Important Issues of the Future 

  Energy Sources:   The potential of clean, inexpensive energy sources has exciting possibilities in the future.  Such sources as hydrogen fuel, solar energy and clean nuclear power will provide tremendous benefits to our standard of living, the environment as well as the economy, MORE.

See article on Hydrogen Power.

See Article on Garbage/Waste to Oil (Thermo- Depolymerization)

Increasing World Population--Survival of Humankind:  The population of the world will double or possibly triple in the 21st Century.  This will bring about increasing challenges for providing resources such as housing, food, fresh water and medical services.   The impact on the environment will be critical.  The threat of crime and terrorism will increase as a larger segment of the population becomes better informed and yet will have to compete for limited resources. MORE.

Advanced Materials: Materials such as those produced by nano-technologies will result in  environmentally friendly, quality products that can be used for buildings, aircraft, automobiles, medical equipment and just about every product possible. A future home may be of any conceivable design built with rugged synthetic materials.  (For example a Victorian style house might be made of materials such as synthetic wood that is as strong as steel.)  MORE

Medical Advances: The potential of "out of control" diseases maybe the largest threat facing humankind.  If some kind of bacteria or virus with the potency of the AIDs virus becomes airborne, all the world's population will be threatened.  New technologies such as nano-medicine maybe the answer.  Patients would swallow pills containing thousands of tiny "nano-bots" that have nano-computer capabilities that can quickly test DNA and destroying foreign organisms.    MORE.

Information Technologies: -Information technologies are just beginning to impact our lives. The future Internet or Information Superhighway will provide huge amounts of information ( e.g. high definition television) downloaded and very high speeds. Inexpensive, versatile robotics will change the way we live at home and in the office.  However, ethical issues and cyber crime will likely continue to be major problems.

Education in the Future: The old traditional classroom curriculum will no longer be enough to prepare students for the future.  Courses will have to be more oriented to prepare students for all aspects of their private and work lives. More emphasis will have to be made on technology, personal investments, ethics, family life, planning, speaking and writing. Distant learning will become more prevalent.

Communication Technologies: Great advances will occur in communication technologies.  Television maybe holographic 3-D. tiny (cell) telephones maybe implanted in the human body.  Computer and communication technologies will likely converge into one technology.

Biological Technologies: Future biological technologies such as genetics will have positive and negative impacts on humans.  The potential for solving food shortages and producing healthy foods is high.  However, environmental and ethical issues will be a major factor.

Transportation: Intelligent automobiles and highways are potential technologies for reducing of heavy traffic congestion.  Vertical takeoff and landing aircraft flying at hypersonic speeds at sub-orbital heights will make it possible to travel between any two points on earth in less than two hours.  High speed trains may replace much of automobile and aircraft travel. MORE

Racial Problems: Many advances have been made concerning better race relations. But much needs to be done.  The increase in the number of intolerant individuals and groups is of great concern for the future.

See page on this site on Challenges and Problems of the Future

Cities and Communities: Future cities will have to have improved Infrastructures to handle a growing population.  Providing fresh water and energy and handling garbage and sewage will be major problems facing cities.  Technology such as saltwater desalination plants operating with clean inexpensive energy have great potential.