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2100 Extreme
droughts are affecting nearly one-third of the planet • Moderate droughts, affecting up to 25% of the Earth's surface in 2010, now affect up to 50%. • Severe droughts, affecting up to 8% of the Earth's surface in 2010, now affect up to 40%. • Extreme droughts, affecting up to 3% of the Earth's surface in 2010, now affect up to 30%. Worsening environmental conditions have led to a substantial population die-off, with billions of deaths over the last few decades.** Entire regions now lie abandoned - with agriculture made impossible, once mighty rivers having dried up, and gigantic wildfires engulfing larger and larger areas. Desalination technology has rescued some countries, but in many others it has failed to meet demand. Efforts to reverse climate change on a global scale, using various geo-engineering techniques, are proving to be insufficient.*
Human
intelligence is being vastly amplified by AI Rather than being separate entities, these AI programs are often merged with human minds, greatly extending the latter's capability. For instance, knowledge and skills on any subject can now be downloaded and stored directly within the brain. In addition to basic information and data, this includes a range of physical abilities. A person can learn self-defence, for example, become an expert in any sport, or be taught to operate a new vehicle, all within a matter of seconds. The world is being transformed by this fusion of people and machines. The vastly greater power of AI means that it has become, at the same time, both master and servant to the human race. The benefits of this human-AI merger require the extensive use of implants, however - something which a significant minority of the population still refuses to accept. Compared to transhumans, these non-upgraded humans are becoming like cavemen - thousands of years behind in intellectual development.* Unable to comprehend the latest technology, the world around them appears "fast" and "strange" from their increasingly limited perspective.*This is creating a major division in society.
With over 10% of the world's population living on coastlines, hundreds of millions have been forced to migrate. However, disruption of inland food and freshwater supplies - caused by drought, disease, war, overpopulation and other factors – means their journeys often end in vain. Some of the worst-hit countries have been plunged into a state of anarchy. Vast uninhabitable wastelands now cover the equatorial regions, with desperate streams of refugees moving from city to city, fighting over what little scraps remain. There is widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. In the US, formerly prosperous breadbaskets in the south have been turned into lifeless deserts, while coastal areas are frequently battered by storm surges, category 6 hurricanes and other freak weather events.* Meanwhile, the once mighty Amazon rainforest has been reduced to a few oases of greenery surrounded by parched scrubland and dried river beds. A growing number of citizens are abandoning their homelands altogether and attempting to reach more northerly or southerly latitudes. However, borders are becoming ever more difficult to cross. Limited food, resources and housing are forcing many governments to drastically rethink their immigration policies. Rich entrepreneurs are exploiting this, by offering a new means of living which does away with national boundaries altogether. This comes in the form of floating, artificial islands - wholly self-sufficient and capable of cruising around the world indefinitely.* The ships provide the kind of comfort, safety and security that many of their occupants have never experienced before. In addition to a continuous supply of food, freshwater and energy, a number of facilities are available – including state-of-the-art virtual reality suites, android servants/companions, industrial-scale nanotech assemblers, landing pads for anti-grav vehicles, swimming pools and other amenities. Carefully maintained arboretums featuring real trees can also be found on board (flora which are becoming increasingly rare these days). These giant, amphibious ships are especially popular in southeast Asia, which has been hit hardest by the effects of climate change. Some of the largest craft measure over a kilometre in diameter with tens of thousands of residents. Whole new cultures are forming on these "micronations", based on sustainable ways of living and a mutual respect for humanity and nature.*
Emperor
Penguins face extinction Emperor Penguins aren't the only birds vanishing during this time: thousands of other species are disappearing too, as many ecosystems around the world face permanent collapse.*
Terraforming
of Mars is underway
The outer layer consists of a supercharged plasma window, shaped into a dome or sphere by electromagnetic fields. This is hot enough to vaporize most incoming metals. A secondary layer underneath contains millions of curved laser beams, producing a high-energy web that captures projectiles fast or powerful enough to bypass the plasma window. A third layer consists of a "lattice" made from trillions of carbon nanotubes. These microscopic structures are woven together in an instant, forming a diamond-hard shell repelling objects missed by the other two layers. If necessary, it can be extended to cover a larger perimeter, at the cost of decreased strength. Conversely, it can be reduced in size to provide an even denser and more durable barrier. The layers described above can protect against the majority of bullets, bombs and projectiles. However, they are almost useless against lasers. A fourth and final layer takes care of this problem. It uses photochromatic particles, which change their properties when exposed to laser light, effectively neutralising most directed-energy weapons. An early form of this technology was seen a century previously, with sunglasses that changed colour when exposed to sunlight. In addition to warzones, these multilayered force fields are being used in various other situations. National borders, for example, are being made more secure - as are many sources of food and water production. Corporate spaces and luxury dwellings owned by the rich are also utilising them. A number of satellites are being fitted with this technology too.
Femtoengineering
is practical Engineering at this scale involves working directly with the finest known structures of matter - such as quarks and strings - to manipulate the properties of atoms. This development is a further step towards macro-scale teleportation, i.e. transportation of objects visible to the naked eye. Significant breakthroughs in anti-gravity and force field generation will also result from this. Another area that will see major progress is in materials technology. For example, metals will be produced which are capable of withstanding truly enormous pressures and tensile forces. The applications for this will be endless, but perhaps one of the most exciting areas will be in the exploration of hostile environments - such as probes capable of travelling within the Sun itself, and tunnelling machines that can penetrate the Earth's crust into the layers of magma beneath. Longer term, this development will pave the way for interstellar ships and the massive forces involved in lightspeed travel. Other more exotic materials are becoming possible - including wholly transparent metals, highly luminous metals, frictionless surfaces, and ultradense but extremely lightweight structures. As with many areas of science, femtoengineering is being guided by advanced AI, which is now trillions of trillions of times more powerful than unaided human intelligence.
Man-made
control of earthquakes and tsunamis For instance, people know when to stay out of the weakest buildings, away from the bridges most likely to collapse and otherwise away from anything that might harm them. Rescue and repair workers can be on duty, with vacations cancelled and extra workers brought in from other areas. Workers can be geared up with extra equipment ordered in advance to fix key structures that may fail in an earthquake. Freeways can be emptied. Dangerous chemical freight can be prevented from passing through populated areas during the quake. Aircraft can be stopped from approaching a potentially damaged runway. Weak water reservoirs can have their water levels lowered in advance. Tourists can be made to stay away. All of these measures can substantially reduce casualties and economic disruption. However, some nations are going one step further and creating additional systems, in the form of gigantic engineering projects. To protect the most earthquake-prone regions, a network of "lubrication wells" is being established. These man-made channels penetrate deep underground, to the very edge of the mantle. They work by injecting nanotechnology-based fluid or gel into fault lines, making it easier for rock layers to slide past each other. Explosive charges can also be dropped at strategic points, in zones where the lubrication might be less effective. Instead of sudden, huge earthquakes, the network induces a series of much smaller earthquakes. Using this method, an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 can be buffered down to magnitude 4.0 or lower, causing little or no damage to structures on the surface. In coastal locations, tsunamis can also be prevented. This is a carefully controlled process - requiring heavy use of AI - and is by no means perfect. There are complex legal and liability issues in the event of accidents. For instance, damage from human-induced earthquakes cannot be excused as an "act of God." Despite these technical and legal hurdles, it would seem that mankind is gaining the power to control even the most destructive aspects of nature.*
Our
solar system is passing through a million degree cloud of gas The density of this medium is sufficiently low to pose no threat to Earth or any other planets. The heliosphere is reformed slightly, and the level of cosmic radiation entering the magnetosphere increases, but nothing more. However, spacecraft and satellites may be damaged by these high energy particles unless they are upgraded.*
Mind
uploading enters mainstream society However, the underlying software foundation required for mind uploading proved to be a vastly greater challenge. Full transfer of human consciousness into artificial substrates posed enormous technical difficulties, in addition to raising ethical and philosophical issues. The sheer complexity of the brain, and its inherent fragility - along with the many legislative barriers that stood in the way - meant that it was nearly a century before such technology reached the mainstream. Some breakthroughs occurred in the latter decades of the 21st century, with partial transfer of memories and thought patterns, allowing some limited experience of the mind uploading process. However, it was only through the emergence of picotechnology and strong AI that sufficiently detailed scanning methods became available. This new generation of machines, being orders of magnitude faster and more robust, finally bridged the gap between organic human brains and their synthetic equivalents. Initially tested on monkeys, the procedure was eventually offered to certain marginalised people including death row inmates and terminally ill patients. Once it could be demonstrated as being safe and reversible, the project garnered a steady stream of free and healthy volunteers, tempted by this new form of computerised immortality. Years of red tape and legislation followed, including some of the strictest regulations ever enacted into law. Religious and conservative groups voiced their objections to what they saw as a fundamental violation of God's will. At times, this threatened to postpone the technology indefinitely. Eventually though, like so many other breakthroughs in science, the zeitgeist moved on. The level of demand for mind uploading proved to be enormous, and the treatment was made commercially available in the 2120s. Today, citizens have access to special clinics in which their biological brains can be literally discarded in favour of artificial ones. Rather than simply "duplicating" a mind, the machine physically shifts the consciousness, like a sponge soaking up water. The brain is gradually replaced - piece by piece - so the original personality remains intact during the transition. This vital aspect of the procedure assuages the fear which many have of losing their identity. For the wealthiest individuals, entire new bodies can be grown, into which the synthetic brains can be transplanted. These bodies may themselves be artificial, with options for partially cyborg or fully robotic replacements. Externally, they are often indistinguishable from real human bodies, but include many hi-tech add-ons and internal features boosting physical and mental abilities. Not everyone is opting for these types of treatments, however. A significant percentage view them with extreme suspicion, as though somehow immoral and dehumanising. With each passing year, society is becoming increasingly fractured, with an ever-widening divide between those who seek to enhance themselves, and those who prefer to eschew such technology.
The
International Space Elevator is operational One major obstacle to the project's completion - aside from the initial outlay - was the need for international agreements on safety, security and insurance in the event of an accident. Although the technology was available as far back as 2040, these issues (and others) delayed construction by many years. A major space boom is now finally underway, as passengers can be delivered to orbit at vastly reduced costs, compared with traditional rocket launches.*
Large-scale
civilian settlement of the Moon is underway Advances in genetic engineering mean that humans can be fully adapted to the gravity of the Moon. In any case, scientists are developing a form of artificial gravity that will soon become available. In addition to basic exploration and surveying, the main occupations for colonists at the moment are scientific and technological research, mining, agriculture, energy production, communications and transport/infrastructure management. Many tasks are handled by robots, giving more leisure time for the human residents. Tourism is now a booming industry, with many thousands of people arriving on the Moon's surface each year for guided tours - even though VR simulations can recreate the Moon's environment. The most popular destinations are Mons Huygens (the highest mountain), Tycho (a prominent crater visible from Earth) and the Apollo landing sites. A very large telescope is also operational, for long-distance astronomical observations. The lack of atmosphere and other conditions gives it a tremendous advantage over Earth-based telescopes.*
A
North American Union is taking shape A gradual stagnation of the white population, and simultaneous growth of Hispanics, offered the first hints of what lay ahead. This trend would continue long into the future, with Latin American immigrants eventually dominating the southwestern states. By the late 21st century, territory had been ceded to Mexico - which had itself become a fully developed, industrialised nation.* Alongside this, Canada began to experience a population and economic surge almost unparalleled in its history. Soaring global temperatures were providing access to a treasure trove of natural resources, previously locked up in the frozen north - even as the US was being ravaged by drought, flooding, wildfires and other adverse conditions. With Canada's environment now vastly more favourable, newcomers flocked in their millions to its cheap, wide, green lands.* After decades of further homogenisation and cultural interchange between each of the three nations, US power has continued to wane, both at home and abroad. Meanwhile, national borders are becoming increasingly irrelevant in the world at large. Ongoing globalisation, the birth of a single world currency, the dominance of artificial intelligence in government, a defection of citizens to online "virtual states", and other technological advances have contributed to this. Europe has already formed its own superstate, while parts of Asia are now converging too. In light of all this, the USA begins talks with Canada regarding a North American Union. With a more globalised, supranational sentiment emerging, they are gradually unified under a single political system - strengthening the power and influence of both. Mexico eventually joins too. In later decades, further expansion of the union occurs with even Cuba, the Dominican Republic and other parts of the Caribbean seeing integration. By the end of the 22nd century, the whole of North and South America has joined to become the "American Union", paving the way for a truly united world government in the 23rd century.
"Perfect" simulations of one cubic metre At best, algorithms were able to demonstrate the strong nuclear force among protons and neutrons and its effect on nuclei and their interactions. This was achieved in femto-sized universes where the space-time continuum was replaced by a lattice, with spatial and temporal sizes on the order of several femto-metres or fermis and whose lattice spacings (pixelations) were fractions of fermis. Lattice gauge theory revealed new insights into the nature of matter, but was still fairly limited in scope.
However, computer power and information technology in general were growing exponentially. In fact, they had followed a remarkably smooth and predictable trend throughout the 20th century.* This growth rate continued its consistent path in the 21st and 22nd centuries.* By 2140, a region of space measuring 1 cubic metre can be simulated in near-perfect detail, down to the smallest quantum unit.* This landmark in physics has profound applications. It soon paves the way for larger simulations of two metres, providing absolutely accurate representations of the entire human body. Scientific experiments on these and similar-sized objects can now be literally as controlled as they can be – with data obtained far more reliably and much faster than in real-world and real-time settings. Holodeck-style environments become possible in the latter half of this century, as these simulations continue to increase in detail and spatial extent, reaching tens of metres and greater. This offers a level of realism that was unavailable with full-immersion virtual reality. To an observer placed in these miniature universes, it would be almost impossible to distinguish reality from fantasy.
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References 1 The century of drought, The Independent: 2 Earth 2100, ABC News: 3 'We
should be scared stiff', guardian.co.uk: 4 Geoengineering won't undo sea level rises, New Scientist: 5 "An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological
change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense 'intuitive linear'
view. So we won't experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century
— it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today's rate).
The 'returns,' such as chip speed and cost-effectiveness, also increase
exponentially. There's even exponential growth in the rate of exponential
growth. Within a few decades, machine intelligence will surpass human
intelligence, leading to the Singularity — technological change
so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history.
The implications include the merger of biological and nonbiological intelligence,
immortal software-based humans, and ultra-high levels of intelligence..." 6 Lanier’s Singularity, H+ Magazine: 7 Six Degrees, by Mark Lynas. Amazon.co.uk: 8 Lilypad, a floating ecopolis for climate refugees, vincent.callebaut.org: 9 Super-typhoon global frequency could increase tenfold by 2100: Japanese
researchers, Physorg.com: 10 Ocean acidification due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide,
Mendeley Research Networks: 11 Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty-first century and
its impact on calcifying organisms, Nature Publishing Group: 12 Emperor penguins could be virtually extinct by 2100, scientists say,
Telegraph.co.uk: 13 Warming May Cause 30% of Land Birds to Go Extinct, Study Says ,
Bloomberg.com: 14 "Force fields" are more than just science fiction. They are
perfectly possible within the laws of physics, according to Michio Kaku
- one of the world's leading futurists. He predicts use of this technology
"within a century or so". 15 The Age of Spiritual Machines, by Ray Kurzweil (1999). 16 "... Perhaps a hundred years from now, geophysics will have mapped
the faults in Earth's crust and geological engineers will have installed
lubrication wells to modulate the tectonic-induced slippage so as to reduce
sudden, large shocks." 17 Ribbon at Edge of Our Solar System: Will the Sun Enter a Million-Degree
Cloud of Interstellar Gas?, Science Daily: 18 The Singularity is Near, by Ray Kurzweil (2005) 19 'Space elevator' would take humans into orbit, CNN: 20 3-D Printing Device Could Build Moon Base from Lunar Dust, Space.com: 21 Now It's Official: There Is Water on the Moon, TIME: 22 Giant Telescope Mirrors For The Moon Could Be Made With Carbon, Epoxy
And Lunar Dust, Science Daily: 23 See 2082. 24 Canada will be major world power by 2050: scientist, Ottawa Citizen: 25 Do we live in a computer simulation? Researchers say idea can be tested, Future Timeline Blog: 26 Exponential Growth of Computing, Singularity.com: 27 The Singularity is Near, by Ray Kurzweil: 28 Constraints on the Universe as a Numerical Simulation, Silias R. Beane. et al., University of Washington:
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