One popular anecdote recounts how 100 years ago, just before the start of the 20th century, everything that can be invented has been invented. Similarly, in 1912 the magazine The Independent predicted that discovery and invention was at an end: “The Earth is nearly conquered now.… There are not likely to be any other great chemical or physical discoveries which will much affect the conditions of humanity.” After nearly a century of ever-accelerating and breathtaking change, we know this obituary to have been premature, if not completely absurd. We also know that while predicting the future is easy, predicting the future accurately is close to impossible. As recently as 1982, Omni magazine predicted that by the year 2000 more than 1,000 people would be living and working on the Moon, that Earth-orbiting solar generators would be supplying much of the world's energy needs, and that manned expeditions to Mars would be routine.
Although space futurism once a popular staple of both science fiction and serious forecasts—has been tempered in recent decades, many futurists still see this high frontier as critical to the human future. Here are a few of the concepts, some involving space and some more land-bound, that current futurists are talking about for the 21st century:
Terraforming: In a scenario, Venus—covered in sulfuric acid and poisonous carbon dioxide—would be bombarded by bacteria that would slowly transform the atmosphere and create oxygen. Cooling and “the Big Rain” would follow, and hardy Earthlings could in time colonize the overheated planet. Recently, Mars has become the favorite candidate for terraforming, since it appears to have abundant supplies of ice and possibly even water. In the words of speculative novelist Arthur C. Clarke, the red planet “could be another garden of Eden.”
Space Mining: In modern popular culture, asteroids are usually seen hurtling toward Earth, threatening complete destruction. But many futurists believe that the next century will see us traveling to asteroids to extract metals such as platinum, nickel, and gold. Mine workers and families would live in huge artificial colonies built in space, complete with farms and towns and “natural” landscapes. Some futurists even envision creating these colonies in hollowed-out asteroids—somewhat like the mining towns of the old West, where people lived literally on top of the ore and then abandoned the town when the resources were exhausted.
Harvesting Icebergs: In his book The Next 500 Years, futurist Adrian Berry predicts that massive icebergs will be captured from the Antarctic and towed to California, where they could supply much of the freshwater needs of the city of Los Angeles.
Artificial Intelligence: Experts in robotics and computer technology are constantly expanding the possibilities for creating “intelligent” machines. Robotics expert suggests that it will be possible in the future to transfer a human personality into a robot. Some futurists even speculate that it will be possible to transfer a complete human mind from one body to another, allowing humans to achieve a kind of immortality.
Although space futurism once a popular staple of both science fiction and serious forecasts—has been tempered in recent decades, many futurists still see this high frontier as critical to the human future. Here are a few of the concepts, some involving space and some more land-bound, that current futurists are talking about for the 21st century:
Terraforming: In a scenario, Venus—covered in sulfuric acid and poisonous carbon dioxide—would be bombarded by bacteria that would slowly transform the atmosphere and create oxygen. Cooling and “the Big Rain” would follow, and hardy Earthlings could in time colonize the overheated planet. Recently, Mars has become the favorite candidate for terraforming, since it appears to have abundant supplies of ice and possibly even water. In the words of speculative novelist Arthur C. Clarke, the red planet “could be another garden of Eden.”
Space Mining: In modern popular culture, asteroids are usually seen hurtling toward Earth, threatening complete destruction. But many futurists believe that the next century will see us traveling to asteroids to extract metals such as platinum, nickel, and gold. Mine workers and families would live in huge artificial colonies built in space, complete with farms and towns and “natural” landscapes. Some futurists even envision creating these colonies in hollowed-out asteroids—somewhat like the mining towns of the old West, where people lived literally on top of the ore and then abandoned the town when the resources were exhausted.
Harvesting Icebergs: In his book The Next 500 Years, futurist Adrian Berry predicts that massive icebergs will be captured from the Antarctic and towed to California, where they could supply much of the freshwater needs of the city of Los Angeles.
Artificial Intelligence: Experts in robotics and computer technology are constantly expanding the possibilities for creating “intelligent” machines. Robotics expert suggests that it will be possible in the future to transfer a human personality into a robot. Some futurists even speculate that it will be possible to transfer a complete human mind from one body to another, allowing humans to achieve a kind of immortality.
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