Human society is evolving at an ever faster rate. From the beginnings of the human race, technology has helped man to ascend from small hunter-gatherer family groups, step by step, to our current technological society
“Necessity is the mother of invention” This phrase has been attributed to Aesop. (c. 620-564 BCE).[1] Throughout history man has faced challenges to his survival and comfort and by using his ingenuity, has come up with solutions (invented Technology) to make it easier, faster, more effective or more economical to solve these challenges. When resources became scarce and other locations were found to be more enticing, man travelled. From this migration, mankind has spread around the globe. In coming into contact with others he learned of their methods, and when something worked better than the way he was doing it, the new methods were adopted.
Technology has, for the most part, improved the situation for most of humanity. The only exceptions are usually when humans use technology against their fellow man – war. Most of what needs to be changed is not the technology, but how we treat each other.
Hellenistic statue reputed to depict Aesop Art Collection of Villa Albani, Rome Image from Wikipedia.
Energy World Oil, Coal and Gas Reserves
Production and consumption
There are an estimated 847 billion tons of proven coal reserves according to the World Coal Association. That would be sufficient for 118 years at current rates of production with oil and gas reserves of around 46 and 59 years.[2] Fossil fuels have served us well, powering the industrial revolution, but with significant harm to the environment in the form of air and water pollution and scars on the land from open pit mining. We do not have a choice, there is a limited store of fossil fuels and we WILL run out! We WILL have to find alternative sources. Many are available now, however they are currently more costly economically. With more development and use of alternative sources, the costs will fall and eventually replace fossil fuels, although it will still be a few decades until that time.
There are many promising energy technologies that have not been adequately developed as yet. The Sun provides an almost limitless amount of energy to the Earth. It can be collected either as thermal (heat) or photovoltaic (electric). Geothermal can be developed first in areas that are geologically suitable. Much energy can be drawn from the oceans due to tidal effects. Many areas can take advantage of wind power. Nuclear will continue to play a role as it is economical and safer plants will be designed that will not need active cooling that could fail in an earthquake or other natural disaster. Much research is currently being done on laser fusion power stations that could be supplying much of the world’s energy needs by the middle of the century, replacing fossil fuels and nuclear fission with a technology that produces next to no greenhouse gases or long-lived radioactive waste. It is very difficult and expensive however, so I believe that more effort should be focused on clean, safe and renewable sources. In the future more energy will be saved by recovering “waste” energy such as using the residual heat from power generation and using electrical braking to recharge batteries. Nuclear Fusion is what powers the stars (our sun). Currently more energy is required to produce fusion than the amount of created during the reaction. Also there is the Radioisotope thermoelectric generator which has been used for powering spacecraft. These could provide long lasting power although low wattage for locations too remote for Fuel cells.[5] NASA and others are looking into space-based microwave transmition to Earth.[6] In the future there will be a smart electrical grid connected to all of these sources.
Nuclear Fusion is what powers the stars (our sun). Currently more energy is required to produce fusion than the amount of created during the reaction. Also there is the Radioisotope thermoelectric generator which has been used for powering spacecraft. These could provide long lasting power
although low wattage for locations too remote for Fuel cells.[5] NASA and others are looking into space-based microwave transmition to Earth.[6] In the future there will be a smart electrical grid connected to all of these sources.
Transportation
Future Cars
Decades from now will the next big future car be powered by hydrogen, electricity, biofuels or even nuclear energy? Will the flying car for the mass market appear? Let’s take a look at future automotive technologies one by one to see which is more likely to grace our highways and roadways a few years ahead. Hydrogen fuel cell cars are here now and all the major automaker at least have one prototype on the roads. The Honda FCX Clarity and Chevy Equinox FCV are future cars that are here now being loaned or leased to multiple consumers.The only current problem holding hydrogen cars back is the lack of adequate refueling infrastructure. At this point in time, it looks like Germany and Japan will be leading the charge in building this hydrogen refueling infrastructure within their countries.The electric car is also a vehicle that is here now and has been for a while. Like the hydrogen car (which is also an electric vehicle), the electric car also lacks a viable recharging infrastructure.
Perhaps the flying future car will be perfected in our lifetimes however it still would need a pilot’s license which will greatly reduce the demand. The Moller flying car (Moller Skycar - pictured below top) has been in development for a while. It runs on diesel or biodiesel.
The Terrafugia Transition flying car (pictured bottom) has actually made a documented flight but it is classified by the FAA as a light aircraft and is much more of this than it is a car. A couple of other notable attempts at flying cars were the Waterman Aerobile and the Taylor Aerocar
Couple this with a relatively short range before recharging and hours of recharge time and the electric car isn't quite ready. Although the GM EV1 (1996-1999) was liked by the drivers, it was too costly for GM to mass produce and the project was cancelled. GM is back with the Chevy Volt and Tesla, Fisker, Phoenix Motors and a few others are working on electric vehicles.
Biofuel cars are also here and have been for a while. Ever hear of someone running their diesel car or truck on veggie oil? Yes, that is a biofuel. Gas stations in the Midwest have been selling gasohol (10-percent ethanol and 90-percent gasoline) for many years.
Most of the major automakers have some form of flex fuel vehicle that has been rolled out to the public. Many Brazilian cars run on 20 to 25-percent ethanol blends.
Perhaps the flying future car will be perfected in our lifetimes however it still would need a pilot’s license which will greatly reduce the demand.
The Moller flying car (Moller Skycar - pictured below top) has been in development for a while. It runs on diesel or biodiesel.
The Terrafugia Transition flying car (pictured bottom) has actually made a documented flight but it is classified by the FAA as a light aircraft and is much more of this than it is a car. A couple of other notable attempts at flying cars were the Waterman Aerobile and the Taylor Aerocar
So, what future car holds the most merit? It's hard to tell at this point. Each future car has its own strengths and weaknesses that must be overcome by innovation and political will. With enough time the future car of tomorrow will be the standard automobile of today.
Cities
The city of the future will be cleaner and greener because of solar and hydrogen energy. Elevated hydrogen trains (Hyrail) will be powered by solar energy that electrolyzes water for fuel cells. This electricity will power MagLev Hyrail trains.[7]
Also running through future cities will be, at ground level, hydrogen fuel cell trains (or Hydrail). While Hyrail will most typically be passenger trains, hauling people around the future cities, Hydrail will be using the power of hydrogen fuel cells to haul cargo inside and outside of town.
The future cities of America and elsewhere will also be heavily equipped with solar panels. There will be photovoltaic panels on the rooftops on almost every building and the windows of each building will double as solar panels as well.
In the cities of the future, every building will have smart technology. The smart technology will distribute and conserve energy through the building where it is needed most. Also, many buildings using solar energy will produce more electricity than they consume. They will be tied into the smart grid, selling power back and the smart grid will redistribute the energy in sections of the state and country where it is needed most.
City life in the future will be a bit different than it is today. Future phones and laptops will have merged into small hybrids with WiFi everywhere and VoIP the standard for carrying voice and video data.
Future robots will have taken over the many tasks. The Honda ASIMO robot [9]will be in a Tech Museum right downtown. Other kinds of robots will inhabit the future home.
People will only travel for vacation as the need to travel for business will be eliminated with the virtual business world. And for people who do want to go on vacation will do so either on supersonic jets or Maglev bullet trains.
The typical future city will also be filled with people using jetpacks instead of driving their own vehicles or in addition to their vehicles. Fuel grade hydrogen peroxide will power these jetpacks that only emit water vapor and will be able to travel for miles before refueling.
This vision of what the future cities will look like is all based upon emerging technology that is available now. This emerging technology of course has to be refined, downsized in many cases and of production quality. Look for nanotechnology to have taken over in many fields.
The future city will be a bright, hopeful place filled with green energy, interconnectivity and applied virtual reality.
Future Inventions Future inventions will both make life easier and save energy. Let's start first with the future inventions that will make life easier
One of the future inventions that is progressing is the use of robotic surgery. Having robots do routine surgery such as remove moles plus mold and implant caps on teeth will be nothing. One of the future inventions that will be considered disruptive technology is robots doing major surgery.
Another of the future inventions that will be high on the coolness factor is 3D printers. Already, scientists are using inkjet printers to lay down solar cells for energy and microscopic cells for medical research. This is happening now. 3D printers lay down a layer at a time , creating objects in 3 dimensions.
GPS shoes, clothing, glasses, TV remote, cell phones (even when turned off) will all be future inventions that will make life easier and they will all be networked. If you don't know where your child is you can look up their GPS cloths on laptop, desktop or cell phone. If you don't know where your glasses are or where the TV remote is you can do the same.
And if you can no longer see your future gadgets then you may receive an artificial eye or two implanted by robotic surgery. No longer will you need to wait for a donor to expire, but artificial robotic eyes will be available at your own pharmacy (by prescription of course). Think that this is too science fiction for you? Right now scanners can turn pictures into braille. The human mind can control personal computers and robotic eyes are just an inch away from being a reality.
A future invention whose time has come is the development of a world currency. Sure, the Euro is a good start, but either expanding this or developing a new currency that can be used anywhere will help consumers travel and buy anywhere they like with ease.
Space tourism is one of those future inventions that is almost here. In fact, in a way it is here as several so-called tourists have made it to the International Space Station. What will happen though in the next couple of years is that tours to low earth orbit (LEO) will be conducted routinely and economically like rides in Disneyland or upon a cruise ship.
One of the future inventions that scientists are working on now that could be revolutionary is wireless electric car recharging on roads. Right now the technology is there for buses to run automated routes wirelessly with transmitters in the road every several feet. Also, there have been prototypes built embedding solar panels in the highways and byways to create energy.
But this energy and automated navigation could also be applied to electric cars as well. Wireless recharging for home devices is already happening. And not too far ahead this will be on the roadways for electric cars as well. This will not only make life easier but will also be done in a green and energy saving manner.
Now, to continue on with this thread about future inventions that will save energy, let's talk about some competing technology of hydrogen cars. Hydrogen car zero emission prototypes are here right now. And most of them are either hybrid or plug-in hybrids as well. The advantage of a plug-in hybrid hydrogen fuel cell car is range and refueling time. This technology could compete with wireless recharging of electric cars. if the electricity used to make hydrogen comes from renewable sources, such as hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, or wind, then hydrogen can be extremely clean. Hydrogen from renewables also releases no climate change emissions, and provides users with complete independence from fossil fuels
In the future some young inventor will come up with a way to save this power, by shutting down these peripherals and the power to them either through smart home technology or a combination that includes technology inside the peripheral itself.
There has been much talk about an Internet neural network, which of course will be one of the wildest future inventions in regard to communications. And part of this will be the worldwide smart neural network power grid, based upon green energy, which will allocate resources where they are need to each continent.
Some of this will be done through cables, fiber optics and power lines but advancing past that will be the use of lasers, lasers in satellites, ultrasonic transmissions and wireless electricity.
Of course, these future inventions are only predictions. Even Nostradamus gets it wrong on occasion. But, if you think these are wild, wacky and never will happen, then you need to check on what engineers and scientists are working on right now. In fact, they are working on all of these future inventions right now. In a few years time, will see how the progress goes.
Future Homes The future home is something that people have talked about for decades. And, because the future home concept tickles our imagination, scientists and engineers have been working hard to develop different systems to make houses "smarter." In the paragraphs below I will outlines some of the technology for future homes that is either in development or already on the market.
Video camera at entrance identifies visitors using facial recognition software. The facial recognition software of the future home will not only identify friends, but strangers as well. And the software in your future home will run the strangers face against a database of criminals and terrorists. Remote monitoring of the future home is already here, but also on your PDA or other handheld device you'll be able to manually override your future smart home's systems on the fly. Unexpected guests arriving, well, start that air conditioning early or open the door when the video facial recognition software detects their presents. The future home will run off solar panels, wind turbines or both. The future home will also have smart appliances as well. Ovens, microwaves and refrigerators will be combined and automated so remote cooking will be a possibility so meals are prepared for one's arrival. Future homes will also have refrigerators that will download recipes based upon what it is stocked with and what is in your pantry. The recipes will then be forwarded to you. In the home of the future, the refrigerator will also take inventory of all food supplies in the home and alert you when you're running out. The fridge may also be programmed to contact the local supermarket to drop off the needed food supplies.
Future homes will also be very energy efficient. Microsoft, Google and others are now working on applications that tie into the smart grid for individual home so that you will be able to visually see and track which appliances use the most electricity, where heating and cooling is escaping in from one's home and how you can produce more energy with your solar panels or wind turbines.
In the future home there will be a vast neural networking system connecting all appliances, TV's, PC's, video, security and remote handheld or Bluetooth-type devices. There will also be other green systems in place such as saving, purifying and reusing wash water and bath water. Plants and people may receive pure or mineralized drinking water.
Speech recognition will be far superior to Dragon Naturally Speaking or other programs and applied to this network. Besides facial recognition software, your future home may also combine speech recognition software, hand or fingerprint scanning or a combination of these security measures.
One will easily be able to chat over social media about a television show that both or multiple parties are watching in real time.
In the future home, the smart bathroom will also be able to take inventory of such items as toilet paper, shampoo, soap, hand soap, and other toiletries and then automatically either remind or reorder the items as desired.
Since future homes will have advanced network systems, self-diagnostics will also be a critical feature. If one part of the network or peripherals is malfunctioning or needs repair, the owner will be notified or else and automated repair order will go out. Self-healing of many software problems will occur in the future home as patches or workarounds can be download or remote support enabled.
If you think this future home concept is pie in the sky or science fiction, then think again. Most of the systems outlined here are either in development or already out on the market. Future homes may not be standard yet for the middle class but this isn't as far ahead as many people would think
Future Medical Technology Future medical technology is not as distant as some believe. There are incredible medical breakthroughs every week that get little publicity because they seem too leading edge.
To expand upon future medical technology involving nanobots, these microscopic robots will not only deliver medicine and cut out unwanted cells, but they will do so precisely, automatically and thoughtfully. Just like robotic surgical machines will have access to large medical databases and make decisions on the fly more accurately than humans, medical nanobots a few years after this will be afforded the same empowerment.
There are other future trends in medicine such as brain-computer interfaces, regenerative medicine, organ replacement, gene therapy, home self-monitoring, personalized drugs, bioengineering, bionic limbs and bionic organs, human cloning and customized babies.
Social and moral discourse along with the zigzag evolutionary progression of the technology will hold some advances back while others will shoot to the forefront of popularity and functionality.
Brain-computer interfaces are nothing new. For several years now patients with organic brain diseases or traumatic brain injuries have been able to move a cursor around on a computer monitor using their thoughts. With future medical technology this interface will be much more robust especially in the areas of brain injuries and mental illness.
The brain-computer interface for brain injuries will be able to localize the specific cell-by-cell damage, report the areas of localization and help the patient through brain plasticity to migrate this functionality to other portions of the non-damaged tissue.
Moving on to regenerative medicine, future medical technology will dictate that at first this will take place outside the human body and then through robotic surgery tissue will be replaced. Another offshoot of this process will be organ replacement.
At first, organs from other animals will be used as they are now. But future medical technology will dictate that this tissue will be combined with human tissue, then be transplanted into the patient. A little further down the road, medical technology will advance to the point where patients will grow new organs based upon their own tissue samples.
And based upon this technology this new organ growth will take place inside the body so the transplantation will become unnecessary. The old tissue will simply overtake the diseased tissue regenerating and replacing diseased or damaged tissue at an accelerated rate.
Gene therapy is already happening now and will become more robust in the future. With the Human Genome Project fully analyzed, future medical technology will be able to target specific defective genes in one's DNA and replace those genes with healthy ones.
Home self monitoring is also something that is already happening. Diabetics can export data into their home computer and graph insulin usage and other details. Those on CPAP for sleep apnea can also download results and track progress.
But future medical technology will reach a new level of home self monitoring never imagined before. In fact, for some patients, hospitals will become decentralized in that patients will be able to monitor their own conditions from the comfort of their own homes as the first line of defense, then upload the data to a more centralized medical center.
This medical center will analyze the data with a large database and neural network of cloud computing and may engage in some medical procedures with the patient at their own home. Adjusting medication intake, tracking cancer cell growth and deploying nanorobots as necessary and dealing with mental health issues are a few tasks that may be initiated by self monitoring but acted upon in locations outside the home.
In the future, personalized drugs will become increasingly common. No longer will huge pharmaceutical drug cartels roll out common pills for the masses that may have a host of side effects for a percentage of individuals. Small decentralized drug companies will take over that will serve individuals in certain regions.
Future medical technology will get to the point that medicine can be created to individual specifications on an economic basis. Drug companies will have access to a persons medical files from fetus to present age including genetics, diseases, DNA, data from nanorobots, from brain-computer communications, from dream decoding, gene therapy, home self-monitoring, bioengineering, cloning, bionics and a myriad of other medical information per individual. All of this cumulative data will be used to create designer medication specific to each human.
Now to move onto bionic limbs, they already exist and people are using them in the now. No longer is this science fiction, but it is indeed science fact. In the future, however, bionic limbs will be much more elegant and fluid in nature. People will be able to choose bionics over natural limbs and then have these procedures reverse.
Before some of the other more sophisticated technologies that I've already talked about come of age, bionic organs will be in place assisting people to stay alive and remain healthy. This will, however, most likely be more transitional technology than a permanent mainstay. Cold plasma will also be used in fighting disease and will become the norm not too many years from now.
Another area of moral objection will be customized babies. Some parents are presently engaging in this practice today, though it is very controversial. Some parents today create their children using only sperm or eggs from Mensa donors or other "super donors".
There are also some parents that today engage in genetic screening and use artificial insemination to pick suitable candidates basic partly upon genetics and partly upon other factors such as a donor's history, family, status, abilities and many more criteria.
Not all countries will have laws discouraging the future medical technology in this area, so people without moral reservations can shop abroad for services to create their customized children.
This is just a glimpse into the future medical technology that is not very far off.