Emerging Science and Technology: What to Expect in the 2020's, 2030's and Beyond

It's tough to uncover the true status of many bleeding edge science topics and technologies. CEOs hungry for investor capital, scientists eager for fame, and media outlets desiring views and clicks are often wildly optimistic in their timelines and predictions for future breakthroughs. On the other hand, big corporates and other legacy interests with a stake in maintaining the status quo are quick to downplay any disruptive technologies to appease their stakeholders.To truly understand when we can expect scientists to make a scientific breakthrough or when a future technology may be ready for commercial rollout, we must inform ourselves of the underlying science so we can understand where the hurdles lie.In this book, we investigate topics of emerging science and technology to explicate the science and to determine whether the primary hurdles to advancement are technological, legal, economical, ethical, or regulatory.Below is an overview of topics covered: Sector 1: EnergyFusion PowerThorium Nuclear PowerArtificial PhotosynthesisOcean Thermal Energy ConversionSmart GridSector 2: SpaceTerraformingLaunch LoopDyson SphereSolar SailingAsteroid MiningSpace ElevatorSector 3: SustenanceVertical FarmingCarnicultureSector 4: Science Fiction TechnologiesElectromagnetic PulseCloaking DeviceMolecular AssemblersForce FieldsSector 5: TransportationAutonomous VehiclesHyperloopSector 6: BiologyDe-extinctionAbiogenesis, the origin of lifeHead TransplantHuman EnhancementSector 7: PhysicsRoom Temperature SuperconductivityDark MatterDark EnergyQuantum ComputingTime CrystalsSector 8: Miscellaneous TechnologiesBlockchainCryptocurrencySwarm RoboticsRailgunsAugmented RealityVirtual Reality Graphene