This piece was first published in The Japan Times in late January 2021. The year 2020 undoubtedly defied expectations and predictions. Yet as a new year commences, the experience has not deterred many from offering predictions about what is coming next. While it might be tempting to decisively announce that the world after COVID-19 will be fundamentally different, it really is impossible to say.
Christopher Hobson (Mon,) studied this question.