moon and inhabited orbiting satellites such as the International Space Station, but we’ve yet to venture further. Missions to Mars are underway, and missions to other planets in our solar system are planned for the near future, but these are far from the visions of accessible space travel for all. Our current technology is simply unable to transport us vast distances in reasonable times, making space travel impractical. There is a ray of hope, however: NASA and other space agencies are researching ways to make everyday space travel possible, so it is not inconceivable that we may head for the stars in the near future.
Of course, visions of our future are not always positive. Many foresee the cataclysmic decline of society or even the downfall of the human race itself. These bleak views play on our fears, yet are compelling and often promote a change to our attitudes and our ways of living. George Orwell’s famous novel Nineteen Eighty-Four depicts a state that constantly monitors and controls its citizens’ lives. With the invention and widespread use of CCTV, it’s easy to see how some people think this prophecy might become a reality. So what of our modern-day predictions for the future? The UN has predicted that
the worldwide population will increase, partly due to increased life expectancy, to an estimated peak of 10 billion people. This will worsen the problems of food shortages and strains on resources. Fossil fuels, such as coal and gas, will have been used up. Nuclear fusion will likely have been developed, providing us with a new energy source. Improved travel will enable us to commute anywhere around the world in just a few hours. We may have visited Mars, colonised the moon and have begun to venture deeper into space. Our world, once thought vast by our ancestors, continues to become a much smaller place to be.
wikicommons
www.isciencemag.co.uk
I, Science
21