When I was making my moronic joke about Marilyn Monroe earlier, it made me think of something. It will be the 100th anniversary of the actress’ death in 2062. I’m not saying she will be completely forgotten by then, but the anniversary will make at most a small ripple.  

So the question is this: Which Americans alive right now will be remembered 100 years after their deaths?

I think President Obama is a pretty safe bet, being the first African-American President. If Hillary Clinton or another woman already born becomes the first female U.S. President, sure. But who else? Any scientist, industrialist, athlete, playwright, civil rights leader, TV star, novelist or filmmaker? Who has made such an indelible mark in a world that relentlessly churns?

Has pop culture becoming our dominant culture made it likely that our most well-known people have a fleeting effect? Will anyone from the Sopranos or Silicon Valley be recalled in a century? Has technology made it easier than ever to record people and easier than ever to erase them? Have we gotten smaller or is it just the pictures that have? Who among us will sustain?•