A revolutionary new technology scans shoppers' veins when they make purchases at the till.
An engineering student at a local university, came up with the idea two years ago while he waited in a queue to pay at a supermarket. The complex process took a lot of time and he puzzled over a quicker and easier way to pay. He claims the ground breaking system is safer than plastic as each person's individual vein pattern is completely unique.
Over a thousand shoppers in Sweden have signed up to trials of the technology. The vein-scanning terminals have been installed at 15 shops and restaurants in the city of Lund in southern Sweden.
Well! That's easy—akin to the iris scanning used in top security. The human body is astounding with its individuality. Ever seen a commercial with different faces flashing one after the other? That shows how unique each head is.
I've written the first draft of a novel set fifteen years in the future. The rapid way technology is changing makes any idea I've come up with obsolete. I wonder how the major science fiction writers of the past like H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clark and Issac Asimov came up with their ground breaking ideas. Most of their predictions have come into use. Not the time machine though. Maybe soon.
I'd like to revisit the past and eradicate all the mistakes I've made. I know I can't do anything major—that would change the future. We have to meet the same partner and produce the children that exist now. All I'd change is my attitude. I'd like to be kinder, to understand the consequences of my words and actions. Of course, I'd need to be prudent, and wisdom only comes from experience.
Would you want to go forward or back?