Earth 2111: journey through the next 100 years

By Dick Pelletier

      

    What kind of future might we expect in the coming century? No one knows for sure, in fact projections even 25 years ahead are little more than guesses. However, by tracking technologies and mixing reality with a dash of imagination, we can create a plausible picture of what may lie in store for us over the next 100 years.

    The choice was ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk our destruction and the diversity of life, as we know it. Fundamental changes were needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living; and thanks to a rise in intelligence levels worldwide; we were able to make those changes.

    In Physics of the Impossible, Michio Kaku lists the keys necessary for humans to evolve from separate squabbling cultures into a peaceful global village, capable of managing future game-changing technologies. He points to the merging of nation states (the EU), emergence of a single language (English), and worldwide communications (the Internet), as important steps that will transform our world into a powerful global society.

    "We may see the US and EU join to combat a merger of China and Russia," Kaku says. "It will ultimately come down to the ideology of communism vs. capitalism. As the debate over these choices continues in the years ahead, they will become more and more alike; eventually morphing into a single mandate satisfying the needs of all citizens in tomorrow's global village world."

    Today, humanity's future looks bright. We've mapped the human genome and developed stem cell and genomic techniques with dreams of one day curing all diseases. In addition, most people now carry a cell phone, which allows worldwide person-to-person talk and text, plus easy access to information. And we're on the threshold of developing molecular nanotech, quantum computers, and constructing colonies in space.

    Molecular nanotech will revolutionize healthcare, eliminating most causes of death; quantum computers could help scientists understand consciousness; and moving to space may insure the survival of our species.

    Although lower death rates could cause populations to expand and deplete resources, many do not consider this an insurmountable disaster. By mid-century, experts predict that molecular nanotech will produce an abundance of goods that can support 100 billion people. Statisticians estimate that by 2111, Earth population will only reach about 8 billion, with another 2 billion on Mars, moons, and artificial habitats.

    Offworld tourism began slowly. Elon Musk's SpaceX became the fledgling private space industry's first attempt to fly into space and successfully reenter the atmosphere. In 2013, SpaceShipTwo carried two pilots and six customers on a 3.5 hour flight 62 miles above Earth allowing passengers to float about the cabin in zero-gravity. Tickets for this trip, organized by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, were priced at $200,000.

    In 2015, U.S. Space Adventures carried the first tourists to the Moon and back for a cool $150 million each. As technologies advanced though, scientists soon developed less expensive ways to escape Earth's gravity, and this has encouraged thousands of bold pioneers to head for the high frontier in search of easy fortunes.

    Humanity's first offworld baby was born on Mars in the 2030s during construction of the red planet's first colony. Over the next 80 years, nanotechnologists created a human-friendly environment on Mars with gravity, temperature, and atmosphere conditions similar to those of Earth. This distant world now boasts four developing countries, totaling over 1 billion affluent citizens, all proud to be called Martians, not Earthlings.

    Powerful telescopes scattered throughout the solar system provide amazing views of the universe revealing billions of Earth-like planets with evidence of intelligent life on many. But light-speed barriers prevent contacting these new worlds. A planet 1,000 light years away takes 1,000 years just to say hi.

    However, physicists David Hochberg and Thomas Kephart believe they discovered wormholes left over from the 'big bang' which, they say, could be used as portals enabling humans to view in real time, later, communicate with; and one day, even travel to, these faraway places, thus erasing the light-speed barrier.

    Forward thinkers believe we will learn to harness wormholes and use them to explore our universe, and one day, even visit parallel universes. As we discover planets that show promise for human habitation, we would send nanobots to terraform these worlds by altering their magnetic fields, orbits, and rotation speeds.

    Today, we face threats from culture wars, terrorism, and natural disasters; but the future promises much brighter days ahead for all of us. We may soon enter a world without sickness and disease, a world where indefinite lifespans become a right of passage. Get ready for this amazing journey into the next 100 years.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.