Visions of the future

To understand the future, we firstly need to understand the history. Approximately 13.5 billion years ago the history of our universe began. All matter and energy have inflated from infinitely small point to the space which we can observe today. And around 4.5 billion years into the past our small blue planet was created from the mass orbiting the young star which we call Sun today. And all the weird biological and chemical processes which are still not fully understood have created the first organic matter 3.8 billion years ago. All of that led to the creation of humans (homo sapiens) and formation of cultures 70 000 years ago. That is how the history started and how the human society was created.

Since then, humans have gone through 3 important revolutions. Cognitive one has started the history of our species. Agricultural one has enabled us to control and cooperate with nature's resources. And the industrial one which transformed human creativity into machines that we have incorporated into our lives. Now we might be on the threshold of the new revolutions with new discoveries made each day moving us towards new horizons.

Computers have created a network with computational capabilities that we can't even imagine. Today, AI could be their successor, we can see it is developing more and more each day. However, AI still hasn't reached the potential of incredible human brain. That is the goal for artificial general intelligence. This final form of the AI can be interpreted as most similar to human or as the system with ideal rational thinking. This depends of the purpose of specific AI, but it is important to note that different dangers and also possibilities of AI derive from these interpretations. According to recent observations it can analyse medical data to assist in diagnosis, recommend treatment plans, and predict patient outcomes. AI algorithms can also analyse financial data to detect patterns and trends, optimize investment portfolios, and manage their risk. The technology which we use on daily basis such as autonomous vehicles, smartphone cameras, search engines are completely dependent on these systems. And there are certainly many more advantages to this technology. The risks it brings to the table should also be taken seriously. Concerns over job displacement, disinformation spreading, loss of privacy, and the potential for autonomous weapons show us the need for careful regulation of the AI.

Medicine has also been completely changed over the course of the last century, new methods have been created, healthcare systems have been developed and new medicines have been found to save human lives. Now we are approaching the age of human genome editing which will possibly cure fatal diseases such as cancer, mutations, cystic fibrosis etc. Scientists predict that the development of human genome editing technologies will continue to advance rapidly in the upcoming years. They expect more precise and efficient methods for editing DNA, potentially leading to safer and more effective treatments for a wide range of genetic disorders and diseases. Additionally, as our understanding of the human genome improves, researchers anticipate the discovery of new treatment methods and self-improvement of human abilities coming from DNA.

The next area with revolutionary potential is the energy production. After World War II the atomic energy became our main source of power. However, in recent times we are developing the nuclear fusion reactors, that means our needs for electricity, heat and so on will be completely covered with a big reserve that could be used for further technology advancement. Unlike traditional reactors, which split atoms to release energy, the secret of nuclear fusion lies in fusing hydrogen atoms together which frees up the extreme amount of energy which we can then use. This is the naturally occurring process that our Sun uses to create heavier elements. It is safer, more efficient and really environment friendly. Moreover, the development of nuclear fusion technology could revolutionize transportation systems, manufacturing processes, and even agriculture.

In my opinion, in the near future, advancements in artificial intelligence will have revolutionized a lot of aspects of our lives. I anticipate the development of AI systems capable of understanding complex human emotions, offering natural interactions between humans and machines. Additionally, breakthroughs in quantum computing look promising for solving complicated problems, unlocking new possibilities in fields such as cryptography, medicine, physics, mathematics, finance and materials science.

Moving further into the future, I see the reality of human colonization of other planets will have become increasingly more probable. With ongoing advancements in space exploration technology, including reusable rockets and lunar habitats, I predict that we will build settlements on the Moon and Mars within the next few decades. From my point of view, the full humanity's expansion beyond the Earth will have become reality by the end of this century.

Looking even further ahead, the biotechnology and nanotechnology may enable revolutionary breakthroughs in healthcare and upgrading human body. I think that personalized medicine tailored to an individual's genetic sequence, with gene editing technologies curing genetic diseases and enhancement of human DNA will have become widely available in the next century. Nanorobots will be living in symbiosis with our organism.

And lastly, as I see it, in the distant future, the boundaries between human and machine may become invisible as advancements in brain-computer interfaces and neural technologies will have redefined what it means to be a human. Individuals will be routinely interacting with digital environments using their thoughts alone, and the human brain will be improved with technology such as additional memory, processing units and AR. Such developments could revolutionize fields from education and entertainment to communication and creative work, changing our world completely.

In conclusion, humanity has gone a long way since its origin. We know for sure that even longer journey still waits for us. Our knowledge is growing exponentially together with our options. This view of mine contains most of the concepts that humanity is thinking of, there are however very possible futures in which none of these will happen. It is only in our hands how the world is going to change. And as I think, balance is the key to success in reaching our goals and sustainable place for the whole civilization.