Africa: information technology in, 27, 28, 83, 84; Mo Ibrahim Prize for leadership in, 28–29; papal message resonating in, 34; population trends in, 30–31; solar energy in, 49
aging. See lifespan
agriculture: beginning of, 1; driverless machines in, 92; energy and water used for, 23–24; genetically modified (GM) organisms in, 23, 24–25, 66; internet in developing world and, 84; modern techniques of, 23–25, 84. See also food production
AI (artificial intelligence): airplanes flown using, 93–94; benefits and risks of, 5, 63; concern about decisions by, 89, 116; facial recognition and, 84, 85, 89, 90, 101; game-playing computers, 86–87, 88, 103, 106, 191; gene combinations identified with, 68; human-level intelligence and, 102–8, 119; inorganic intelligences, 151, 152–53, 159, 169–70; iris recognition and, 84–85; jobs affected by, 91–92; machine learning and, 85, 89, 143; now at very early stage, 91; personalisation of online learning by, 98–99; as possible threat to civilisation, 109–10; posthuman evolution and, 153, 178; privacy concerns regarding, 90; responsible innovation in, 106, 218, 219, 225; self-awareness and, 107, 153; self-driving vehicles, 92–95, 102–3; speech recognition and, 85, 88; in warfare, 101. See also robots
air traffic control, 108
Alcor, 81–82
Aldrin, Buzz, 138
aliens, intelligent: communicating through shared mathematical culture, 160, 168; with different perception of reality, 160, 190; early history of speculation on, 126–27; Earth’s history seen by, 1–2; likelihood of, 154–56, 162; possibly pervading the cosmos, 8, 156; search for, 156–64. See also planets; SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence)
Allen, Woody, 178
ALMA radio telescope in Chile, 207
AlphaGo Zero, 87
Alzheimer’s disease, failure of drugs for, 212
Ambrosia, life-extension start-up, 80
Anders, Bill, 120
Anderson, Philip, 176
Andromeda galaxy, 178
animal research, ethics of, 221
antibiotic resistance, 72
antimatter, 169
Apollo programme, 120, 137, 139, 144, 145
Archimedes, 165
Arkhipov, Vasili, 18
arts and crafts, resurgence of, 98
Asilomar Conference, 74–75
assisted dying, 70–71
asteroid impact: collapse in global food supplies and, 216; existential disaster compared to, 114; on Mars, sending rock to Earth, 129; nuclear destruction compared to, 15, 18; planning for, 15–16, 43; as rare but extreme event, 15, 76
asteroids: establishing bases on, 149; travel to, 148
astrology, 11
atoms: aliens composed of, 160; complexity and, 172–74; as constituents of all materials, 165–66, 168; hard to understand, 195; number in visible universe, 182; quantum theory of, 166, 205
Bacon, Francis, 61
Baumgartner, Felix, 149
Baxter robot, 106
Before the Beginning (Rees), 186
The Beginning of Infinity (Deutsch), 192
Bethe, Hans, 222
The Better Angels of Our Nature (Pinker), 76
Bezos, Jeff, 146
big bang: birth of universe in, 124; chain of complexity leading from, 164, 214; conditions in particle accelerator and, 111; intelligent aliens’ understanding of, 160; physical laws as a given in, 197–98; possibly not the only one, 181, 183, 184–85 (see also multiverse)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 224
biodiversity: loss of, 32–33, 66; our stewardship of, 35
biotech: benefits and vulnerabilities of, 5, 6; concerns about ethics of, 73–75; concerns about safety of, 73, 74, 75, 76, 116, 218; responsible innovation in, 218, 225; threat of catastrophe due to, 76, 109–10; unpredictable consequences of, 63. See also genomes
bioweapons of governments, 77
black carbon, reduction of, 47
black holes: in center of Milky Way, 124; crashing together, 171; Einstein’s theory applied to, 166, 186; evaporation of, 179; fears about particle accelerators and, 111–12; as simple entities, 166, 173; space telescopes with evidence of, 142
blockchain, 220
Blue Origin, 146
Borucki, Bill, 132
Boston Dynamics, 88
bottlenecks, evolutionary, 155–56, 158
Boyle, Robert, 61–63
brain: basic science needed for medical applications to, 212; chain of complexity from big bang to, 214; complexity of, 174, 176–77; computer simulations of, 190; limits to human understanding and, 189–90, 192–94; mystery of self-awareness and, 193
brain death, 71
brain implants, downloading thoughts from, 105
Breakthrough Listen, 157
Brewster, David, 126–27
Brooks, Rodney, 106
Brundtland, Gro Harlem, 26
Bruno, Giordano, 129
C4 pathway, 25
carbon capture and storage, 51, 58
carbon dioxide in atmosphere, 1, 38–44; cosmic history of carbon atoms in, 123; cutting to preindustrial level, 52; direct extraction of, 59; electric cars and, 47; predicting accelerated increase in, 57–58. See also climate change; global warming
carbon sequestration, 51
carbon tax, 44
care givers, 96–97
Carson, Rachel, 223
Cassini space probe, 142–43
catastrophes: in Diamond’s analysis of five societies, 216; ending all humanity or life, 9, 110–18; global warming and, 40, 42, 57–58; natural threats possibly leading to, 16; need for international planning and, 217, 218–19, 226; worse in interconnected world, 76, 109–10, 215–16
Catholic Church: opposing embryo research, 65; stewardship of planet and, 34–35
CCTV (video surveillance), 78
Challenger disaster, 145
Chernobyl disaster, 56
China: information technology in, 83, 84; one-child policy of, 22; space program of, 145
circular economy, 46
cities. See megacities of developing world; urbanisation
climate change, 21, 37–44; appropriate deployment of technology and, 4; computer models of, 57, 190; confidence in predictions of, 171; Dyson’s skepticism about urgency of, 79; feedback from water vapour and clouds, 39, 57; geoengineering and, 58–59, 60, 225; geopolitical obstacles to planning for, 226; loss of biodiversity due to, 32–33; politically realistic mitigation measures, 46–48; predicting what will happen, 57–58; reasons for inaction on, 44–45; serious societal consequences of, 215; timescale for response to, 60, 226; Vatican involvement with, 34–35. See also carbon dioxide in atmosphere; global warming
climate sensitivity factor, 40, 41, 57
the cloud, personal records in, 90
Club of Rome, 22
Cold War, 17–20
Collapse (Diamond), 215–16
comet, Rosetta mission to, 142
complexity: of astronomy vs. biological and human sciences, 172; defining, 172–75; emergent, 176, 177, 187, 214; of human beings, 164, 173–74; of human brains, 174, 177, 214; Kolmogorov measure of, 172, 174, 193; of living things, 166, 173–74, 179; from simple rules, 166–68; unfolding after the big bang, 164, 214
computers: dramatic advances in processors, 83; huge data sets and, 192, 208; hypercomputers of posthuman intelligence, 169–70; quantum computers, 185, 192; virtual experiments with, 190–92. See also AI (artificial intelligence); information technology (IT)
consciousness: AI systems and, 107; unfolded from big bang, 164. See also self-awareness
consumerism, 36
Conway, John, 166–68, 170, 174
Copenhagen Consensus, 42
Copernican revolution, 184, 204, 205
cosmic exploration, 121, 123–24. See also spaceflight
cosmic inflation theory, 187, 188
cosmology: as vital part of common culture, 214. See also big bang
Coursera, 98
Crick, Francis, 204–5
Crutzen, Paul, 31
cryonics, 81–82
Cuba, environmental plan of, 45
Cuban missile crisis, 17–18, 20
cyberattack, threat of, 20–21, 94–95
cybertech, benefits and vulnerabilities of, 5, 6–7, 63, 109–10
dark matter, 179
Dartnell, Lewis, 217
Darwin, Charles, 121–22, 175, 194, 195, 196, 214. See also evolution
Dasgupta, Partha, 34
death: assisted dying, 70–71; organ transplants and, 71
Deep Blue, 86
demographic transition, 30
Dengue virus, 74
designer babies, 68–69
Deutsch, David, 192
developing countries: clean energy for, 48–49, 51; effective redeployment of existing resources for, 224; genetically modified (GM) crops and, 66; impact of information technology on, 83–84; megacities of, 22, 29, 77, 109; need for good governance in, 28–29; need to bypass high-consumption stage, 27, 36; population trends in, 30–31. See also Africa; China; India
Diamond, Jared, 216
diesel cars in Europe, 47
digitally deprived underclass, 76
Dijkstra, Edsger, 107
dinosaurs, 155
dirty bomb, 56–57
disasters. See catastrophes
discount rate, and future generations, 42–43, 45, 226
distance learning, 98–99
DNA: gene editing and, 67–68; as universal basis for heredity, 175. See also genomes
Doing Good Better (MacAskill), 224
Drake, Frank, 156
driverless vehicles, 92–95, 102–3
drones: automated warfare with, 101; delivery by means of, 94; in Middle East but controlled from U.S., 100–101
drug design, by computers, 191–92
Dyson, Freeman, 78–79, 106, 161, 179–80
Dyson sphere, 161
Earth: Gaia hypothesis about, 216; history of, over 45 million centuries, 1–2; no escape in space from problems of, 150; as only world known to harbor life, 121; possible twins of, 131; stewards in a crucial era for, 10
earthquakes, 16
economic growth, sparing of resources, 26
education: global inequality and, 26, 220; internet and, 83, 220; life-long learning, 98–99; now improved for most people, 6; of women, 30
edX, 98
E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope), 134–35, 137
effective altruism, 224
Ehrlich, Paul, 22
Einstein, Albert, 168
Einstein’s theory of relativity: black holes and, 166; constant speed of light and, 204; the general theory, 166, 180, 184; relation to Newtonian physics, 205
electricity grids: catastrophic breakdown of, 108–9; cyberattack on, 21; disrupted by solar flares, 16; high-voltage direct current (HVDC), 50; optimised by AI, 88
emergent properties, 176–77, 187, 214
Enceladus, 128
energy demands: for agriculture, 23–24; of computers, 88; of growing population, 215; need of global planning for, 217, 219
energy efficiency, 46–47
energy generation, low-carbon, 47–57
energy management, of Google’s data farms, 88
engineering: aeronautical, 192; in agriculture, 23; basic physics and, 166; challenge of, 202
environmental degradation, 21, 215, 226
environmentalist worldview, 33
environmental policies, planning horizon for, 45
ethics: artificial intelligence and, 105; in biotech, 73–75; medical advances and, 69–74; scientists’ involvement with issues of, 74–75, 221–24; technology guided by, 226; of values that science can’t provide, 227
European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), 134–35, 137
evolution: bottlenecks in, 155–56, 158; creationism and, 195, 196; as great unifying idea, 175; intelligent design and, 196, 197; religious students of science and, 200; as vital part of common culture, 214. See also Darwin, Charles; posthuman evolution
exobiology, 129. See also aliens, intelligent; planets
extinctions, 4, 33; human, 117–18
facial recognition, 84, 85, 89, 90, 101
financial crisis of 2008, 109
financial markets: computers in, 102, 109, 192; short-term expectations in, 226
fluid mechanics, 176
food production: antibiotics used in, 72; environmentally-sustainable planning for, 217; global warming and, 41; from insects, 25; loss of biodiversity associated with, 32; meat substitutes, 25, 60; possibility of global collapse in, 216; technology for, 26, 60. See also agriculture
fossil fuels: catastrophic warming and, 41–42, 57–58; as cause of rising CO2 levels, 38, 40; cheaper than solar energy, 49; climate sensitivity factor and, 41; direct extraction of CO2 from atmosphere and, 59; origin of, 123; plan B for dealing with, 58
Fukushima Daiichi disaster, 53, 55–56, 57
future generations, 42–43, 44–45, 226, 227; possibility of human extinction and, 117–18
Gagarin, Yuri, 138
Gaia hypothesis, 216
Galapagos Islands, invasive species on, 74
galaxies: computer simulations of, 190; finite observable volume of, 181; human realisation that there are billions of, 184; Milky Way, 124, 125, 135, 178–79; separating by mysterious force, 179
Game of Life, 167–68, 170, 174
Gandhi, Indira, 22
Gandhi, Mahatma, 26
gas power, 51
gene drive, 74
gene editing, 66–68, 73–74, 108
genetically modified (GM) animals, 66
genetically modified (GM) crops, 23, 24–25, 66
genetically modified pathogens, 73, 78, 116
genetic modification of humans: designer babies and, 68–69; unprecedented future kind of, 7; of voyagers from Earth, 151. See also gene editing; germ line alterations
genomes: computer analysis of, 192; of gut microbes, 80; plummeting cost of sequencing, 64; sequenced by 23andMe, 80; synthesised, 64–65
geoengineering, 58–59, 60, 225
geothermal power, 50
germ line alterations, 74, 116
Gillon, Michaël, 132
Glenn, John, 138
global warming, 37–42; catastrophic, 40, 42, 57–58; goal of less than 1.5 degrees, 41. See also carbon dioxide in atmosphere; climate change
Go, 86–87; Conway’s Game of Life and, 167
God, 194–200
golden rice, 24
Goldilocks planet, 128
googol, 183
googolplex, 183
GPS satellites, 166
gravitational wave detector, 171
Gray, Asa, 195
greenhouse effect, 38, 58; of Venus, 135. See also global warming
Greenland’s ice cap, 42
Greenpeace, 24
hacking: of automobile systems, 94–95; burgeoning security measures and, 219; of financial institutions, 20
Hadfield, Chris, 140
Handel (robot), 88
Hawking, Stephen, 150
health: now improved for most people, 6; technological optimism about, 26
health care: global inequality and, 220; internet and, 84, 220
hedge funds, automated data analysis for, 102
Higgs boson, 214
high-temperature superconductivity, 191
high-voltage direct current (HVDC) grids, 50
Hinton, Geoff, 85
horsepox virus, synthesis of, 73
Hoyle, Fred, 185
Human Longevity (start-up company), 80
human research subjects, 221
hypercomputers, of a posthuman intelligence, 169–70
Ibrahim, Mo, 28–29
immigration. See migration
immortality, by downloading thoughts and memories, 105
India: information technology in, 84; solar energy in, 49
inequality: in interconnected world, 5, 27, 99; investment by fortunate nations and, 27–28; risks associated with, 220–21; sustainable development and, 27
inflation theory, cosmic, 187, 188
influenza virus, H5N1, 73
information technology (IT): built on basic research in universities, 212; globally pervasive, 27–28; independent scientists and, 212–13. See also computers; internet
infrastructure investment, 28
infrastructure planning, 45
Inheritors of the Earth (Thomas), 74
inorganic intelligences, 151, 152–53, 159, 169–70. See also intelligent robots
insects as food, 25
intelligence: bottlenecks to development of life with, 155–56, 158; posthuman, 169–70, 194; of scientists, 202–3. See also AI (artificial intelligence); aliens, intelligent; inorganic intelligences
intelligent design: biological, 196–98; technological, 178
intelligent robots, 8, 152–53. See also inorganic intelligences
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 39, 40, 58
International Atomic Energy Agency, 218
international institutions, 10, 32, 218–19
International Space Station, 140, 146
international tensions, 100
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), 54
internet: leveling global education and health, 83–84, 220–21; national and religious divisions on, 100; security on, 220. See also information technology (IT); social media
internet of things, 104
interstellar travel, 8, 79, 154
invasive species, 74
in vitro fertilisation (IVF), 67, 68
Iranian nuclear weapons programme, 20
iris recognition, 84–85
James Webb Space Telescope, 137
jobs: declining wages and security, 91; disrupted by technology, 5; in personal services, 96–97; resurgence of arts and crafts, 98; shortened working week, 97–98; taken over by machines, 91–94
Juncker, Jean-Claude, 28
Kardashev, Nikolai, 156
Keeling, Charles, 38
Keeling, Ralph, 38
Kennedy, John F., 17
Kepler, Johannes, 131
Kepler project, 131–32
Khrushchev, Nikita, 17
kidneys sold for transplant, 71
killer robots, 101–2
The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch (Dartnell), 217
Kolmogorov, Andrey, 172
Kolmogorov complexity, 172, 174, 193
Kuhn, Thomas, 205
Large Hadron Collider, 206–7
Lee Sedol, 88
Lehrer, Tom, 17
Leonov, Alexey, 138
life: Earth as only known home of, 121; habitable planets and, 125, 126–27, 133, 135–36; origin of, 128–29, 135–36; universe fine-tuned for, 186, 197–98. See also aliens, intelligent
life-long learning, 98–99
lifespan: ethics of extreme measures at end of, 69; extended by downloading thoughts and memories, 105; improvements so far achieved, 6; research on extension of, 79–82
Linde, Andrei, 188
lithium-ion batteries, 49
Lomborg, Bjørn, 42
Long Now Foundation, 224–25
long-term thinking, 227. See also short-termism
Lovelock, James, 216
MacAskill, William, 224
Mandelbrot set, 193
Manhattan Project, 110
manned spaceflight, 143–52. See also Apollo programme
Man’s Place in the Universe (Wallace), 126
manufacturing: globally dispersed, 109; inequalities between nations and, 99; machines taking over work of, 91, 99
Mars: Curiosity rover on, 127–28, 143; establishing a base on, 149–50, 151; life on Earth possibly arrived from, 129; manned mission to, 145; nuclear power for travel to, 148; proposed round trip to, 147
material properties, computer calculations of, 191–92
mathematics, as language of science, 168–69
Mayor, Michel, 130
McAuliffe, Christa, 145
medical advances: ethical issues associated with, 69–74; unequal availability of, 5
medical research: discouragement of young talent in, 211; need for refocus on basic science in, 212
megacities of developing world, 22, 29, 77, 109
Mercury, 127
metformin, 80
methane: as greenhouse gas, 47; on Mars, 128; on Titan, 136
Michelson-Morley experiment, 204
migration: alleviating pressure for, 28; changed by internet and affordable travel, 99–100; engendered by climate change, 41; global inequality and, 220; as hope of the impoverished, 100; technology as stimulus to, 27
Milky Way galaxy: future of, 178–79; millions of Earthlike planets in, 125, 135; revealed by telescopes, 124
Milner, Yuri, 157
miracles, to qualify for sainthood, 199
Mischel, Walter, 44
Mission Innovation, 48
mitochondrial replacement, 67
mitochondrial transplants, 65
Modi, Narendra, 48
Monsanto, 66
Moon: Chinese mission to far side of, 145; permanently manned base on, 144; private trips round far side of, 147; telescope on far side of, 144
Moore’s law, 85
moral progress, 6. See also ethics
More Worlds Than One (Brewster), 127
mosquito vector of viruses, 74
national and religious divisions, 100; global culture of science and, 214
natural philosophers, 61
natural theology, 199
Neanderthal, potential clone of, 82
networks, vulnerable, 108–9. See also electricity grids; internet
neutron stars, 162–63
New Horizons spacecraft, 142
Newton, Isaac, 165, 171, 187, 194, 195, 196–97, 205
normal science, Kuhnian, 205
nuclear deterrence, 19
nuclear energy, 53–57; based on twentieth-century physics, 64; for low-carbon energy generation, 48; prospects for fusion, 48, 54–55; public fear of radiation and, 53, 55; for spaceflight, 148
nuclear fusion: as energy source, 48, 54–55; in Sun and stars, 122, 123
nuclear weapons: Cold War and, 17–20; collapse in global food supplies and, 216; not necessarily an existential threat, 110; public engagement of atomic scientists and, 222; in response to cyberattack, 21
Obama, Barack, 48
ocean acidification, 58
online courses, 98–99
On the Origin of Species (Darwin), 121, 196
Open University of U.K., 98
optimism: about life’s destiny, 227; about moral progress, 6; about technological fixes for climate change, 42; about technology, 5, 225–26; machines surpassing human capabilities and, 108; Wells’s mix of anxiety and, 14
organ transplants, 71–72
origin of life, 128–29, 135–36
Our Final Hour (Rees), 12–13
ozone depletion, 31–32
pale blue dot, 10, 120, 133, 164
Paley, William, 197–98
pandemics: advances in microbiology and, 72; air travel and, 109; as global threat, 216, 217; magnitude of fallout from, 76–77
paradigm shifts, 205
Parfit, Derek, 116–17
Paris climate conference of 2015: Mission Innovation of, 48; papal encyclical and, 35; protocols following on, 219; temperature goal of, 41; uncertain results of, 44, 57
particle accelerators: Large Hadron Collider, 206–7; speculation on risks of, 110–16, 118; teams working on big projects of, 205–6
Pauli, Wolfgang, 209
Peierls, Rudolf, 222
personal identity, 105
pessimism, 226–27
Petrov, Stanislav, 18
Pfizer, abandoning neurological drugs, 212
philosophers of science, 203–5
physical reality: aliens with different perception of, 160, 190; human-induced threats and, 118; limited power of human minds and, 9, 189–90, 194; observable universe and, 181; our constricted concept of, 184. See also multiverse; universe
Pinker, Steven, 75–76
planetary boundaries, 32
PlanetLab, 141
planets: as consequence of big bang, 214; found with most stars, 129–30; habitable, 125, 126–27, 133, 135–36; spacecraft sent to, 142–43; techniques for finding, 130–32, 133–35. See also Earth; Mars; solar system; Venus
plastics, 37
plate tectonics, 174–75
Pluto, 142
Poker, played by computer, 87
polio virus, synthesised, 64
political impediments: to addressing anthropogenic global changes, 32; electoral goals and, 28–29, 226; to enhancing lives of the poorest, 26; public opinion and, 10; to scientists’ influence on policy, 223; short-term thinking and, 28, 32, 35, 217; to sustainable and secure world, 226
Polkinghorne, John, 198–99
Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 34
Pope Francis, 34
Popper, Karl, 203–5
The Population Bomb (Ehrlich), 22
population growth: atmospheric carbon dioxide and, 1, 40; at decreasing rate, 21–22; food and resources keeping pace with, 22; loss of biodiversity associated with, 32–33; to nine billion by 2050, 9, 31; predicting future of, 29–31; serious consequences of technology and, 215; straining natural environment, 4, 12–13, 21–24; sustainable maximum and, 23; as taboo subject for some, 22; technology to address demands of, 5, 60
positrons, 169
posthuman era, 150–54, 158, 164
posthuman evolution, 9, 152–53, 178
posthuman intelligence, 169–70, 194. See also inorganic intelligences
poverty: Catholic Church and, 34, 35; decrease in, 5; impact of internet and, 83–84, 99; migration for alleviation of, 100; political impediments to alleviating, 26; religious communities and, 224
poverty trap, 30
precautionary principle, 225–26
prediction: complexity and, 174; difficult with unprecedented changes, 7; fundamental limit to, 171; history of failures in, 11–12
privacy: AI systems and, 90; societal shift towards less, 78
Project Orion, 79
quantum mechanics, 166, 168, 180, 184, 205, 210–11
Queloz, Didier, 130
radiation: over-stringent guidelines about low-level, 55, 56–57; public fear of, 53, 55
radioactive waste disposal, 43, 53, 54
radio telescopes, 134, 144, 157, 207
Ramanathan, Ram, 34
reality. See physical reality
redistribution of wealth, 6, 95–96
refugees: investing to provide employment for, 28. See also migration
regulations: international, 218–19; for potentially hazardous technologies, 218; public mind-set and, 35–36
religion, 194–200; Catholic Church, 34–35, 65; communal and ritual aspects of, 200; engagement with global issues, 224; evolution and, 195–98; scientists’ views on, 194–95, 198–99; striving for peaceful coexistence with, 199–200
Repository for Germinal Choice, 68–69
Research and Development (R&D), to mitigate climate change, 47–55
responsible innovation, 218, 225
the resurrection, 198–99
robots: assembling future space telescopes, 137; in automated warfare, 101; autonomous, 107; for care giving tasks, 96; intelligent, 8, 152–53 (see also inorganic intelligences); landed on a comet, 142; limited agility of, 88–89; manufacturing in wealthy countries with, 99; nanoscale electronic components for, 83; optimism about, 5; as potential threat to civilisation, 109–10; self-awareness and, 153; in space, 119, 143, 144; space voyagers and, 151, 152. See also AI (artificial intelligence)
Rockström, Johan, 32
Roomba, 106
Rosetta space mission, 142
Rotblat, Joseph, 222
Royal Society of London, 61
Rumsfeld, Donald, 189
Safire, William, 139
Sagan, Carl, 120–21, 133, 156, 223
satellite technology, 140–42
Schrödinger’s equation, 166, 176
science: discouraging trends for young talent in, 211–12; diverse practices and styles in, 205–6; as a global culture, 214–15; great unifying ideas of, 174–75; hierarchy of, 175–77; need for public understanding of, 213–15; new technology and instruments for, 206–7; philosophy of, 203–5
scientific method, 202
scientists: aging of, 209–10, 211; amateur, 157, 212; arc of a research career, 208–11; engaging with the public, 9–10; independent of research universities, 212–13; intellectual abilities of, 202–3; involvement with ethical issues, 74–75, 221–24; philosophers and, 203–5
sea level rise, 39
security measures, 219–20
self-awareness: AI and, 107, 153; mystery of the brain and, 193. See also consciousness
self-driving vehicles, 92–95, 102–3
sensor technology, 88, 102–3, 143
SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence), 156–64. See also aliens, intelligent; planets
Shockley, William, 68–69
Shogi, 87
short-termism, 28–29, 32, 45, 225, 226. See also timescales
silicon chip, complexity of, 173
Silicon Valley, push for eternal youth in, 80–81
Simpson, John, 222
the singularity, Kurzweil on, 108
The Skeptical Environmentalist (Lomborg), 42
smallpox virus, 73
smart grids, 48
smartphones, 6–7, 83, 84, 91, 104, 216
Smith, F. E., 12
social media: globally pervasive, 27, 84; SETI enthusiasts on, 157; spreading panic and rumour, 109; used by global organisations, 219
SolarCity, 49
solar energy collectors in space, 143
solar flares, disrupting communications, 16
solar system: artefacts of extraterrestrials in, 161–62; origin of, 122, 123; origin of elements in, 122; this century’s exploration of, 143. See also planets; Sun
space, threats to stability of, 112–13, 118
space elevator, 148–49
spaceflight: fuel as impediment to, 148–49; manned, 143–52; pioneering exploits, 138–40 (see also Apollo programme); private companies in, 146–48
space technology: international regulation of, 219; satellites, 140–42
space telescopes, 137, 142, 143
space tourism, 148
spiritual values, environmentalist, 33
Sputnik 1, 138
squirrels, genetic alteration of, 74
stars: as fairly simple objects, 173; in modern cosmology, 214
stem cells, 65
Stern, Nicholas, 42
Stuxnet, 20
Sun: ancient and modern understanding of, 3; eventual doom of Earth due to, 2; galactic location of, 124; life cycle of, 177–78; magnetic storms caused by, 16; nuclear fusion in, 54, 122; origin of, 122. See also solar system
Sundback, Gideon, 202
superconductors, 190–91
sustainability, Vatican conference on, 34
sustainable development, 26–27, 28
sustainable intensification of agriculture, 23, 24
technology: improvement in most people’s lives due to, 6, 60, 215; need for appropriate deployment of, 4, 26, 60; optimism about, 5, 225–26; as practical application of science, 202; preserving basic methods for the apocalypse, 216–17; for scientific experiments, 206–7; timescales for advance of, 152; unintended destructive consequences of, 215
telescopes: on far side of Moon, 144; optical Earth-based, 134–35, 137; radio telescopes, 134, 144, 157, 207; space telescopes, 137, 142, 143
Teller, Edward, 110
telomeres, 79
terrorism: biological techniques and, 73, 75, 77–78; in interconnected world, 215; new technology and, 100; nuclear weapons and, 20
Thomas, Chris, 74
thorium-based reactor, 54
3D printing: making consumer items cheaper, 31; of replacement organs, 72
tidal energy, 50–51
timescales: of planning for global challenges, 3–4, 59–60, 217. See also short-termism
Tito, Dennis, 147
translation by computer, 85, 89, 104
Trump regime, and climate change, 37–38
Tunguska event of 1908, 15
23andMe, 80
universal income, 96
universe: Dyson on numerical bounds for, 179–80; fine-tuned for life, 186, 197–98. See also big bang; multiverse
unknown unknowns, 189
urbanisation, 1, 22. See also megacities of developing world
Venus, 127–28
video surveillance (CCTV), 78
viruses, 64, 72–73, 74, 78, 83
Vital Signs project, 40
vitamin A deficiency, 24
Wallace, Alfred Russel, 34–35, 126
warfare, and new technology, 100–102
water resources: global warming and, 41; international planning for, 219; used in food production, 24
wave power, 50
weather: extreme events in, 41; predictions of, 171, 190; regional disruptions in, 41
Welby, Justin, 199
Wigner, Eugene, 168
Wilczek, Frank, 187–88
wind energy, 49
Wittgenstein, Ludwig, 159
Woltzman, Martin, 42
women, education and empowerment of, 30
work. See jobs
World Health Organization, 218
The World in 2030 (Smith), 12
xenotransplantation, 71–72
Zika virus, 74
zipper, invention of, 202