FUTURE POSSIBILITIES

Significant challenges and problems will face society during the 21st Century.  These challenges can be met by a co-operative action among government, business, and the public   Challenges and opportunities are numerous as are outlined in the section on "Issues in the Future".  Here are a few possibilities:

1. There are ample raw elements on earth to provide advanced materials that could provide homes for every family on earth even when the population doubles.  A major source maybe the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that has resulted from our industrial world.  Nano-technologies could provide the means for utilizing this carbon to produce building materials that look, cut, and smell like wood, but are as strong as steel.

2.  Advances in energy technologies such as solar photovoltaic cells could result in very localized production of clean, inexpensive electrical power.  Roofs, walls and even pavements made with solar cell type materials could provide ample electricity for homes and industry.

3. Nano-technologies and safe bioengineering may eventually produce all the food needed for a large world population.  Ultimately, food may be manufactured from basic organic elements such as carbon, oxygen and hydrogen.  Such foods can be safe, nutritious, tasty and lack harmful fats, salts and chemicals.

4. Medical advances utilizing micro-biological techniques may result in most of our common diseases disappearing and most bacteria's and viruses no longer being a threat to humans.  Nano devices injected or swallowed could seek out harmful bacteria and viruses and destroy them.  These devices may have a certain amount of intelligence such that they can detect DNA from a body's cells to determine which cells not to destroy.

5. Advanced clean burning fuels for automobiles, trains, aircraft, and ships will provide needed energy for transportation and at the same time not adversely impact the atmosphere. Hydrogen is an abundant element on Earth and with clean inexpensive electrical energy (such as solar energy) it can be extracted from water.  When burned its emission is water vapor.

6. A major goal of humanity will be the end to racism and prejudice.  Education in tolerance can be expanded in the future with the lead of organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the NAACP .  Advances in computer based education can be of benefit to these goals.

These are just a few possibilities.  But advances will likely not occur without cooperation among government, business, industry and the public.  Government can set the goals and  provide some of the research funding with competitive business  doing the implementation.