The world in the next hundred years: 6 predictions of human technology!

The world in the next hundred years: 6 predictions of human technology!

  • tech
  • 2024-07-26
  • 86 Comments

Modern science posits that our Earth was born approximately 4.6 billion years ago, during the early formation of the solar system. At that time, the solar system was in a state of chaos. After the Sun came into existence, it absorbed a significant amount of surrounding matter, resulting in the Sun's mass accounting for 99.86% of the total mass of the solar system. The remaining eight planets and other materials make up the remaining 0.14% of the solar system's total mass. From this proportion, we can deduce that the Sun's mass is enormous. Among the eight major planets in the solar system, Earth is the only one that has given rise to life. The emergence of life has added much color to this planet, especially with the advent of humanity, which has unraveled many of Earth's mysteries. The pace of human technological development is rapid. Since the 18th century, when humanity entered the Industrial Revolution, technology has advanced by leaps and bounds. In just 300 years, human life has undergone a dramatic transformation. So, as we look to the future, a hundred years from now, what level of technological development might we expect?

The first prediction for human technology is the development of controlled nuclear fusion technology. Controlled nuclear fusion technology aims to achieve a controlled, sustained, and stable nuclear fusion reaction to harness immense energy. Nuclear fusion refers to the process of combining light atomic nuclei (such as the isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium) to form heavier atomic nuclei (like helium), releasing a substantial amount of energy in the process. The key to controlled nuclear fusion technology lies in the precise control of the conditions for nuclear fusion reactions, including extremely high temperatures (often reaching tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius), sufficiently high density, and a sufficiently long confinement time to ensure that the nuclear fusion reaction can proceed continuously and stably, outputting usable energy. The main approaches to achieving controlled nuclear fusion currently are magnetic confinement fusion and inertial confinement fusion. Magnetic confinement fusion uses a strong magnetic field to confine high-temperature plasma, preventing it from coming into contact with the container walls; inertial confinement fusion, on the other hand, uses high-power lasers or ion beams to rapidly heat and compress the fuel target, triggering a nuclear fusion reaction.

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The reason our Sun can burn for such a long time is due to the nuclear fusion reactions occurring within it. According to scientific research, the pressure and temperature inside the Sun are extremely high, and it is in these extreme conditions that nuclear fusion reactions can take place. To date, our Sun has been burning for 5 billion years, and scientists have calculated that it has another 5 billion years of life left. The amount of solar energy Earth receives every second is only about one twenty-second billionth, but do not underestimate this fraction of energy, as it is equivalent to the total energy produced by the burning of 1 million tons of coal on Earth. This is why scientists are actively researching controlled nuclear fusion technology. If humanity can truly achieve controlled nuclear fusion technology, then the pace of human technological development will become increasingly rapid, and we will no longer have to worry about energy resources.

The second prediction for human technology is the establishment of a lunar base. In 1609, Galileo first observed the Moon through a telescope, providing humanity with a detailed understanding of the lunar surface. In 1959, the Soviet Union successfully launched the Luna 1 probe, which was originally intended to impact the Moon but, due to a ground control system malfunction, it flew past the Moon at a distance of 6,000 kilometers, becoming the first probe to fly by the Moon. In December 1968, the Saturn V rocket launched the "Apollo 8" spacecraft into lunar orbit, marking the first time in human history that the Moon was observed up close. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 finally sent Armstrong and Aldrin to the Moon, with Armstrong uttering the famous words: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," achieving the great feat of manned lunar landing. From July 1969 to December 1972, American astronauts completed six lunar landings, sending a total of 12 people to the Moon and bringing back 381.7 kilograms of lunar samples.Humans continue to explore the mysteries of the Moon, yet despite the manned lunar landings of the past few decades, there have been no significant breakthroughs. This is largely due to the high cost associated with manned missions to the Moon. However, scientists have discovered that the Moon is rich in resources, such as Helium-3, which is a primary fuel for controlled nuclear fusion. If humanity can harness this energy source, achieving controlled nuclear fusion technology would become much easier. Consequently, scientists are currently devising ways to establish a human base on the Moon, which is of great importance for our species. Moreover, the Moon could serve as a future transit station for humanity, playing a crucial role in our exploration of the cosmos. Perhaps in a century, humans will indeed be able to establish their own bases on the Moon.

The third prediction for human technology is the successful manned landing on Mars. Mars is one of the eight major planets in the solar system and is the closest planet to Earth, aside from Venus. Since the 1960s, the former Soviet Union was the first to launch a probe to Mars. After numerous failures, they eventually achieved success. On April 7, 2001, the United States launched the "Odyssey" Mars probe, which orbits Mars in an attempt to search for signs of life and water. On June 2, 2003, the European Space Agency launched the "Mars Express" probe; on June 10 and July 7 of the same year, the United States launched the "Mars Exploration Rover" with the "Spirit" rover and the "Opportunity" rover. In 2004, the European Space Agency announced that the "Mars Express" probe had discovered frozen water at the Martian south pole, marking the first direct discovery of water on the surface of Mars. On July 23, 2020, China's first Mars exploration mission, the "Tianwen-1" probe, was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site. On May 15, 2021, the "Tianwen-1" probe successfully landed on Mars.

As our understanding of Mars grows, scientists have found that it has a much more favorable environment compared to other planets and is the most suitable for human colonization. Since humans ventured beyond Earth, there has been a constant desire to settle on other planets. One day, Earth's resources will be depleted, and humans will need to seek new resources to ensure the longevity of our civilization. The renowned entrepreneur Elon Musk has expressed his ambition to establish a factory on Mars by 2050. Although this may sound incredible to many, human technology is continuously advancing, and a manned landing on Mars is on the horizon. As long as we can transport sufficient supplies to Mars and establish a small ecological home there, the prospect of human colonization of Mars is promising.

The fourth prediction for human technology is the transmission of human memory to computers. Throughout history, humans have aspired to achieve immortality. For instance, Emperor Qin Shi Huang sought eternal life and sent people to the mythical Penglai Island to seek the elixir of life, but he did not succeed. Is immortality truly unattainable for humans? According to scientific research, human lifespan is influenced by many factors, and death is encoded in our genes. Current human technology cannot achieve immortality, and the concept of living forever violates the laws of nature. No matter how hard we try, eternal life may be impossible. However, some scientists believe that the essence of immortality lies not in the physical body's longevity but in consciousness. Humans are distinct from other creatures because of our free will. Without it, we would not be different from animals. Human memory is incredibly fascinating. If we could transfer our memories to a computer, could that achieve a form of immortality?Scientists are now experimenting with brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. The future development trends of BCI include the following aspects:

1. Continuous technological advancement: Invasive BCIs may evolve towards flexibility, miniaturization, high throughput, and integration to enhance the quality and quantity of signal acquisition; non-invasive BCIs need to improve signal perception and processing technologies to reduce the impact of external interference.

2. Expansion of application fields: In addition to current applications in the medical and health fields, such as helping paraplegic patients regain motor abilities, treating epilepsy and depression, etc., it is expected that BCIs will be applied in more fields in the future, such as education, gaming and entertainment, smart home, etc.

3. Integration with other technologies: BCI technology may deeply integrate with artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things, and other technologies to create smarter and more convenient application scenarios and solutions.

4. Achieving more complex functions: Developing from simple motion control to more complex tasks, such as further optimization and popularization of functions like "thought typing" and "thought speaking," and even achieving a deeper understanding and interaction with brain thoughts and emotions.

The fifth human technology forecast - Invisibility cloak technology

Many people have seen science fiction movies, in which the protagonist can wear an invisibility cloak and blend with the surroundings, making them invisible to others. This is a highly desirable garment for many. If we could wear such clothing, we could do many unexpected things. Currently, invisibility cloak technology has achieved certain results in some bands, such as the microwave band. However, the future may move towards achieving invisibility across a broader range of bands, including visible light and infrared, to achieve a more comprehensive invisibility effect. In addition to military applications, invisibility cloaks also have great potential in civilian fields. For example, in the area of personal privacy protection, hats similar to "social phobia masks" could be developed; in the field of security monitoring, they could be used to conceal important facilities; and in daily life, products like invisibility glasses and hearing aids may appear. Additionally, it could be applied to beautify the urban environment by making utility boxes and garbage rooms invisible, but safety concerns must be considered.

The development of invisibility cloak technology still faces many challenges, requiring researchers to continuously explore and innovate in materials science, optics, electronics, and other fields. However, with technological advancements, invisibility cloaks are expected to achieve more breakthroughs in the future and bring new applications and transformations in various fields.

The sixth human technology forecast - Home robots

From computers to artificial intelligence, the rapid development of electronic products has exceeded human imagination. Humans have now invented autonomous vehicles, unmanned stores, unmanned delivery, and more. These simple labor forces have been replaced by robots, but this is just the beginning. With the advancement of technology, home robots are now also entering society. Although current home robots are relatively rigid, humans are continuously improving them, which also leads to the continuous optimization of home robot functions, covering various aspects such as home cleaning, companionship, education, entertainment, and health monitoring. For example, robotic vacuum cleaners can take on cleaning tasks, educational robots can assist children in learning, and some robots even have health monitoring capabilities. As people's living standards improve and their pursuit of quality of life increases, consumer demand for home robots is gradually rising. Especially in the context of an aging population, the demand for home robots among the elderly, such as health monitoring and smart home control, is also continuously increasing.

With the continuous progress of technologies such as deep learning and natural language processing, home robots will possess higher levels of intelligence, enabling them to better understand and meet users' complex needs. In the future, we will be able to customize robots with different functions according to our needs, such as men creating female robots and women creating male robots. However, the popularization of home robots also faces some challenges, such as ensuring user privacy is not leaked, ensuring the safety and reliability of robots in various home environments, and improving relevant laws and regulations to regulate market order and protect consumer rights. It is believed that in the future, with the continuous progress and development of human technology, home robots will become a necessity in every household. The future home robots will not have the appearance of machines but will have an appearance similar to humans, just like in science fiction movies, and will truly become artificial intelligence robots. It is hoped that this day will come soon.As the most intelligent life forms on Earth, human technology has been continuously advancing and developing. Many things that are currently impossible for humans may become achievable in the near future. Moreover, human exploration of the universe has not ceased. As long as humanity perseveres, with the development of human technology, we may indeed be able to unravel more of the universe's mysteries in the future. At that time, it would be much easier for us to migrate to other planets. Furthermore, as human technology progresses, it will be able to meet an increasing number of needs. In this regard, what technological breakthroughs do you think humanity will be able to achieve in the future?

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