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The 21st century The 21st century began with the United States as the sole superpower in the absence of the Soviet Union, with China becoming a potential superpower. The debate over what should be done about global warming, fossil fuel pollution and alternative energy raged in the new century after most of the 20th century was marked by industrial expansion. As the Cold War was over and Islamic fundamentalist-related terrorism on the rise, the United States and its allies turned their attention to the Middle East. Digital technology – in its early stages of mainstream use in the 1980s and 1990s – became widely accepted by most of the world, though concerns about stress and antisociality from the overuse of mobile phones, the Internet and related technologies remained controversial. By the end of the first decade, over 1.5 billion people worldwide used the Internet, and over 4 billion (more than half the world's population) used cell phones. A global financial downturn from 2007 – triggered by a sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US – resulted in soaring debt levels. This led to a wrenching restructuring of many social and political systems, but failed to address the growing divides between rich and poor. A new set of crises would emerge in the 2020s. As oil demand began to exceed supply, full-scale conflict erupted in the Middle East. At the same time, the effects of climate change were beginning to have a major impact on worldwide food and water supplies. Growing instability led to a number of resource wars. Even the Arctic became a battleground as nations sought to claim the last remaining oil deposits. The 2030s and 40s were marked by a massive shift towards algae biofuel and renewable energy sources - aided by startling breakthroughs in nanotechnology. Widespread adoption of sustainable development practices greatly aided this transition. This was followed by the birth of fusion power and other technologies. Despite this, conflict was brewing around much of the world. Africa, Asia and other regions were suffering mightily due to food shortages and a growing influx of refugees affected by climate change, resource wars and political instability. Humanity began to escape the confines of its crowded home planet, with the first settlement on Mars in the 2050s. This colony would be greatly expanded over the following decades. Advances in computing power - which had seen exponential growth for over a century - saw AI beginning to play a major role in government and business. Virtual Reality, in parallel with developments in neuroscience, began to profoundly change the day-to-day lives of citizens; in the developed world at least. By 2060, the world's population had begun to level off and plateau. This was partly due to improved education and birth control - but also due to the vast numbers of deaths from starvation, drought and other adverse conditions. Entire nations were being devastated by the effects of climate change. Over half of the world's rainforests had been turned to wasteland, much farmland worldwide had been rendered useless, and freak weather events were now commonplace. Arctic sea ice in summer was non-existent. A huge amount of biodiversity had been lost, with the oceans largely devoid of life. During this time, the USA was finally eclipsed by China as a world power, with India close behind. The 2070s saw major growth in the use of fusion power. Accelerated space development also marked this time, with mining operations on the Moon, along with breakthroughs in propulsion allowing manned exploration of the outer Solar System. At the same time, an environmental catastrophe was unfolding on Earth, with sea levels forcing the large-scale evacuation of many cities. With continuing advances in AI, the 2080s saw an explosion in scientific discoveries. The average citizen found themselves increasingly reliant on brain-computer interfaces, and other on-person technologies, which were becoming essential for purposes of practical communication and information retrieval. Androids were now commonplace in society, with many employed in support and care roles. By the end of the century, it became clear that Homo Sapiens were no longer the dominant species on the planet. Much of the day-to-day running of world affairs was now being carried out by upgraded "transhumans" - along with ultra-fast, ultra-intelligent machines, robots and digital entities.
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