The 21st Century is now 1/4 done. Here's an attempted summary of some key changes:
- Tech revolution
- Hello iPhone: most of the world now has an access to a supercomputer in their pockets as well as a camera/recorder, access to most of the world’s information, digital connectedness, and more.
- AI: maybe the most important invention of all time??
- Platforms like Zoom and the ability to work remotely (for all of history work was tied to location, the untangling of these two is a massive change; we’ve also had hundreds of years to improve how we work in offices, it will be very interesting to see how we can iterate on working remotely)
- VR/AR (while relatively unadapted, these technologies are already at an incredible stage of realism and appear poised to sooner or later play a core role in the future of computing)
- Social media (kind of wild how much access we have to views of people from all over the world, with all kinds of perspectives and interests and knowledge)
- Societal Progress (still far more progress to go in all of these)
- BlackLivesMattermovement
- MeToomovement and increasing gender equality
- LGBTQ+ rights increase including legalization of same-sex marriage in many countries
- Geopolitical Changes
- Many to call out, but the biggest one would appear to be the rise of China as a superpower.
- Rising threats
- nuclear, cyber, biological, chemical, climate, geopolitical, water security, and more
- Decline in biodiversity (“6th major extinction in Earth’s history): habitat loss, pollution, and climate change have accelerated the extinction of species, raising alarm about the health of ecosystems and the planet.
- Scary events
- Terrorism
- Wars
- Global Financial Crisis
- Global Pandemic
- Renewable Energy
- The rise of solar, wind, and other renewable energy technologies (including early days of resurgence in nuclear energy) has created a pathway toward reducing dependence on fossil fuels and combating climate change
- Advances in Medicine & Biotechnology
- Breakthroughs like mRNA vaccines, CRISPR gene editing, and personalized medicine have revolutionized healthcare and life sciences.
- Weight loss drug advances over the last few years may end up being among the biggest breakthroughs of all. The health implications will be massive.
- Demographic Changes
- Aging populations in many countries are creating economic and healthcare challenges while redefining workforce dynamics and social policies.
- Other
- Food innovation: development in lab-grown meat, plant-based diets, and sustainable agriculture are addressing food security and environmental impact. The early progress in vertical farming could transform food systems.
- Advance in Space technology and exploration: Mars rovers, the James Webb Space Telescope, and missions to the Moon have expanded our understanding of the universe. The number and importance of Earth satellites has increased massively. Breakthroughs in space technology and cost, led by SpaceX. Part of the early early early work to make us a multi planetary species over the next thousand years perhaps?
- Early but rising proliferation of drones and autonomous vehicles
- The shift from print and broadcast media to digital platforms has disrupted journalism and changed how news is consumed and disseminated.
- The rise of streaming and on-demand. Platforms like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube have transformed information and entertainment consumption, exposing the breath of content and prioritizing personalization
- Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (and the blockchain which over the next quarter century may prove to be one of the biggest technology breakthroughs)
- Gig economy (Uber/Lyft, AirBnB, etc)
- E-commerce boom (the ability to order almost anything online, including now restaurant meals! and the nascent role of drones for delivery)
- Setting the seeds for massive progress and use of quantum computing, brain-computer interfaces, and increased robotics
