Will wires be a thing of the past by 2050?

Question

Will all electronics work wirelessly...even small devices? By wireless I don't mean just cords. I mean like even tiny little wires inside things.

Answer 1

Of course not!  How else can different parts of a circuit talk to each other?  Fiber optics?  Don't kid yourself.  On each end of a fiber optic is lots of wiring connecting lots of components.

No, wires are here to stay, whether on a circuit board or in between spaces.  Wires bring out the integrated circuit to the connection pins, don't forget...

Answer 2

Probably not.  There may not be enough radio frequency bandwidth.  Running all devices with RF transceivers attached could lead to massive problems with mutual interference, even if signals are digital.

It's conceivable but it's probably over-engineering and over-elaboration of things that are cheaply made even now.    

I work in an office with about 50 desktop computers on the floor.  There are 700 staff on four floors in three wings of the building. Can you imagine the problems if all these had wireless keyboards, wireless mice and wireless connections to printers?    

Answer 3

Optical interconnects are an idea, but fundamentally devices still need power & inside devices wires are really cheap.

My guess: No. this fad that everything has to be wireless will wear off.

Answer 4

No, there will always need to be a connection of some sort in non-wireless connectivity, as a current is required to pass through, however, the operating levels of power needed are gradually decreasing, allowing parts to become smaller (hence the micro-chip) and therefore decreasing heat generated within circitry, I can see solar power being used to greater advantage in future applications, along with lasers.