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2025-2035 The Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) conducts its life-searching mission The Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) is a major new space observatory launched by NASA. It has substantially higher resolution than Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with a primary mirror that dwarfs both. Its angular resolution is 10 times better than JWST, with a sensitivity limit up to 2,000 times better than Hubble.
ATLAST is a flagship mission of the 2025-2035 period, designed to address one of the most compelling questions of our time: is there life elsewhere in the Galaxy? It attempts to accomplish this by detecting "biosignatures" (such as molecular oxygen, ozone, water and methane) in the spectra of terrestrial exoplanets.* Operating in the ultraviolet, optical and infrared wavelengths, its mirror is so powerful that it can distinguish the atmosphere and surface of Earth-sized exoplanets, at distances up to 150 light years – including their climate and rotation rate.* ATLAST enables astronomers to glean information on the nature of dominant land features, along with changes in cloud cover. It even has the potential to detect seasonal variations in surface vegetation. In addition to searching for life, ATLAST has the performance required to reveal the underlying physics driving star formation and to trace complex interactions between dark matter, galaxies and the intergalactic medium. The observatory is placed at Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2. Servicing and maintenance are performed using a robotic ferry, with occasional help from astronaut crews flying in the Orion spacecraft (which allows NASA to gain experience for manned Solar System missions). Like the Hubble Space Telescope, ATLAST has a 20-year lifespan. By the 2050s, it is being succeeded by telescopes of truly prodigious magnitude, offering detailed close-up views of distant exoplanets.*
Mouse revival from cryopreservation Cryopreservation - a process where cells or whole tissues are preserved by cooling to sub-zero temperatures - witnesses major advances during this period. By far the most notable achievement is a mouse being revived from storage at −196°C. In the past, among the most serious challenges to overcome had been damage from crystallisation as a result of the freezing process. During the first decade of the 21st century, this problem was comprehensively solved by the development of cryoprotectants offering complete vitrification. In other words, the body being preserved was turned into a glass, rather than crystalline solid. A number of issues remained, however - such as the toxicity of these cryoprotectants, as well as the fracturing that occurred due to simple thermal stress. In subsequent decades, research saw a dramatic acceleration and resulted in progressively more successful techniques, culminating in the mouse revival.* Although a human revival is still many years away (and fraught with ethical, legal and social hurdles), such a feat now appears to be a realistic prospect. Once considered the stuff of science fiction, cryopreservation becomes an increasingly regular feature in mainstream scientific literature. Many new startup companies are formed at this time, promising to "resurrect" people at some future date.
2025-2030 The threat of bioterrorism is peaking Biotechnology is now sufficiently advanced, widespread and inexpensive that a small group of people – or even a single person – can threaten the survival of humanity. Desktop fabrication labs, genetic databases and AI software are becoming accessible to the public. These enable the rapid research and synthesis of DNA, for those with appropriate technical knowledge. Criminals have already begun to exploit this – providing access to drugs and other substances without prescriptions, for example (like offshore Internet pharmacies of earlier decades) – and now terrorists are making use of them too. In the past, government agencies were able to combat bioterrorism by restricting access to pathogens themselves. This was achieved by regulating the laboratory use of potentially deadly agents, such as the Ebola virus. However, the advent of DNA synthesis technology means that simply restricting access to the actual pathogen no longer provides the security it once did. Since the gene sequence is a "blueprint", i.e. a form of coded information, once an organism has been sequenced it can be synthesised without using culture samples or stock DNA. As synthesis technology has continued to advance, it has become cheap, more accessible and far easier to utilise. Like the personal computer revolution of the early 1980s, biotechnology is diffusing into mainsteam society. At the same time, the ongoing need for medical breakthroughs has necessitated a gradual easing of database regulations. Furthermore, the DNA sequences for certain pathogens – such as anthrax, botulism and smallpox – have already been available on the Internet, for decades. It's therefore become alarmingly easy to produce a new virus (possibly an even deadlier version of an existing one) using a relatively low level of knowledge and equipment. Another, more sinister consequence, is the ability to target specific races or genetic groups of people. One such "home made" bioweapon is unleashed around this time, with devastating results. There are substantial casualties worldwide.* The threat begins to subside in the 2030s, as new defensive technologies – such as nanobots – become available to the general population. These tiny devices, injected into the bloodstream, can be programmed to easily identify and eliminate harmful pathogens.
Some of Britain's most well-known animal species are going extinct Due to a combination of habitat loss, agricultural intensification, road accidents, pesticides, pollution and other human interference, some of Britain's most iconic and well-known animals are disappearing. This includes hedgehogs, red squirrels, cuckoos, brown hares, Scottish wildcats, natterjack toads, woodland grouse, red-necked phalaropes and turtle doves.*** Many species of butterfly have also declined drastically in numbers.*
Rhinos are going extinct in the wild Rhinos are one of the largest remaining megafauna - a class of giant animals that were common in the last ice age.* Of the five main species of rhino, the white rhinoceros is the heaviest, with adults weighing 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) and reaching a head-to-body length of 4.6 m (15 ft). Because of their size, rhinos have few natural predators other than humans. Alongside the mammoth, woolly rhinos became numerous during the Last Glacial Maximum (20-25,000 years ago), but were eventually hunted to extinction by early man. In modern times, the remaining species have declined even more rapidly. The black rhino, for example, fell in numbers from 70,000 in the late 1960s to only 3,600 in 2004.* A subspecies - the West African black rhino - was declared extinct in 2011, while the Javan rhino died out in Vietnam the same year. The early 21st century witnessed an alarming upward trend in poaching. By 2012, more rhinos were being killed in South Africa during a single week than were killed in a whole year a decade previously. Fetching a street value of £40,000 a kilo, rhino horn was becoming even more valuable than gold, due to the misguided perception that it cured cancer. It was also popular in some cultures as a form of jewellery. Organised crime had become involved, with gangs now using hi-tech equipment for industrial-scale killing. Despite conservation efforts, the situation continued to worsen. By the late 2020s, the last remaining rhinos are disappearing from the wild.* Only a handful remain in captivity. It is doubtful that any viable breeding population can be restored anytime soon, if ever.
Human brain simulations are becoming possible The exponential growth of computer processing power has made it possible to form accurate models of every part of the human brain.** Between 2000 and 2025, there is a millionfold increase in computational power, along with vastly improved scanning resolution and bandwidth. Until recently, only separate regions of the brain had been modelled in any detail - but scientists are now able to combine them into one giant, complete simulation. Like the Human Genome Project, there were many in the scientific community who doubted the brain could be mapped so quickly. Once again, they failed to account for the exponential growth of information technology (rather than linear).
Medical nanobots are being developed Nano-scale robots - orders of magnitude smaller than earlier micro-sized versions - are being developed as part of efforts to improve healthcare. In some countries they have reached the human trial stage and will soon be approved by government. Utilised in medical research and treatments, their size will enable them to reach places in the body that were simply inaccessible before or too delicate for conventional instruments to operate on. In the coming years, the most important breakthroughs will be in the treatment of cancer. Using nanobots, it will be possible to detect tumours earlier than ever before and target them with far more precision. Even patients who would previously have been classed as terminally ill will routinely be saved. Monitoring of heart conditions, neurological disorders and many other illnesses will also improve dramatically. Combined with enormous strides in stem cell research, this will create a new generation of medical treatments reaching a whole new level of sophistication and efficiency. The nanobots themselves are built on a molecule-by-molecule basis, via positionally-controlled diamond mechanosynthesis and diamondoid nanofactories. Each robot is capable of propelling itself using tiny motors and is equipped with microscopic sensing, guidance and communication devices.
China is becoming highly urbanised Some of the largest metropolitan areas – such as Hong Kong and Shenzhen – have actually begun to overlap and form mega-cities overtaking Tokyo in population and land area. Many of the world's tallest buildings can now be found in China, including a number of kilometre-high "supertalls". All of this has had a considerable impact on the price of steel and other materials, leading to cutbacks of many projects in Europe, America and elsewhere. The rise of neighbouring India is adding to this. The West now has reduced influence on setting the price of metals. Meanwhile, vast profits are being made by construction and mining firms, leading to many high profile takeovers and acquisitions. At the same time, record accident numbers during this time – as a result of so much construction activity – are leading to tighter regulations and improved safety in the industry. As China grows, its energy requirements are soaring. The country has prepared for this, by strengthening relations with Central Asian countries and importing more oil and gas from them, especially Turkmenistan which has made significant new discoveries. China's entry into Central Asia was also partly motivated by the need to reduce its dependency on (a) the Middle East, and (b) the Malacca Strait for shipping oil from the Persian Gulf and Africa; this stretch of water had become increasingly vulnerable to pirate attacks, and was the subject of ongoing political tensions regarding its control. As well as strengthening its oil imports, gains have been made from efficiency and conservation programmes, along with increased use of nuclear power. By 2025, China's nuclear generating capacity is nearly 150 billion kilowatthours (khwh), passing that of both Canada and Russia.* In the near future, this will increase still further, as 4th generation plants become available. Falling prices have also led to greatly increased solar and wind.
Vertical
farms are common in cities Amid the deepening sense of urgency and panic, a number of potential solutions have emerged. One such innovation has been the appearance of vertical farms. These condense the enormous resources and land area required for traditional farming into a single vertical structure, with crops being stacked on top of each other like the floors of a building. Singapore opened the world's first commercial vertical farm in 2012.* By the mid-2020s, they have become widespread, with most major urban areas using them in one form or another.* Vertical farms offer a number of advantages. An urban site of just 1.32 hectares, for example, can produce the same food quantity as 420 hectares (1,052 acres) of conventional farming, feeding tens of thousands of people. Roughly 150 of these buildings, each 30 stories tall, could potentially give the entire population of New York City a sustainable supply of food.* Genetically modified crops have increased in use recently* and these are particularly well-suited to the enclosed, tightly-controlled environments within a vertical farm. Another benefit is that food can then be sold in the same place as it is grown. Farming locally in urban centres greatly reduces the energy costs associated with transporting and storing food, while giving city dwellers access to fresher and more organic produce. Another major advantage of vertical farming is its sustainability. Most structures are primarily powered on site, using a combination of solar panels and wind turbines. Glass panels coated in titanium oxide cover the buildings, protecting the plants inside from any outside pollution or contaminants. These are also designed in accordance with the floor plan to maximise natural light. Any other necessary light can be provided artificially. The crops themselves are usually grown through hydroponics and aeroponics, substantially reducing the amount of space, soil, water and fertiliser required. Computers and automation are relied upon to intelligently manage and control the distribution of these resources. Programmed systems on each level control water sprayers, lights and room temperature. These are adjusted according to the species of plant and are used to simulate weather variations, seasons and day/night cycles. Some of the more advanced towers even use robots to tend to crops.* Excess water lost through evapotranspiration is recaptured via condensers in the ceiling of each level, while any runoff is funnelled into nearby tanks. This water is then reused, creating a self-contained irrigation loop. Any water still needed for the system can be filtered out of the city's sewage system. Vertical farms also offer environmental benefits. The tightly controlled system contained in each structure conserves and recycles not just water – but also soil and fertilisers such as phosphorus, making the total ecological footprint orders of magnitude smaller than older methods of agriculture. On top of that, the reduced reliance on arable land helps to discourage deforestation and habitat destruction. Vertical farms can also be used to generate electricity, with any inedible organic material transformed into biofuel, via methane digesters.
Solid waste is reaching crisis levels Developing nations, lacking the money and infrastructure to properly dispose of their trash, face the greatest crisis, with solid waste increasing five-fold in some regions. Public health is being seriously affected, since groundwater is becoming more and more polluted as a result. E-waste is proving to be even more damaging. In India, for example, discarded cellphones have increased eighteen-fold.* Rapid advances in technology, ever-more frequent upgrades to electronic products, and the aspiration for Western lifestyles have only exacerbated this situation. Developed nations are better able to handle the problem, but since only 30% of their waste is recycled it continues to build rapidly. Plastics are a particular problem, especially in oceans and rivers, since they require centuries to fully degrade.* As well as direct environmental damage, this waste is releasing large amounts of the greenhouse gas methane, which contributes to global warming.* Public activism, though increasing at this time, has little effect in halting the overall trend.
Completion of Masdar City Like the Great City in China, traditional motor cars are banned from the city. Most travel can be accomplished via public mass transit and personal rapid transit (PRT) systems, with existing road and railways connecting to other locations outside the city.* The absence of motor vehicles, coupled with Masdar's perimeter wall, allows for narrow and shaded streets, keeping out hot desert winds and helping funnel cool breezes around the city. At street level, temperatures are 12-15°C lower than the rest of Abu Dhabi.* Masdar City is carbon neutral, powered entirely by renewable energy and includes the largest solar power plant in the Middle East. Vertical farms, now emerging in many urban regions, provide much of the city's food.* Later in the 21st century, this style of architecture will come to dominate the world – especially in the Middle East – as nations everywhere are forced to decarbonise their economies, adapt to higher temperatures, reduce waste and lower their reliance on foreign imports. For some countries, however, these efforts will come too late.*
Click to enlarge
Contact with the Voyager probes is lost Voyager I is the farthest man-made object from Earth - more than 14 billion miles (22 billion km) away, or 150 times the distance between the Sun and Earth. Both Voyager I and its sister probe, Voyager II, have remained operational for nearly half a century, continuing to transmit data back to NASA. They have left the heliosphere entirely and are now headed towards the bow shock - the boundary between the stellar wind and the interstellar medium. By 2025, however, onboard power is finally starting to wane. Instruments begin shutting down, one by one, until eventually all contact is lost.* Each probe carries a gold-plated audio-visual disc, in the event that either spacecraft is ever found by intelligent alien life. The discs carry images of Earth and its lifeforms, a range of scientific information, along with a medley, "Sounds of Earth", that includes the sounds of whales, a baby crying, waves breaking on a shore, a variety of music from different cultures and eras, plus greetings in 60 different languages.*
High-speed rail networks are being expanded in many countries Many countries have radically overhauled their rail transport infrastructure. In Spain, more than 10,000km of high-speed track has been laid, making it the most extensive network in the world. 90 percent of the country's population now live within 50 km of a bullet train station.* In Britain, the first phase of a major high-speed rail line is nearing completion. This will travel up the central spine of the country - connecting London with England's next largest city, Birmingham. It will eventually be expanded to Manchester and the north. Trains will be capable of reaching 250 mph, slashing previous journey times.* In Japan, Tokyo will soon be connected with Nagoya via superfast magnetic levitation trains. Tests conducted in previous decades showed that it was possible to build a railway tunnel in a straight route through the Southern Japanese Alps. The first generation of these trains already held the world speed record, at 581 km/h (or 361 mph); but recent advances in carriage design have pushed this still further, to speeds which are fast enough to compete with commercial airliners.* Many other countries are investing in high-speed rail during this time, due to its speed and convenience, along with soaring fuel costs and environmental factors which have made car and air travel less desirable. Even America - which for decades had neglected its rail network - is making big progress in this area.*
A comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. airspace system is complete The final upgrades of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) are completed this year. This has involved a complete overhaul of the existing air transport network. Many aspects of the National Airspace System (NAS) had been failing because of a reliance on largely obsolete technology. The navigation system, for example, which relied on ground-based radar beacons, was based on technology from the 1940s. NextGen brings pervasive upgrades and improvements to the entire system during the 2010s and early 2020s. This includes physical infrastructure as well as computer systems. Hundreds of new ground-based stations are built to allow satellite surveillance coverage of nearly the entire country. New safety and navigation procedures are introduced that markedly reduce flight times, while offering a more dynamic method of air traffic control.
Advances in computer power and digital communication have produced what is now a far more integrated and efficient national system. One of the largest technical advances is the complete replacement of the previous radar navigation system with a modern, GPS-based version. This creates detailed, three-dimensional highways in the sky, and takes into account variations in topography and weather - enabling pilots to fly shorter, more precise routes. By 2018, this system was in place at every major US airport. Once on the runway, taxiing planes are guided by automated systems. These use data gathered on the position of every other plane and vehicle to present pilots and controllers with detailed, real-time traffic maps of the tarmac. Runway capacity is increased with the introduction of multiple take-off and landing pathways, as opposed to the older, single route approach. Overall, these upgrades offer substantial improvements in flight-times, air pollution and fuel consumption. Delays are reduced by nearly 40%, saving tens of billions of dollars. Over 1.4 billion gallons of fuel are saved and CO2 emissions are cut by 14 million metric tons. These numbers will continue to improve steadily over the years.* Aircraft themselves are evolving in form, function and efficiency. A number of striking new designs have emerged with significant technological and environmental benefits.*
U.S. fuel economy standards have improved dramatically In addition to rail and air travel (described earlier), road vehicles are witnessing major improvements. In the U.S., fuel economy standards have reached almost 55 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and 39 miles per gallon for trucks. In other words, these vehicles now travel nearly twice as far on the same amount of fuel as they did in 2010. This surge in efficiency, enacted by the Obama administration, was prompted by concerns over energy security and reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Another factor was the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions. Light duty vehicles reached an average of 34 mpg by 2016 and these advances continued into the 2020s.* Around 6 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases have now been curtailed by this program – more than the total CO2 emitted by the entire United States in 2010. Electric and hybrids are growing rapidly in number, thanks to falling costs and improvements in battery life. By the early 2030s, they will account for the majority of new vehicles on the nation's roads.
Railguns are in use by the U.S. navy After years of research and development, as well as intense political debate, the first combat-ready railguns are appearing on the decks of U.S. naval ships.* Unlike traditional artillery, which create force with explosive materials, the railgun is powered entirely by electricity from the ship's grid. It works by storing up a supply of electrical power, using what is called a pulse-forming network, which is then converted to an electromagnetic pulse. This travels up the barrel along parallel tracks of magnetic rails, forcing the projectile out of the gun, away from the power source. The weapon is capable of firing a five-inch metal projectile, itself equipped with complex internal guidance systems, over 220 miles at close to mach 10. This is fast enough to set the air around the projectile ablaze, while delivering it to targets hundreds of miles away in mere minutes. Explosive rounds are unnecessary, since the kinetic energy released upon impact yields more power than traditional bombs of much greater size. New rapid-fire systems allow for a launch rate of around ten per minute. A number of technical issues first had to be overcome to reach this point though. Advances in materials technology were required to keep the barrel from wearing out after repeated firings, while the projectiles needed to be outfitted in a way that protected internal guidance systems during launch. New cooling techniques also had to be introduced. The guns themselves originally required more electricity than standard naval ships could provide. This was overcome with advances in energy efficiency, along with ultra-dense storage batteries. In combat situations, the railgun offers major benefits. It has greater accuracy over extremely long ranges. It can be used as initial cover fire for marines landing on shore, or as a defense against incoming missiles and other threats. Ships armed with these hi-tech weapons are able to attack with virtual impunity, safe from almost any retaliatory strike. Railguns become widespread in the 2030s, adopted by many other navies. This devastating form of weaponry provides a considerable advantage in modern conflicts.**
Stress and anxiety continue to rise Stress, anxiety and depression have continued to rise due to a range of factors affecting peoples' day-to-day lives. In 2000, approximately one in four could expect to develop a form of mental illness. By now, this figure has become even worse. This is especially true of those living in high density urban centres. Ever-increasing work-related stress, living costs, bad diets, overcrowding and pollution; constant scaremongering by media and goverments alike; the intensifying problems of climate change, peak oil and terrorism; plus a host of related security and surveillance measures, along with various health scares originating from abroad... the list goes on and on. Due to the worsening oil crisis, fuel shortages are occurring in many countries during this time, with long queues at petrol stations becoming a regular sight. Meanwhile, record heatwaves and dangerous levels of air pollution are making summers unbearable in some urban areas. In Europe, right-wing nationalist governments are on the rise, due to the massive amount of immigration occurring from Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. The combined impact of these many factors is having a serious impact on the mental health of citizens.*
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References 1 Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope, Space Telescope Science Institute: 2 Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST): A Technology Roadmap for the Next Decade, NASA: 3 See 2055. 4 Aubrey de Grey - Reddit AMA Video Responses, SENS Foundation: 5 For a somewhat unscientific (but nevertheless interesting) perspective
on this, see The Doomsday Curve: 6 Hedgehogs may become extinct within 15 years, The Telegraph: 7 Red squirrels and hedgehogs 'may become extinct in 20 years', The Metro: 8 Turtle doves and partridges among wild birds in steep decline in Britain, The Guardian: 9 Three-quarters of UK butterfly species in decline, The Guardian: 10 Megafauna, Wikipedia: 11 WWF Factsheet: Black Rhinoceros, WWF: 12 Slaughter of rhinos at record high: Poaching could lead to extinction by 2025, The Independent: 13 The Singularity is Near, by Ray Kurzweil (2005) 14 Scientists to build 'human brain': Supercomputer will simulate the entire mind and will help fight against brain diseases, The Daily Mail: 15 China
to build 10 New Yorks by 2025, International Construction Review: 16 Timeline of the Chinese Nuclear Industry, 1970 to 2020, Energy
Information Administration: 17 What If the World's Soil Runs Out?, TIME: 18 See 2030. 19 World's first commercial vertical farm opens in Singapore, Future Timeline Blog: 20 "It is estimated that world population will increase to 8 billion people by 2025, and hopefully vertical farming will have full realization by then." 21 "Imagine a cluster of 30-story towers on Governors Island or in Hudson Yards producing fruit, vegetables, and grains while also generating clean energy and purifying wastewater. Roughly 150 such buildings, Despommier estimates, could feed the entire city of New York for a year." 22 Major breakthrough in deciphering bread wheat's genetic code, Future Timeline Blog: 23 See 2016. 24 Cities to Face Sharply Rising Costs for Garbage Treatment, The World Bank: 25 Update: Study sees global trash avalanche by 2025, Waste & Recycling News: 26 Hazardous E-Waste Surging in Developing Countries, Science Daily: 27 See 2600 AD. 28 Waste and the world bank, Waste Management World: 29 Masdar City to be Complete by 2025?, CleanTechnica: 30 Masdar City official website: 31 Masdar - the low-carbon city, BBC: 32 Vertical Farming in Masdar City? AeroFarms' Soil-less Solution, Green Prophet: 33 See 2060-2100. 34 Voyager - Spacecraft Lifetime, NASA: 35 Voyager
Golden Record, goldenrecord.org: 36 Trains in Spain signal the future, BBC.co.uk: 37 High Speed 2, Wikipedia: 38 Japanese Maglev, 500km/h, YouTube: 39 High-Speed Rail, Federal Railroad Administration: 40 NextGen Implementation Plan, 2012, Federal Aviation Administration: 41 A First Look at Flight in 2025, NASA: 42 Federal Vehicle Standards, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions: 43 Futuristic Navy railgun with 220-mile range closer to reality, CNET: 44 Video: Navy Fires Off Its New Weaponized Railgun, Wired: 45 Railgun, Wikipedia: 46 UK society 'increasingly fearful', BBC.co.uk:
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