, as well as the way "2001" was pronounced in the influential 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Some linguistic and academic experts have predicted that the "twenty X" pronunciation method will eventually prevail, but a timeframe as to when this change will occur often differs. The year 2010 is suggested by many[citation needed] while 2011[1] and 2013 are popular as well. The latest timeframes for change are usually placed at 2020[1] or 2100.

According to a recent press release, David Crystal, author of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, has predicted that the change of pronunciation to "twenty X" will occur in 2011, as "twenty eleven", explaining that the way people pronounce years depends on rhythm, rather than logic. Crystal claims that the rhythm or "flow" of "two thousand (and) ten", beats out that of "twenty ten", but the flow of "twenty eleven" beats out "two thousand (and) eleven".[1] Alternatively, Ian Brookes, editor-in-chief of Chambers Dictionary, suggests the change will occur in 2013. And finally, the UK Times has suggested 2020 as a final timeframe for the change, saying "If people can have “twenty-twenty” vision, then surely they should also live in the year “twenty twenty”.[1]

In addition, the Vancouver Olympics, taking place in 2010, are being officially referred to by Vancouver 2010 as "the twenty-ten olympics".[citation needed] The London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006 has restricted the commercial use of the terms "Two Thousand and Twelve" and "Twenty Twelve", to protect the London 2012 Olympics. [2] Chicago 2016, which operates the official Chicago bid for the 2016 games, refers to the "twenty-sixteen games".

[edit] Trends

  • The baby boomer generation (which "officially" includes babies born after the end of World War II in 1945 until around 1964) begins to reach the age of retirement in North America and Europe. A rapid expansion of the number of retired persons due to the aging Baby Boomers is expected to have a drastic effect on the economies of these countries. For example, in the USA, Social Security and Medicare may be under strain. This expected surge in the distribution of retirement benefits has been dubbed the pension bomb.
  • Those people born in the 1960s and 1970s will most likely be approaching positions of power by the end of the decade (late boomers plus the so-called Generation X in the United States).
  • It is likely that by the end of the decade, only a handful, if any, veterans from World War I will have survived and only a very few from World War II. Equally, it is quite possible that the last people born in the Nineteenth Century will die during this decade.
  • Global population is likely to reach around 7.5 billion by the end of the decade, representing a significant slowdown in growth. In Europe, the population is projected to decline during the decade.[3]

[edit] Science

  • Both the International Linear Collider and ITER may be completed during the latter half of the decade.
  • Global warming is likely to continue, with global temperatures steadily rising. It is not predicted, however, that temperatures will increase by more than 1 degree Celsius before 2020.[4] Although no serious disruption is predicted, some effects of warmer global temperatures will be noticeable.[5] In 2012, the Kyoto Agreement in its current form will expire. Whatever measures come out of attempts to extend, revamp or replace the agreement will likely decide how the problem is handled on a global scale.

[edit] Technology

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  • Around this time, the Hubbert peak of global oil production predicts widespread disruptions to conventional energy supplies of oil and natural gas. Some academic and business research into hydrocarbon deposits has concluded that the continued usage of this form of energy source will inevitably create widespread reductions in its supply during the 2010s, resulting in a sudden need to switch to alternative energy sources such as nuclear energy and "green" sources such as solar and wind power. Similar predictions about the "end of the age of oil" have been made almost since oil first became a major commodity, and so far no such predictions have borne out. However, Marion Hubbert's 1954 prediction that U.S. oil production would peak in 1970 proved to be accurate, so it is possible that the prediction of the same methodology applied to world oil production might well be equally accurate. See also future energy development.
  • In the year 2012, conventional CPUs are expected to reach their maximum computing potential, according to Moore's Law. Moore's Law states that roughly every 18 months the computing power of processing units will double. Reaching the maximum potential would have devastating consequences on the technological industry, and possibly the global economy. It is hoped that this could open up the door for true quantum computing development, though this is likely to be advantageous only to certain programming routines.
  • Many new technological developments that occur during the 2010s will likely result from the concerns of the latter half of the 2000s with global warming and high oil consumption.

[edit] Sporting events

[edit] Widely known fictional references

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Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. (help, get involved!)
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[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Experts clash over millennium bugbear — UK Times
  2. ^ London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006 British Crown 2006; Accessed February 22, 2007
  3. ^ United Nations, based on 2004 figures
  4. ^ Report of the NIC
  5. ^ By 2020, kiss the snows Kilimanjaro goodbye CNET News.com
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