In the vast landscape of technology, most innovations can be categorized into five distinct areas. By understanding these areas, one can anticipate industry transformations and identify growth opportunities, staying ahead of the curve. As futurists, we've identified five potential future trajectories, each driven by specific technologies and offering unique opportunities for new businesses and lifestyles. These trajectories are being shaped by small groups, often unknowingly. We believe it's crucial that these decisions about our collective future are made publicly and with broad discussion. - Joel Barker and Scott Erickson.
Super Tech embodies the pursuit of grandiosity, epitomized by the American fascination with supersizing everything from supermarkets to supercomputers. It's a relentless chase for economic growth, underpinned by the belief that such expansion will universally improve living standards over time. The vision of global "superabundance" looms, suggesting a future where excess negates the need for recycling or fretting over resource depletion. The unwavering faith in science and technology posits that no challenge is insurmountable with adequate time and resources, making technological innovation the prime solution to any emerging issue. The proponents of Super Tech argue that science can surpass nature, advocating for proactive development over waiting for natural evolution. This mindset extends to the preference for leisure over labor, with technologies like robots that promise to minimize work and maximize free time being highly valued. Super Tech solutions are diverse, ranging from hydrogen and nuclear fusion power cells to pet robots, and from robotic exoskeletons to miniature industrial robots. In food production, the push is towards genetically modified fish grown in large pens and the creation of advanced pesticides and herbicides. Transportation ambitions include larger airplanes, massive SUVs, air taxis, and space orbiters, alongside goals for widespread access to personal computers, cell phones, and high-speed internet. Urban development plans feature floating megacities and space colonies, while Mars and other planets are eyed for exploration with antimatter propulsion. Healthcare innovations include artificial organs, bionic limbs, and surgical robots, with the potential for nanorobots to perform internal repairs. Figures like Herman Kahn, R. Buckminster Fuller, Julian Simon, Gerard O'Neill, Earl Joseph, and Bjorn Lomborg champion Super Tech, addressing energy, pollution, urbanization, and housing issues, advocating for large-scale projects to address these challenges.
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