The clock struck twelve to ring in the 2020s and people worldwide felt optimistic and pessimistic at what the new decade has in store for us. Many hope the New Year will improve both their fortunes and the Earth's. The past decade has been somewhat tumultuous. Global warming has put our very existence in peril; wars and conflict continue to rage around the world; millions still lack the basics of clean water and education; and thousands of species became endangered or extinct. Technology and greater cooperation between nations will hopefully make the 2020s a better decade.

Technology website cnet.com predicted that our lives will advance into the realms of science fiction. It wrote: "The decade…will take us even further toward a world where far-out ideas like hooking brains up to computers, and even immortality, become topics of serious conversation." A futurologist wrote about flying cars, bionic suits and unlimited clean energy. He said: "Some technologies will take longer to reach the masses than others.…The 2020s will be when the incredible promises of technology finally happen." Let's get together in 2030 and compare notes on how things went.