9 FUTURE JOBS

Brain food merchant, space recreation specialist, lunar miner – these are just a few of the new offbeat jobs that will arise in the next century.

“In the future, people will be incredibly specialized – but they will probably be changing careers quite frequently,” predicts futurologist Edward Cornish.

Here’s a look at some of the offbeat jobs of tomorrow, according to Cornish and other experts:

Brain food merchant: By the end of the 21st century there will be brain food stores – just as there are health food stores today – that will specialize in mind-improving substances. There’ll also be vending machines that dispense brain food – and service people to stock and repair them.

Underwater culture technician: This job would involve cultivating new kinds of plants that can be farmed in the sea.

Ethicist: This person will decide the proper course of action in certain situations involving ethics – for instance, when there’s a dispute over whether a gravely ill person should be kept alive or be allowed to die.

Outer space colonist: Just as our ancestors colonized America, the people of the future will help establish colonies in space.

Electric car service station mechanic: As many as 500 million electric cars may be on the road by the turn of the century. Since they’ll need to have their batteries recharged regularly, service stations will spring up to recharge and repair them.

Robot repairman: This will be a combination electrician-plumber who fixes malfunctioning robots by working on their electrical systems and also their hydraulic arms and hands.

Asteroid and lunar miner: Mines will be set up to extract minerals from the moon and asteroids in space.

Moon geologist: This particular specialist will study the rock formations of the moon just as geologists study the earth.

Space recreation specialist: This person will teach others how to play and relax in space. One course that he could teach might be how to fly through the air.

Any we missed? Leave your suggestion in the comments below.