[bojan]

Yes..
Whenever I think of far (and not so far away) future, I imagine Earth became something like Trantor or Steel Caves (from Isaac Asimov novels) as the best scenario/outcome.
It may happen.... or it won't (because there will be no-one to build Trantor).
Or, another extreme: "Mote in the God's eye" by Niven/Pournelle.. Are we really heading towards such a fate? Very likely so...