When making predictions, I have two criteria: the laws of physics must be obeyed and prototypes must exist that demonstrate “proof of principle.” I’ve interviewed more than 300 of the world’s top scientists, and many allowed me into laboratories where they are inventing the future. Their accomplishments and dreams are eye-opening. From my conversations with them, here’s a glimpse of what to expect in the coming decades:

1. Computers Will Disappear

According to Moore’s Law, computer power doubles every 18 months. That means in a decade or so, chips will cost about a penny, the cost of scrap paper. Computers as we now know them will disappear; they will be everywhere and nowhere, ubiquitous yet hidden, just like electricity and running water. The cloud will follow us silently and seamlessly, carrying out our wishes anytime, anywhere.

2. Augmented Reality Will Be Everyday Reality

Remember the movie “The Matrix,” where virtual information popped up to help inform physical day-to-day reality? Such things won’t always be the stuff of Hollywood. If the Internet is accessible via contact lenses, biographies will appear next to the faces of the people we talk to, and we will see subtitles if they speak a foreign language. (College students taking final exams will be among the first to buy Internet contact lenses.) These lenses would revolutionize the lives of actors, politicians, surgeons, tourists, soldiers and astronauts by delivering maps, scripts, speeches, translations, biographies and charts with the blink of an eye.

3. The Brain-Net Will Augment the Internet

In decades to come, we will control computers with our minds, not a mouse.The European Union and the United States are committing hundreds of millions of dollars to map the neural pathways of the brain, the next big project in science. This could alleviate the misery of those suffering from mental illness and allow paralyzed people to control computers, video games, appliances, wheelchairs and mechanical arms and legs with sheer thought.

As in science fiction, via the Internet we will be able to experience telepathy (mind-to-mind contact) and telekinesis (mind controlling matter), to upload memories, create a brain-net (memories and emotions sent over the Internet), and record thoughts and even dreams. Basic proofs of principle for all of this have been demonstrated.