As the new millennium draws closer, our insatiable desire to know the future
will be matched only by the willingness of a growing band of self-appointed
prophets to tell us. Many of these soothsayers will be charlatans. But Key
Technologies For The 21st Century (W. H. Freeman, $16.95, ISBN 0 7167
2948 2) is a collection of essays by some of the scientists and researchers best
qualified to gaze into crystal balls. Commissioned by the popular science
magazine, Scientific American, the book paints a hugely optimistic picture of
cheap power, amazing medical advances and digital literacy. I hope it’s
right—if so, the 21st century will have been worth waiting for.
More from 51¶¯Âþ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 51¶¯Âþ articles
1
Mathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
2
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
3
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
4
The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away
5
The distant world that is our best hope of finding alien life
6
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
7
Mystery of the ancient giant stone jars of Laos may have been solved
8
51¶¯Âþ recommends a devastating account of farming honeybees
9
We may finally know why dinosaurs like T. rex evolved tiny arms
10
Epic dreaming is leaving people exhausted and distressed
