Millions of scientists, researchers, and programmers work for the common good, with medicine, diplomacy, spirituality, alternative energy, nanotechnology, computing and AI, robotics, and space travel being some of the most critical projects currently underway. The future is unpredictable, but technology and capacity can solve unprecedented issues and problems.
At any one time, millions of scientists, researchers, programmers, and others work for the common good. Some have selfish motives and others may not understand the importance of their work, but in the end we can all benefit from their efforts. Since we do not know what the future holds, it is difficult to predict precisely which projects will turn out to be the most significant; it is likely that many initiatives will end in failure and, in retrospect, we might even be surprised that some have even been undertaken. We can, however, uncover some of the leading candidates for the most critical projects currently underway.
Medicine – We’ll start with the most obvious. Medical improvements can benefit all of us, directly or indirectly. Cures for epidemics, or new medical therapies, perhaps genetic, can improve the quality of our life. A cure for cancer or AIDS can end up saving millions of lives and improving the quality of life for millions more. Perhaps the most important work in this area is being done by those trying to devise new and faster ways to treat communicable diseases; there are many proactive teams working on systems and techniques to quickly determine the root causes of new diseases and to devise plans to eradicate them. All sorts of new diseases are springing up in our increasingly populous and intermingled societies. If one of these diseases were to spiral out of control and become a pandemic, researchers figuring out how to thwart them could become the heroes of the future.
Diplomacy – Our planet’s population is steadily increasing, but living space and available natural resources remain limited. Tensions are likely to flare up and there are many people working to make sure the various power structures around the world will function cohesively in the future. Great discord between competing entities can lead to unprecedented damage. Those who are working to eradicate terrorism at its source and those working towards an international settlement could be involved in today’s most important work.
Spiritual – There are many people who ignore the importance of the practical physical aspects of our lives and focus their efforts on grander ends such as personal fulfillment, enlightenment and the moral life. They urge us to strive for lives that are meaningful rather than just comfortable; others try to shift the focus to the afterlife rather than the here and now. It is possible that the work done in furthering these spiritual ends will achieve the most for humanity in the long run.
Alternative Energy – Just a few hundred years ago, the issue of energy was mostly irrelevant. People gathered wood for cooking and heating, and perhaps used sunlight to heat water. Modern society, however, is completely different and much of what we do is directly or indirectly based on energy. Energy is used for transportation, industrial production, communications – even the harvesting and transportation of fruits and vegetables rely on a surprising amount of energy.
As the amount of oil available begins to decrease and become more expensive, our modern lives will require an alternative energy source. Will it be wind, solar, nuclear, hydrogen, or some unforeseen new technology? It’s hard to predict, but it’s clear that without some significant advances in this area, the future could be unimaginably, and perhaps tragically, different from the present.
Nanotechnology – Nanotechnology is a budding field and it is unclear if it will be successful. The promise of atomic-sized “machines” and “nanobots,” however, is high. Will these technologies produce super-materials or lead to major leaps in medical science – time will tell.
Computing, the Internet and Artificial Intelligence – As processing power improves, the functionality and value of computers tend to increase significantly. The best computers of just a decade ago couldn’t even handle the tasks the average desktop computer now handles with ease. Networking these computers expanded the possibilities even further. Information technology and the Internet have already changed many of our lives. We plan trips, research products and explore our history in whole new and more efficient ways. It seems clear, however, that the impact of the internet has only just begun to affect our lives. As processing power continues to improve and the collaboration offered by the Internet evolves, the impact is likely to skyrocket. With this growing computing power of an unimaginably large network comes the possibility of improving artificial intelligence. If all this work culminates in a technological singularity, then perhaps all the other projects listed in this article will seem insignificant. Apart from one singularity, however, improvements in computing are sure to accelerate technological progress in all fields.
Robotics – The field of robotics has been around for many years, and while there has been a lot of progress, robots don’t seem to affect our daily lives in any significant way. Obviously robots are great toys, many are used in manufacturing plants and others are used for sea exploration or bomb detonation. Chances are, however, that all of this will change. As computing power improves and becomes cheaper, robots are given the “brains” they need to become very useful. What happens to society if you introduce relatively cheap and relatively intelligent robots that can do many of the mundane tasks that occupy much of our day. They work without complaining, without rest and are prone to fewer errors. The result can be highly disruptive, especially if the new class of robots put huge swathes of people in the unemployment line.
Space Travel – For some, this might be the most baffling entry on this list. Suppose the medical researchers described above are unable to prevent a future viral plague. Or imagine the nightmarish scenario of a huge asteroid colliding with the earth. What if drastic climate change ends up making our planet inhospitable to any form of life? While it’s statistically unlikely that either of these disasters will occur anytime soon, the space industry could lay the groundwork for species-saving colonies in space. In other words, if we can eventually get enough people to live in space, then perhaps we can protect our genes and our species from global catastrophe.
It is clear that some important issues have been omitted from the above list, but it is not meant to be exhaustive. It might turn out that the most important job isn’t even on the radar right now. What is clear is that while we are faced with unprecedented issues and problems, we have the technology and capacity to solve them; it is certainly a very exciting time to be alive!
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