What do you want to see accomplished in science in the next fifty years?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

The past fifty years have seen many remarkable advances in medicine, physics, biology, and chemistry. What advances would you like to see in the coming half-century?

 

Here's my list:

 

• Psychiatry. The rise of psychiatric medications seemed miraculous at the time, but it's now clear they're not as powerful as one might hope, and alternative treatments still have not gained widespread traction or huge success. I'd like to see a society in fifty years where far fewer people struggle with chronic mental illness, and where those with problems can get effective treatment.
• Medicine. Now that we're not all dying of bacterial infections, I hope we can develop new tools to maintain superiority over our new antibiotic-resistant friends. And since we live longer, chronic diseases should be next on the hit list. Perhaps in fifty years we'll be able to treat or prevent senile dementia, Alzheimer's, and similar disorders.
• Physics. I'm not sure what to put here, since I know that as we solve the current big physics problems we'll only make some more for ourselves.

That's just a start. What's on your list?

[ajb]

This list is very much slanted towards things I am interested in.

 

• Physics The fundamental degrees of freedom in M-theory will be identified and a (non-perturbative) quantisation of M2 & M5 branes achieved. This will be very challenging and involve new ideas on quantisation and feed new mathematical ideas. The issue of if n-Lie algebras (and similar) are fundamental in M-theory will be cleared up. Effective theories along the lines of BLG and ABJM for multiple M5 branes and mixtures of M2 and M5 will be available. A good understanding of the noncommutative geometry of branes should also emerge. M-theory cosmology will take-off.
  
• Mathematics Noncommutative geometry seems at the moment a collection of distinct approaches and results. A unification and an umbrella framework will be set-up. This I predict will be quite high brow and very (higher) categorical. On a more basic level the idea of a noncommutative differential manifold will be cleared up. Right now the "sensible" definition of a noncommutaive smooth manifold requires that the one-forms are a finitely generated projective module. Identifying the conditions on the underlying algebras that admit such a projective module is a challenge and I expect work in this direction. Unforeseen applications of NCG I expect will emerge.
  
• Astronomy More and more Earth-like planets will be discovered as technology and techniques emerge. Detailed analysis of the atmospheres coupled with what we know about Earth's development will suggest that life exists on some of these planets. The issue will not be settled conclusively in this time-frame and will remain a hotly debated topic. The upside of this is that interest in astronomy, cosmology, physics and biology will increase. Renewed interest in SETI-like projects will undoubtedly occur.
  
• Computing Commercially available quantum computers for "industry". D-Wave has a system available now, but people question if it really is a quantum computer. There will be a lot of initial interest, but this will die down as people realise that quantum computers are not the be all and end all of computing. Security agencies, banks and similar will use quantum computers for encryption and code breaking as routine. "Classical computing" will remain on our pc's, at least in this time scale.
  
• Material science Carbon nano tubes and graphene are going to be used in many applications from medicine, chemistry, engineering and so on. I predict lots of new unforeseen applications to emerge. In the house electronic devices will employ graphene in their integrated circuits.
  
• Medicine Growing of human tissues and cloning technologies will revolutionise medicine. No more waiting on transplant lists and taking anti-rejection drugs, for example. Parkinson's disease will be almost eradicated in the West due to these technologies. Related to the cloning and DNA technologies screening of foetuses for abnormalities and illnesses will widen. Diseases that will not effect the individual until later in life will be identified before birth. For instance, likelihood of certain cancers and heart diseases. We will face a very challenging time with our morality as we learn more and more about early diagnosis and potential illness. We already face this this will abortion of handicapped foetuses, I foresee that society will have to wrestle will the morality of medical intervention as the technology grows.
  
• Power production The use renewable energy resources will grow, but I doubt they will become the primary resources. New technologies will help renewables become a larger proportion of our energy production, but still in 50 years we will not be able to rely on wind, solar and similar. Oil will still be available but in far less supply. Gas will be ok. Coal fields that are not at the moment commercially viable will reopen as oil becomes very expensive and coal will start to be used for all kinds of things once again. I predict that the chemical industry will find more and more ways of making useful chemicals from coal. Nuclear fusion experiments such as ITER will by 50 years have given us some tantalizing insight into fusion reactors for power production. I doubt that many if any commercial reactors will be online, but I hope I am wrong on this. Nuclear fission will be the primary source of energy.
  

Edited June 20, 2011 by ajb

[Mr Rayon]

I want to see a cure for death.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I have something to add to my list: battery development. Electric cars, portable electronic devices, and gazillions of other applications could all use batteries with vastly greater energy densities and service lifetimes. I want a smartphone that stays charged as long as my Kindle does.

[KennyC]

nanotechnology. If this can be developed to a sufficient level it can address many of the problems we are dealing with, of course there are likely to be unforeseen consequences as well.

 

Political science. Let's get it back on topic instead being a media circus, let's apply the principles, elect those who really want to help the world, not just their pocketbook.