Megatech: Technology in 2050Daniel Franklin In the not-too-distant future, we'll be plugging our brains into the internet, replacing our worn-out body parts, and eating meat grown in a lab. If we're lucky, we'll be living in a world of more productivity, more energy, and more equality -- and if we're not, we'll be facing the profound threat of nonexistent privacy, ecological collapse, and nuclear proliferation. Of course, we can't know the future, but Megatech: Technology in 2050 is a mind-clearing guide to the possibilities. In this bold new book, Daniel Franklin brings together today's most innovative scientists, leaders, thinkers, and writers to imagine how future technology will develop and shape our lives. Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek expects a rapid acceleration of scientific discovery, and Melinda Gates envisions a smartphone in the hand of every woman. Meanwhile, Benjamin Sutherland warns of military robots, and Leo Mirani sees smart glasses on every person's face. The result is a thought-provoking collection of insight and imagination that will inspire us to make the most of future opportunities just as it motivates us to tackle the environmental, economic, and social challenges ahead. |
Contents
Contributors | |
A toolkit for predicting the future | |
Biotechnologys possibilities | |
Beyond Moores | |
The great innovation debate | |
Farming tomorrow | |
the rise of the renewables | |
Manufacturings new materials | |
Personal technology gets truly personal | |
The ethics of artificial intelligence | |
Imagine all the empowered people | |
Work and the rise of the machines | |
a short story | |
lessons from the Industrial Revolution | |
Acknowledgements | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
3D printing advances ahead Alastair Reynolds algorithms allow already Amazon applications apps artificial intelligence atoms augmented reality autonomous batteries become better big data billion biology biotechnology building capitalist carbon fibre cars Cassie cells century chips coming decades companies components cost crops devices diseases Diya Driverless cars Economist economy electricity electrons Elon Musk emerging energy engineering equations example Facebook factory faster firms Frank Wilczek fundamental physics future genetic genome global gluons Google growing human idea imagine improve increasingly industry inequality infosphere innovation investment look Luciano Floridi machine learning manufacturing materials Megatech Microsoft missiles Moore’s law networks nuclear particles possible potential predict problem productivity growth quantum computers revolution robots Saanvi satellites says sci-fi Seth smart technologies smartphone solar storage target theory things today’s transformation virtual reality wave workers