Polar reversals have occurred many times before in Earth's history - typically every 300,000 years. The last time was around 780,000 BC. This means the planet is long overdue for such an event.
From 1900 onwards, the intensity of Earth's magnetic field was known to be declining by six percent each century. By 3500, the poles are beginning to completely reverse.*
Charged particles from the Sun affect satellites and other near-Earth vessels which lack adequate protection. However, plants and animals on Earth are unaffected. During the reversal, the solar wind induces a sufficient magnetic field in the ionosphere, temporarily shielding the surface in the absence of the normal magnetic field.*
The Grand Unification Energy is witnessed The first particle accelerators were small, terrestrial-based devices. In the early 21st century, they resulted in energies of only a few tera-electronvolts. By the middle of the 4th millenium, however, an accelerator covering the entire perimeter of our Solar System has been built. This becomes the single largest experiment in history – powerful enough to accelerate particles to a state known as the Grand Unification Energy, allowing the very earliest moments of the Universe to be simulated. The electromagnetic, weak and strong nuclear force (three of the four fundamental forces) are viewed for the first time at precisely the same strength: becoming effectively different aspects of a single force. Quarks and electrons, too, become the same, achieving another unification.*
Computer science is reaching its ultimate potential The biological and technological descendants of humanity are attaining the perfection of computer science. Hardware and software are becoming the absolute fastest, most efficient they can ever possibly be, within the known laws of physics. All of the knowledge to do so has now been largely achieved. From this point onwards, computer science becomes obsolete as a field of study – the only "unknowns" left for researchers to discover will be in other areas of science.
The author Douglas Adams once made a witty point about technology: the inventions we label “technologies” are simply those which haven’t yet become an invisible, effortless part of our lives. “We no longer think of chairs as technology,” he argued. “But there was a time when we hadn’t worked out how many legs chairs should have, how tall they should be, and they would often ‘crash’ when we tried to use them. Before long, computers will be as trivial and plentiful as chairs…and we will cease to be aware of the things.” Adams’s prediction was prescient. Computers have been such a prominent, dazzling force in our lives for the past few decades that it’s easy to forget that subsequent generations might not even consider them to be technology. Today, screens draw constant attention to themselves and these high-visibility machines are a demanding, delightful pit into which we pour our waking hours. Yet we are on the cusp of the moment when computing finally slips beneath our awareness – and this development will bring both dangers and benefits. Computer scientists have been predicting such a moment for decades. The phrase “ubiquitous computing” was coined at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the late 1980s by the scientist Mark Weiser, and described a world in which computers would become what Weiser later termed “calm technologies”: unseen, silent servants, available everywhere and anywhere. Although we may not think about it as such, computing capability of this kind has been a fact of life for several years. What we are only beginning to see, however, is a movement away from screens towards self-effacing rather than attention-hungry machines. Take Google Glass. Recent news stories have focused more on intrusion than invisibility. (There’s even a young word, “Glassholes”, describing the kind of users who get kicked out of cafes). Beyond the hand-wringing, though, Glass represents the tip of a rapidly-emerging iceberg of devices that are “invisible” in the most literal sense: because a user’s primary interface with them is not through looking at or typing onto a screen, but via speech, location and movement. This category also includes everything from discrete smartwatches and fitness devices to voice-activated in-car services. Equally surreptitious are the rising number of “smart” buildings – from shops and museums to cars and offices – that interface with smartphones and apps almost without us noticing, and offer enhancements ranging from streamlining payments to “knowing” our light, temperature and room preferences. Intelligent cloud The consequences of all this will be profound. Consider what it means to have a primarily spoken rather than screen-based relationship with a computer. When you’re speaking and listening rather than reading off a screen, you’re not researching and comparing results, or selecting from a list – you’re being given answers. Or, more precisely, you’re being given one answer, customised to match not only your profile and preferences, but where you are, what you’re doing, and who with. Google researchers, for example, have spoken about the idea of an “intelligent cloud” that answers your questions directly, adapted to match its increasingly intimate knowledge about you and everybody else. Where is the best restaurant nearby? How do I get here? Why should I buy that? Our relationships with computers, in this context, may come to feel more like companionship than sitting down to “use” a device: a lifelong conversation with systems that know many things about us more intimately than most mere people. Such invisibility begs several questions. If our computers provide such firm answers, but keep their workings and presence below our awareness, will we be too quick to trust the information that they provide – or too willing to take their models of the world for the real thing? As motorists already know to their cost, even a sat-nav’s suggestions can be hopelessly wrong. That’s not to mention the potential for surveillance. More than a decade ago, critics of ubiquitous computing suggested it is “the feverish dream of spooks and spies – a bug in every object”. Given this year’s revelations about the NSA monitoring our communication, it was a prescient fear, and one that has had recent commentators reaching for that familiar adjective “Orwellian.” There are, of course, causes for celebration about this technology too: hopes for a world in which computers, like chairs, simply support us without draining a particle more of our time, attention or effort than required. And in any case, subsequent generations may not share the same concerns as us. As Douglas Adams put it, everything that already exists when you’re born is just normal – but “anything that gets invented after you’re 30 is against the natural order of things and the beginning of the end of civilisation as we know it.” Yet as computers slip ever further beneath our awareness, it is important that we continue to ask certain questions. What should an unseen machine be permitted to hear and see of our own, and others’, lives? Can we trust what they tell us? And how do we switch them off? Invisible computers are here. But we must remember to keep at least some of their facets within sight.
Cast your mind back to late 2008, when the first Android-powered handset saw the light of day. Obama won his first Presidential election, Apple launched its App Store (the iPhone had appeared the year before), Google announced its own Chrome browser and we got our first look at the company's new mobile OS on the T-Mobile G1.
The Android of 2013 is a world away from that 2008 version, where the Android Market was in its infancy, there were no native video playback capabilities and the G1 had no multi-touch support. But Google is going to have to keep innovating and improving its mobile OS to keep the lion's share of the smartphone market.
We've taken a peek into the future to consider what Android might look like in the year 2020. With new Android monikers now appearing about once a year, its codename should start with an "R" - Rhubarb Pie, Rocky Road or Rice Pudding, perhaps? Or maybe even Rolos, given the tie-up deals Google is putting in place these days?
Here are the four key features we think could play the biggest part in Android's ongoing evolution over the next seven years:
1. Maps in Android in 2020
Apple's Maps app may not have set the world alight when it launched, but it's here now (alongside Nokia's offering), and that means Google needs to up its game to stay ahead. The 2013 Google Maps refresh brought with it a greater level of customisation based on your personal searches, and this
will only increase in the future.
With Google Now and Google Latitude tracking your every move, you'll see directions to your favourite pub appear on-screen every Friday lunchtime. If the pub in question has an Android-powered bar installed, you might even find your tipple of choice waiting for you when you arrive
As for all of the services hanging off Maps, Google is already hiring out the Street View cameras and enabling you to peek inside buildings - you can expect Android 2020 to offer better imagery of most public buildings, as well as tappable info as you move around.
There might even be an option to enable Google to anonymously augment its Street View data with the snaps you take on your phone to provide an even more up-to-date view of the world.
2. Android messaging in 2020
Google has already made its intentions clear with the Hangouts upgradewe got at I/O this year. With Facebook, WhatsApp, FaceTime, Snapchat, Skype et al to battle against, there's no doubt we'll see Google push further into the universal messaging game, covering SMS, email, instant messaging and video calling with tools that are baked into Android.
You won't have to have separate apps for each of these, as the UI will be unified in a way that makes it easy to seamlessly slip between each method of calling.
We might even get Google Voice in the UK by the time 2020 rolls around, though don't hold your breath.
How far Google can go depends on the networks and its competitors in the field - it's already launched an ultra-fast internet service in the US, so telecoms could be next. And the company has been sniffing around unused wireless spectrum frequencies, too.
Don't be surprised to see free 5G video calling and texting between Android devices by 2020, with all of your conversations grouped by person rather than platform, and archived and searchable in Gmail.
Eric Schmidt has already predicted that every human will be online by 2020 (no doubt hoping that we'll all have a Google+ page too), and the more people his company can help get connected the better for Google's bottom line.
3. Android payments and security in 2020
Over the next few years our phones will become even more important for making payments, transferring money and verifying our identity (everything from getting through the door at work to logging into Facebook).
The Google Authenticator app of 2020 could work with your device's NFC chip to automatically log you into Gmail when you sit down at your laptop, for example, or pay for your flight when you step on a plane. Apple has Passbook, and Google will want an equivalent in place too.
We've seen tattoos and pills shown off as possible authentication triggers of the future, and Android 2020 will play a big part in proving you are who you say you are, whether it's at a coffee shop or Google I/O.
Basic face recognition is already available, but in the years to come it has the potential to get much more accurate. It might even be joined by fingerprint or retina scanning built into Android's camera app, or at least part of the phone, now that Apple has shown that fingerprint scanning is a viable option with its new Touch ID technology.
4. Android hardware in 2020
Hardware innovations are going to play a big part in Android's roadmap. Besides the obvious smaller, thinner, faster improvements for our phones,bendable screens should be in place in the near future - the likes of Samsung have the tech already in production, and Android will change to adapt itself through scrolling rivers of news, status updates and other notifications.
Ever-changing, ever-optimising displays will be the order of the day, and the batteries and mobile processors of 2020 should be able to keep up.
Google Glass has of course generated plenty of buzz this year, good and bad, as has the rumour of an Apple iWatch to compete with the Galaxy Gear. It looks like the wearable tech revolution is about to take off, and by the time 2020 rolls around this could mean miniature devices on our glasses, wrists and clothing, ready to capture every moment and record every movement.
You won't need to take photos any more, since Google will simply pick out the best pictures from the unedited stream of the day's events. Nor will you need to decide what to eat for dinner - Android 2020 will know what you've been doing today (and what you're probably doing tonight), and can pick out the most suitable foods for you.
Android: the 2020 edition
The only certainty about Android's future is that it has a fight on its hands to stay competitive. Apple's new-look iOS 7 has given Google plenty to think about, not least with its tie-ins with Facebook, Twitter, Bing, Flickr and Vimeo.
Android's continuing integration with Chrome and the desktop/laptop will make for an interesting story too - they're both run by the same man,Sundar Pichai, remember - and perhaps Google's biggest challenge will be to convince us that we can trust it with more and more information about where we are, who we communicate with and the way we live our lives.
conceivable that humans could someday discover aliens. We scour the cosmos looking for their radio signals, and though we're not capable of interstellar space travel, it is remotely possible that we could find what we're looking for right here in our solar system.
Life could theoretically exist on Mars, or on Europa, a moon of Jupiter, which appears to have an underground ocean. It's even possible (though highly unlikely) that these nearby life forms could be sentient. "It is consistent with current human exploration of the solar system that intelligent beings could have evolved in the deep oceans of Europa," said Jacob Haqq-Misra, an astronomer at Pennsylvania State University.
Another possibility, Haqq-Misra said, is that "intelligent extraterrestrial beings have traveled from a distant star system and taken up residence in the solar system. They might be living in an underground base on Mars or the moon, or they could be residing in the asteroid belt (or any number of other plausible, albeit unlikely, options)."Considering these scenarios, what would we do if we encountered an alien race? As it turns out, the question has garnered considerable academic thought since the first reported flying saucer sighting in 1947, not just as an inquiry in human psychology, but also as a way of contemplating what aliens might do if they ever found us. From astronomers to ufologists to anthropologists, scholars who have contemplated the various "contact scenarios" believe our course of action would strongly depend on the relative intelligence level of the newfound beings. Here, we outline what would happen if we encountered primitive, humanlike, and godlike aliens.
Voyage of discovery
According to Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif., the most likely contact scenario is that the alien race we discover will be extremely primitive. This assumption is based on reality, given that the habitable worlds we're capable of exploring — such as Mars and Europa — show no signs of harboring advanced beings. But it also makes sense philosophically: Judging by how long inhabitants of Earth spent in the insectlike trilobite stage compared with how long humans have been around, there's a better chance that life found anywhere in the universe will be primitive.
Furthermore, in light of the immense difficulty of space exploration, it is thought that explorers will typically be far more advanced than the creatures they discover. This makes it easy to set the protocol for a first encounter: If we landed on Mars or Europa and discovered the alien equivalents of trilobites, "you would do what Darwin did — collect samples and take them back home," Shostak told Life's Little Mysteries.
Seven steps
Despite the tendency of Hollywood films and sci-fi novels to depict malevolent encounters between evenly matched space adversaries, Shostak says the size of the universe and the rarity of life makes it extremely unlikely that two races of roughly equal intelligence will encounter one another in the cosmos. That said, reports of UFO sightings led some scholars to develop theories about this scenario. They asked: what would we do if we were aliens discovering us? [Science Fact or Fiction: ET Will Look Like Us]
According to Robert Freitas, author of several books outlining possible alien contact scenarios, in 1950 the U.S. military developed a procedure called "Seven Steps to Contact," laying out the logical steps we would take upon discovering creatures with roughly human-level sentience. According to the steps, we would begin with remote surveillance and data gathering, and would eventually move on to covert visitations with the goal of gauging the performance characteristics of the aliens' vehicles and weaponry.
If we judged our technological capabilities to be superior to those of the other race, we would attempt near approaches to the planet to determine whether the alien beings were hostile, and if so, by what means. If all went well, we would then make brief touchdowns in isolated areas, securing specimens of plants, animals, and of the intelligent beings themselves. In other words, this phase would involve non-harmful abductions similar to those reported by some Americans. (Interestingly, the "Seven Steps to Contact" plan predated the first reported alien abduction incident in 1957, suggesting the theory could have influenced such reports.) [Alien Abductions May Be Vivid Dreams, Study Finds]
Next, we would make our presence known, making low-level approaches where our craft and its operators could be seen, but not reached. We would try to be witnessed by the greatest possible number of inhabitants, and would demonstrate our existence and our nonhostile nature. Lastly, if all went well and there was no reason to think that contact would be disastrous for the two races involved, we would land and attempt to communicate face-to-alien-face.
Half a century since that military report was penned, we'd still follow much the same procedure. "Let's say that a near-future mission to Europa reveals indisputable evidence of intelligent beings/civilization, Haqq-Misra said. "Continued remote exploration would probably be the most likely progression, with attempts at remote communication with the subterranean intelligent beings included as part of the missions. Eventually humans would want to land and make contact (wearing astro-scuba suits?), but a 'precautionary principle' might delay human exploration until robotic exploration has confirmed that Europa's inhabitants are safe."
Alien overlords
What if, as in the second scenario proposed by Haqq-Misra, we happened upon a race of aliens who were orders of magnitude smarter than us — beings capable of interstellar spaceflight who had established a base somewhere in our solar system? Just as ants can't make sense of human behavior, it's difficult or impossible for us to understand how this advanced race would react to us. "[The renowned astronomer] Carl Sagan figured any aliens that might be able to travel between the stars would be so advanced that they would be beyond all this business of aggression and war and so forth," Shostak said. "But that may just be a projection of what he hopes humans would do eventually."
Shostak tends to think differently. Aggression, he says, evolved as a trait among Earthlings because it helps us obtain and protect resources. Though aliens would probably have evolved under totally different conditions, pressure to secure finite resources would probably have molded their behavior, too. "I suspect resources would be finite anywhere in the universe."
If Sagan is right, then the wise race we encountered would treat us with immense consideration and respect, while having the technology to ensure that we treat them similarly. If Shostak is right, and the incredibly advanced aliens we stumbled upon were also as aggressive as we are, we'd probably be toast.
Well, not toast exactly. In Haqq-Misra's opinion, "A society capable of interstellar travel should have solved their development issues such that they do not need humans for food."
The recent attack on Chinese dissidents’ Gmail accounts that was purportedly carried out by the Chinese government isn’t the first time the security of the Internet has been called into question. But it did get people talking again about a possible “digital Pearl Harbor.” This phrase is meant to describe a crippling and amorphous offensive on a country’s digital infrastructure. The maxim has become a meme at best, and a scare tactic at worst.
By most accounts, such an attack is thankfully improbable. The very question of such a strike appears to annoy noted security expert Bruce Schneier, author of Applied Cryptography—among other books on the subject—and a source for Congressional hearings on security several times over. He claims that it’s not in our enemies’ best interest to cut off the Internet. For one, eavesdropping would be harder for them. And how would an adversary know it had won? “If we attacked Russia and disabled their communications system, there’s no way they could surrender,” he said
It could be simple to forget just what life has been including prior to a internet. For several, not just a time moves without having examining email, surfing around on-line or even talking to Search engines. Some 1. 3 billion dollars individuals alive currently usually are young ample not to ever have noticed anything else. Yet contains the community of networks supporting more or less everything exercise actually attained every section of the earth? Several good reasons nonetheless quit individuals getting at the world wide web where they live, naturally. There’s censorship, firstly. “We don’t find very much targeted visitors via Northern Korea, ” affirms Steve Graham-Cumming of CloudFlare, a new content delivery community – the equivalent of a new local parcel syndication center, but also for website traffic. “Likewise, early within the Syrian municipal conflict that they block internet access and also we noticed a new lower with targeted visitors via individuals Syrian associations. ” It’s likewise a new well-established trouble of which the majority of the world’s poorest individuals would not have the actual signifies or even technological innovation to help login, using simply 31% of men and women within the acquiring globe online, when compared with 77% within the formulated international locations.
The people of North Korea have less access to modern technology than their neighbours, as this night-time satellite image hints. (Nasa)
Nevertheless, these kind of political and also societal hindrances gain access to will not automatically show regarding the physical magnitude of the internet itself. Assuming this is the right gadget as well as the political overall flexibility, perhaps there is anyplace remaining in the world the place that the labyrinth of cable television and also wireless impulses will not get to? Giving answers to this particular problem will begin with the description of the a variety of tiers of internet access. The primary components for getting on-line usually are sent associations, cell phone networks and also satellites. Fibre-optic cables makeup the actual center of the internet, criss-crossing oceans and also territory. The first of those communications cables were being drop within the 1850s for carrying telegraph impulses. Today that they connect just about all continents with the exception of Antarctica, and can include several – although not just about all – little island nations around the world. Cellular associations, in the mean time, rely on cell phone podiums. As well as these kind of can offer an impressive get to. “Two in the past I was in the actual Sahara, and also for quite a large number of time I had access, ” Graham-Cumming affirms. “It has been patchy and also slow-moving, nevertheless it has been presently there. ” Really, several acquiring international locations, particularly with The african continent, be dependent predominantly in cell phone associations for getting at the world wide web.
The Cook Islands may not have internet via cables , but people can use satellites. (Getty)
Eventually, satellites include the slowest means of having on-line, but the only alternative for those dwelling not even close to a new cell phone tower or even insert. This Iridium satellite television constellation protection stretches around anyone on the planet, and also his or her satellite television cell phones can easily insert a person upward with or else unconnected sites, for example national areas in america, Antarctica or even remote places of territory much like the Prepare Countries. “If you reside available within the twigs someplace, the item can make absolutely no perception on your local phone system supplier to operate a new food fibre to your dwelling or even farmville farm, ” affirms Jesse Belson, editor of the quarterly Talk about of the Web survey at Akamai, on the list of world’s major content delivery networks. “So most of the time satellite television is the optimum alternative, even though it will not be the actual speediest one particular. ” Pure mileage points out of which delay: from the equator, for example, files has to vacation with regards to twenty-two, 000 mile after mile (35, 000km) concerning satellite television and also end user. Internet access by using satellite television is usually progressively increasing, though. A new satellite television broadband supplier referred to as O3b Sites recently launched their primary some satellites, which usually the item affirms orbit all around some instances closer to Globe in comparison with normal geosynchronous satellites and also handle a new four hundred distance (643km) circumference for each satellite television. This could speed up files exchange by simply with regards to some instances when compared with traditional satellite television associations. This Prepare Countries within the Off-shore enrolled as the primary demo customers, while sites including Somalia and also away from the coast Peru need to join with a few months or so. This company likewise ideas to offer internet to help cruise liners and also ocean going oilrigs, which usually presently utilize traditional satellites. “There will be sites exactly where it’s difficult to obtain either terrestrial or even satellite television associations, although individuals purses will end up scaled-down and also scaled-down, ” affirms Steve Scruff of the neck, O3b’s CEO. Also, Search engines recently announced ideas to help take on staying internet deserts through their Loon project, several giant balloons which will take flight at with regards to 70, 000 toes (21, 000 metres) and also supply internet to help outlying or even disaster-stricken places. Including satellites, individuals connecting throughout the balloons would need its own antenna to offer and also obtain a indicate. This preliminary kick off was held final July, whenever thirty balloons were being deployed previously mentioned Completely new Zealand’s South Island.
Google's Loon project aims to get cut-off people online by using balloons. (Getty)
Different engineering likewise promise to produce access simpler within the little or even short-term dark places nonetheless staying with far more formulated nations around the world. Inside subterranean tunnels, internet can be sent by simply creating local 'hang-outs' applying cell phone radios, since is the situation in Amtrak and also Eurostar train locomotives, and also in some city subways.
Is protection virtually all-pervasive and then? Less than. There are several sites remaining exactly where cable television, wireless or even satellite television impulses will not get to. Serious caves including Georgia’s Krubera Cave, which usually reaches 5, 610 toes (1, 710m) subterranean, for starters, would most likely end up being without program – it’s the actual greatest cavern in the world. (However, perhaps subterranean the item wouldn’t end up being certain in the event that there’s a new cell phone tower regional, by way of example, or even a good beginning right overhead that your satellite television indicate could possibly enter. ) An additional feasible final spot without having internet is usually deeply upside down. While many submarines have got internet permitted throughout the exact same means that that they utilize to maintain radio speak to, the actual impulses can be weak or even non-existent considering that the indicate may become altered by simply h2o. “I bet a new nuclear boat provides really rubbish access, ” Graham-Cumming speculates. In truth, the best way to find not online may very well be a new self-imposed ban. It’s feasible of which internet-free areas and specific zones may possibly arise in the foreseeable future. Some areas might choose to by choice reduce them selves away on the internet, similar to the uncontacted tribes with South usa, Completely new Guinea and also The indian subcontinent, who purposefully want to continue to be remote. “I wouldn’t end up being shocked in the event that many group eventually affirms, ‘No, we don’t want to have internet, ’” affirms Graham-Cumming. To seriously avoid the internet, and then, you should create lots of work. Actually the actual remotest forests right now makes a signal of some sort or other. When you ever end up yearning for any life before emails, LOLcat memes and also Myspace, think about this: the actual tendrils of the final community usually are so popular right now, it’s surprisingly hard to escape.
In soon future this gonna possible to access web from a device which is
attached to your wrist. I know lots of people don’t want to spend their
time in front of computers or laptops. For solve this problem and make
you more available for web Sony is here with its new concept, flexible
bracelet OLED touchscreen device. This device is that much flexible that
you can band it like bracelet or use it like Smartphone or tab. This
device may take approximately ten years to come in market but ten years
is not too long for such kind of gadget
Towards
the end of this century, home appliances are becoming available which
can instantly reproduce almost any known substance, at quantum fidelity.* This is achieved using a combination of femtoengineered components and
exceedingly complex fractalised software, capable of handling the stupendous
number of calculations involved. These devices are just one of many
spinoff technologies resulting from the development of macro-scale teleportation
in previous decades. Originally
used in factories, science labs and corporate environments, the machines
were big enough to fill entire rooms, and often required huge amounts
of power. They worked well for large enterprises but were completely
impractical for the consumer market. However,
much like the IT industry, exponential progress in this field led to
a rapidly shrinking form-factor. Combined with power conservation and
heat dissipation techniques, a new generation of replicators began to
evolve that were ultra-compact. Eventually they became small enough
to fit on kitchen worktops. Today,
these devices are as cheap and commonplace as microwave ovens were in
the late 20th century. They are most commonly used as food synthesisers,
but a variety of other household items can be reproduced. Raw mass
resources – in the form of sterilised organic particulates – are stored
in compartments within the machine. To save energy and computational
power, these have been specially formulated to statistically require
the least quantum manipulation. The user inputs their choice either
via mind control, or voice activation. Molecular analysers then scan
each and every subatomic particle, while trillions of Heisenberg compensators
maintain cohesion as the object begins to materialise, held in place
by micro force-fields. The process takes a matter of seconds and can
be repeated indefinitely – resources are beamed in from an external
supplier, like tap water. A vast
database containing information on food, clothing and other objects
is constantly maintained online. This is automatically downloaded into
each machine, and contains many freely available programs. These devices
will play a major role in eliminating poverty, disease and hunger throughout
the world. Traditional agriculture, manufacturing and distribution will
become obsolete, replaced by purely information-driven systems that
are completely decentralised.
An
observer from the previous century – walking through a newly developed
city of today – would be struck by the sense of cleanliness and order.
The air would smell fresh and pure, as if they were in 20th century
countryside. Roads and pavements would be immaculate: made of special
materials that cleaned themselves, absorbed garbage and could self-repair
in the event of damage. Building surfaces, windows and roofs would be
completely resistant to dirt, bacteria, weather, graffiti and vandalism.
These same coatings would be applied to public transport, cars and other
vehicles. Everything would appear brand new, shiny and in perfect condition
at all times. Greenery would feature heavily in this city, along with
spectacular fountains, sculptures and other beautification. Lamp posts,
telegraph poles, signs, bollards and other "clutter" that
once festooned the streets have disappeared. Lighting is now achieved
more discretely, using a combination of self-illuminating walls and
surfaces, antigravity and other features designed to hide these eyesores,
maximising pedestrian space and aesthetics. Electricity is passed wirelessly
from building to building. Room temperature superconductors – implanted
in the ground – allow the rapid movement of vehicles without the need
for tracks, wheels, overhead cables or other bulky components. Cars
and trains simply drift along silently, riding on electromagnetic currents. Sign posts
are obsolete – all information is beamed electronically into a person's
visual cortex. They merely have to "think" of a particular
building, street or route to be given information about it. This observer
would also notice their increased personal space, and the relative quiet
of areas that, in earlier times, would have bustled with cars, people
and movement. In some places, robots tending to manual duties might
outnumber humans. This is partly as a result of the drastic reduction
in the world's population. However, it is also because citizens of today
spend the majority of their time in virtual environments. These wholly
convincing, simulated realities offer practically everything a person
needs in terms of knowledge, communication and interaction – often
at speeds vastly greater than real time. Limited only by a person's
imagination, they can provide richer and more stimulating experiences
than just about anything in the physical world. On those
rare occasions when a person ventures outside, they are likely to spend
little time on foot. Almost all services and material needs can be obtained
within the home, or practically on their doorstep – whether it be food,
medical assistance, or even replacement body parts and physical upgrades.
A "shop" in the developed world is likely to be run entirely
by AI. It will know exactly what you need before you even set foot in
it, and will have everything ready upon your arrival (if you even arrive
at all, since robots can deliver most goods and services). The same
goes for hospitals and other amenities. Social
gatherings in the real world tend to be infrequent – usually reserved
for "special" occasions such as funerals, for novelty value,
or the small number of situations where VR is impractical. Crime is
almost non-existent in these hi-tech cities. Surveillance is everywhere:
recording every footstep of your journey in perfect detail and identifying
who you are, from the moment you enter a public area. Even your internal
biological state can be monitored – such as neural activity and pulse
– giving clues as to your immediate intentions. Police can be summoned
instantly, with robotic officers appearing to 'grow' out of the ground
through the use of blended claytronics and nanobots, embedded into the
buildings and roads. This is so much faster and more efficient that
in most cities, having law enforcement drive or fly to a crime area
(in physical vehicles) has become obsolete.
Although
safe and clean, some of these hi-tech districts might appear rather
sterile to an observer from the previous century. They would lack the
grit, noise and character which defined cities in past times. One way
that urban designers are overcoming this problem is through the use
of dynamic surfaces. These create physical environments that are interactive.
Certain building façades, for instance, can change their appearance
to match the tastes of the observer. This can be achieved via augmented
reality (which only the individual is aware of), claytronic surfaces
and holographic projections (which everybody can see), or a combination
of the two. A bland glass and steel building could suddenly morph into
a classical style, with Corinthian columns and marble floors; or it
could change to a red brick texture, depending on the mood or situation.
Around
this time, various private commercial spacecraft are sent to Alpha Centauri,
Barnard's Star, Wolf 359 and other neighbouring star systems. The fastest
of these are capable of achieving 0.08-0.1c (8-10% lightspeed), requiring
around 40 years to reach their destination.* A variety of propulsion systems are being utilised – from nuclear pulse
propulsion, to solar sail technology, to other more experimental methods. Most of
these vessels are crewless, with only a handful of humans daring enough
to attempt such a voyage. However, each craft is equipped with powerful
AI, automated systems and robots which do a better job than any human
could, in any case. Protection
from incoming meteors is provided by cone-shaped force fields, projected
from the front of each craft. This streamlined shape allows such debris
to simply drift by without causing any damage. After several
decades of interstellar travel, the majority of probes successfully
rendezvous with their destinations. Each returns a treasure trove of
data and visual information. Among the many discoveries is a planet
similar in size to Earth, with over 90% of its surface covered in liquid
water, though no life forms are detected. Another, much larger and rockier
world is discovered in the same system, with a highly active geology
and volcanism. A host of interesting and unique moons, asteroids, ring
systems and other astronomical features are catalogued. The success
of these missions acts as a catalyst, further accelerating the current
boom in space travel.
By this
date, the A-10 Thunderbolt II has been replaced completely by the F-35
Lightning II – which itself becomes one of the last remaining manned
fighter planes in the US military. The F-35 will remain in operation
until the 2040s, eventually being replaced
by a new generation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) controlled by
advanced AI.
The
printed electronics market has seen exponential growth. By now, it has
ballooned to over $300 bn globally.* This technology
began with a small number of niche, high-end products. It expanded rapidly
in the 2010s, thanks to plummeting costs and improved production methods.
By the 2020s it had exploded into the mainstream – creating a new generation of ultra-thin electronics. Today,
these have such low fabrication costs that they are
ubiquitous in countless everyday business and consumer applications.* Many
previously bulky or heavy devices can now be folded, stored or carried
as easily as sheets of paper. This includes flexible TV displays that
can be rolled or hung like posters. Also widespread are electronic
newspapers with moving pictures, "smart"
packaging and labels with animated text, along with signage in retail outlets that
can be updated shop-wide at the touch of a button.* Multimedia
players with expandable, fold-out touchscreens are especially popular.
Even low-end models are now the size and weight of credit cards and
can easily fit inside a wallet. With petabytes of storage, gigapixels
of screen resolution and superfast transfer speeds, they are orders
of magnitude more powerful than iPods of the previous decade. They are also
completely wireless – no cables or physical connections of any kind
are required, with music being enjoyed using wireless earphones.
Fully
autonomous, mobile robots with human-like features and expressions are deployed in many cities now.* These androids are highly intelligent, able to operate in almost any
environment and dealing with various duties. As well as their
powerful sensory and communication abilities, they have access to bank
accounts, tax, travel, shopping and criminal records, allowing them
to instantly identify people on the street. The
presence
of these machines is freeing-up a tremendous amount of time
for human
officers. They are
also being used in crowd control and riot situations. With
inhuman
strength and speed, a single android can be highly
intimidating and easily take on dozens of people if needed. Special
controls are embedded
in their programming, however, to prevent the use of
excessive force.
Hinkley
Point C was part of a "nuclear renaissance" that emerged in the UK
during the 2020s. This power station supplied nearly six million
households with electricity.After 60 years of operation, the aging plant (along with several others in the country) is finally being shut down.* Fusion has supplanted fission by now.*
For
over two centuries, the United States effectively controlled the entire
North American continent. Its dominance throughout this time was unquestioned. During
the late 21st century, however, its territorial integrity was being
challenged once again. By the early 2080s, four of its fifty states
had been ceded to Mexico.* What led
to this astonishing development?
Most historians
would agree it began in the 2030s. America's shrinking labour supply
during this time led to the introduction of laws encouraging a massive
influx of immigrants. These came from all over the world – but a substantial
portion came from Mexico due to its geographical proximity and strong
cultural ties. Although many different ethnic groups would arrive, the
Mexicans would behave differently. It was this, combined with Mexico's
growing economic strength, that would lead to a slow but gradual shift
in the balance of North American power.* The various
immigrant groups from around the world became culturally integrated
with the USA. They fragmented and settled around the country, without
overwhelming any region or state. The immigrants
from Mexico behaved differently, however. Many became integrated with
the USA – but unlike the other groups, they would always be in close
proximity to their homelands. With most settling in California, Arizona,
Texas and New Mexico, they were never more than a short journey from
the border. This fostered a growing intermingling of cultures in the
southwestern states. Over time,
the social and economic links of the Mexican immigrants began to predominate,
to such an extent that they almost represented an extension of their homeland into the United States. These lands had once been
Mexican anyway – before the territory was taken by the US in the 19th
century – so they already held many characteristics of Mexican society
and culture. As the decades rolled by, with more and more immigrants
pouring into the country, this influence shifted ever northward. By
the middle of the century, states that had been 25% Mexican were now
over 50% Mexican, while states which had been 50% Mexican were now almost
entirely occupied by Mexicans.* Climate
change was now an added factor, driving large numbers from the southern
parts of Mexico to head north, where food and water was more readily
available. This wave
of immigration solved the labour supply issue, and contributed to a
period of economic boom in the USA. At the
same time, however, a number of radical new technologies were in development:
technologies that would lead to a socio-political crisis in later years.
Chief amongst these was the growth of robotics. A range of highly versatile
machines had already been in military use since the 2030s. These began
spreading to consumer markets. By the 2060s, they were becoming sufficiently
powerful, intelligent and numerous to make vast numbers of civilian
jobs redundant. This greatly
reduced the need for immigration. Millions of workers were now permanently
displaced, without the skills to move into robotics support or maintenance.
Their previous roles were now being handled by machines that were not
only cheaper, but also faster and more productive than any human. Manufacturing,
mining, building and construction trades, mechanical work, maintenance
and a host of other roles were being dominated by robots.
Unemployment
began to soar, exacerbated by advances in longevity which meant that
workers were now remaining active longer than ever before. This combination
of increased labour pool and redundant workers meant that immigration
into America had become a problem rather than a solution. The US
government began limiting its intake of immigrants and addressing the
economic imbalance. This would prove disastrous for the poor and working
class, however: especially those in the borderlands. By the
2070s, Mexico was emerging as a major regional power. It now had a balanced
and mature economy ranked eighth in the world, along with a stable population,
a relatively high standard of living, and growing military power. Mexican
nationalism had already been on the rise. Combined with the turmoil
now unfolding in the southwestern USA (including the forced repatriation
of many immigrants), this began spilling into outright anti-Americanism. Tensions
continued to grow. A critical mass had been reached, with most of the
immigrants regarding themselves as a separate entity within the USA
– linked to and part of Mexico itself, but under foreign domination.
An annexation movement began to arise. Army troops on both sides began
to mobilise and patrol the border. American citizens viewed the radicalisation
of the south with increasing fear. Long, drawn-out
political battles ensued between Washington and Mexico City. Both sides
made it clear that neither desired war. It also became clear that the
Mexican president – in effect – was negotiating on behalf of American
citizens of Mexican origin within the United States. The recognition
of a distinct nation living within the USA appeared inevitable, with
no chance of a return to the status quo. By the
early 2080s, following years of negotiations, the matter was finally
settled. The country of Mexico had been expanded to include California,
Arizona, New Mexico and Texas: effectively reclaiming its 19th century
territory.
Above: The
territorial status of Mexico and the USA, 2082.
Today,
the average citizen has access to a wide array of biotechnology implants
and personal medical devices. These include fully artificial organs
that never fail, bionic eyes and ears providing Superman-like senses,
nanoscale brain interfaces to augment the wearer's intelligence,
synthetic blood and bodily fluids that can filter deadly toxins and
provide hours' worth of oxygen in a single breath. Some
of
the more adventurous citizens are undergoing voluntary
amputations to
gain prosthetic arms and legs, boosting strength and
endurance by orders
of magnitude. There is even artificial skin based on
nanotechnology, which can be used to give the appearance of natural skin
when applied
to metallic limbs. These various
upgrades have become available in a series of gradual, incremental steps
over preceding decades, such that today, they are pretty much taken
for granted. They are
now utilised by a wide sector of society – with even those in developing
countries now having access to some of the available upgrades due
to exponential trends in price performance. Were a fully
upgraded person of the 2080s to travel back in time a century
and be integrated into the population, they would be superior in
almost every way imaginable. They could run faster and for longer distances than the greatest athletes
of the time; they could
survive multiple gunshot wounds; they could cope with some of the most
hostile environments on Earth without too much trouble. Intellectually,
they would be considered geniuses – thanks to various devices merged directly with their
brain.
One
of the many benefits resulting from the growth of AI has been the rapid
design and prototyping of interstellar space vehicles. The fastest of today's spacecraft are now capable
of sustained travel at between 0.9 and 0.99c (90-99% lightspeed). This
is fast enough to reach nearby stars within relatively short timeframes. One of the more common ship designs is a "ring" containing matter-antimatter
fuel, purposefully collided to release vast amounts of energy for thrust. This energy is also used
to maintain stability and create fields around the craft, protecting
it from meteoroids and other hazards. Huge numbers
of deep-space missions are now underway, including trips to Earth-like
planets within 100 light years. Most of these ships are unmanned, but
a small percentage contain human pilots. These are invariably transhumans with heavily modified bodies and minds, better able to cope with
journeys than natural, unaided humans.
.png)
