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Global average temperatures have risen by 1°C Temperatures on both land and sea have continued to rise, due to increasing CO2 levels. By the early 2020s they are 1°C (1.8°F) higher relative to 1961-1990.* This is merely the global average, however – many inland areas are subjected to larger fluctuations. Great Plains in the USA is one such region. Kansas, Nebraska and other nearby states are now experiencing "dustbowl" conditions even worse than those seen in the 1930s.*
This is having a considerable impact on agriculture and the economy, exacerbating the damage caused by higher fuel prices. Some of the larger dust storms are alarming in their scale and severity. Topsoil, eroded and carried east by strong continental winds, is reaching as far as Chicago on occasions. In Africa, the last remaining snow has disappeared from Mount Kilimanjaro, leaving the entire continent ice-free for the first time in 11,000 years.* In Asia, Bangladesh is now affected by torrential flooding and storm surges on a regular basis. The country is particularly vulnerable to sea levels. Within a few years it will experience a refugee crisis unparalleled in its history.* The Arctic has seen the biggest temperature increase of all. By the middle of this decade, it will change from a carbon sink to a carbon source, eventually releasing more than 100 gigatons of CO2.* Meanwhile, chronic water shortages are being experienced in the southwestern states of the USA.
Water crisis in southwest USA Southwestern parts of the USA – including Nevada, Arizona and southern California – are now faced with crippling water shortages, on a scale normally only seen in Third World countries. Lake Mead, a key source of water for more than 25 million people (or about 8% of the US population), has run dry as a result of climate change.* Increased population growth and associated demand for water resources have also played a part. Once the largest reservoir in the country, its capacity has declined to almost nothing due to the Colorado River’s net deficit of nearly 1 million acre-feet of water per year. This crisis has occurred despite mitigation measures implemented early in the previous decade. As well as providing fresh water, Lake Mead has been a major source of hydroelectric power, via the Hoover Dam. Blackouts are now occurring across much of the area. Las Vegas and its famous lights are particularly hard hit. Authorities have been attempting to stabilise the situation by constructing solar power facilities both in and around the city, as well as laying groundwater pipelines from elsewhere in Nevada.* Improved methods of water conservation and new agricultural techniques are also being introduced. However, even these measures are proving to be insufficient, and major societal and economic disruption is unavoidable. A virtual exodus of people from the affected regions is underway during this time.
The world's largest insect swarm re-emerges Brood X is the largest of 15 groups of 17-year cicadas. Its members, all of the genus Magicicada, tunnel to the surface en masse, mate and lay eggs, then die. This is the biggest swarm of insects in the world. The area covered stretches from New York, down the East Coast to Georgia and west to Illinois. The last time Brood X emerged was in 2004.* Countless billions of the insects infest the Eastern USA, with any existing tranquillity ruined by their incessant buzzing during the mating ritual, which is audible from a mile away. Despite the nuisance it causes, the emergence of this swarm is relatively short-lived. It also delivers vital nutrients to the topsoil, leaving the native environment noticeably better in the weeks after the ensuing die-off.
Mind-reading technology is being deployed for security purposes Twenty years on from 9/11, mind readers are now a common feature of airport security, as well as sports stadiums and other high profile events. This technology faced problems to begin with, as there were false positives recorded by the machines – but recent advances in neuroscience and computer analysing software have greatly improved their accuracy. The system uses "non-invasive" sensors and imagers. These observe a person's emotional state, facial expression, body language, body temperature, heart rate, breathing pattern and other cues. Analysed together, these factors can determine whether they are planning to commit a crime. Specific words, phrases and imagery within the person's brain are still years away from being fully decipherable. However, it is now possible to establish their basic, overall intentions beyond any reasonable doubt.* Another technology to emerge recently is a form of highly sensitive voice-recognition software, which parses a person's speech, then uses algorithms to detect when lies are being told.*
Fully reusable, single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft Until now, all orbital spacecraft have used multiple stages. This has required jettisoning parts of a launch vehicle during the flight, in order to reduce weight. In the early 2020s, however, a new prototype "space plane" is developed with funding from the EU. This can operate without the need for booster rockets, fuel tanks, engines or other external components, instead utilising a hybrid jet/rocket system.* The vehicle takes off from a specially strengthened runway. It uses a precooled jet engine (rather than scramjet) to reach speeds of Mach 5.5 (1700 m/s), then closes the air inlet and operates as a highly efficient rocket to complete the journey to orbit. Although its payload is only 12 tons (about one-third the capacity of the space shuttle), the craft is substantially cheaper (about 1/10th) and far more efficient (about 400-fold) than earlier spacecraft.* After completing a mission, it reenters the atmosphere with its skin protected by a strong ceramic, landing back on the runway like a normal aeroplane. It then undergoes any necessary maintenance and is capable of flying again in just two days (compared to two months for the space shuttle). These planes are initially unmanned. However, later versions will be used for space tourism – capable of transporting up to 20 passengers in a purpose-built module and costing around $500,000 per person.
Telecommuting is a standard flexible work option In an effort to cut real estate costs, become more eco-friendly and attract the growing number of people seeking work-life balance, most companies by now have adopted a "work wherever you want, whenever you want" policy. An increasingly global talent pool is emerging, with companies aggressively pursuing the best available workers, regardless of where they reside. Combined with superfast broadband in the home, telecommuting has grown tremendously as a result. In addition, soaring fuel costs have led to many office-based employees working a four-day week, usually consisting of four 10-hour days. In today's corporate workplaces, multi-touch surface computing is becoming ubiquitous - along with seamless integration of wireless devices and applications. Near-paperless offices are becoming a reality. This combination of advanced technologies and flexible work options is leading to greatly improved speed, productivity and efficiency in companies around the world.
Traditional microchips are reaching the limits of miniaturisation Semiconductor companies are reaching the limits of miniaturisation for computer chips. The smallest transistors are now being built with a 4-nanometre manufacturing process. This is close to the size of individual atoms. Silicon is impossible to scale below this size, due to the effects of quantum tunnelling. Moore's Law - the trend which has seen computer power doubling every two years - enters a new paradigm shift, with traditional microchips abandoned in favour of "stacked" 3-dimensional circuits made from carbon nanotubes, graphene and other new materials.*
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References 1 See Global temperature. 2
Six
steps to hell, The Guardian: 3 See 2024. 4
NSIDC
bombshell: Thawing permafrost feedback will turn Arctic from carbon sink
to source in the 2020s, releasing 100 billion tons of carbon by 2100,
Climate Progress: 5
Lake
Mead Water Level Dropping, enviro-news.com: 6
Lake
Mead water level will be trigger for pipeline, MercuryNews.com: 7 They're Baaack, TIME: 8
The
airport security scanner that can read your mind, Daily Mail: 9 Software That Listens for Lies, The New York Times: 10
Interview
of Richard Varvill of Reaction Engines and the Skylon Spaceplane by Sander
Olson, Next Big Future: 11
SKYLON
- Passenger Capabilities, Reaction Engines Limited: 12
Complex
Integrated Circuits Made of Carbon Nanotubes, Technology Review: |
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