The
22nd century
Continued
environmental destruction, rapid growth of transhumanism, and major
developments in space travel all mark the 22nd century. Practically
all the world's energy comes from either fusion or renewable sources
now. Global warming shows no signs of abating however, due to positive
feedback loops that were triggered in previous decades.
Artificial
intelligence – having begun to merge with human intelligence in the
previous century – now surpasses it, reaching whole new levels of cognitive
and intellectual capability. Though lacking the raw emotions and subtle
traits of organic human minds, the sheer depth and power of AI begins
to profoundly transform the course of history. High-level decisions
by governments and corporations now come directly from these sentient
machines. There are vast swathes of virtual employees everywhere, and
heavily automated systems in every industry. All of this makes for vastly
improved speed, efficiency and productivity.
Science
advances so rapidly that it would exceed the comprehension of 20th century
observers. The most significant developments are in quantum physics, but wholly new fields also emerge that were completely untapped in
the previous century. Femto-scale engineering is among the many practical
applications resulting from all this.
Developments
in space during this time include numerous permanent, manned settlements
on the Moon and Mars; regular manned trips to the gas giants; huge mining operations in the asteroid fields; and the first probes to Alpha Centauri.
Space tourism booms during this period, with trips to the Moon's surface
and elsewhere becoming relatively commonplace.
|