Future technological challenges
As the world’s population grows, one of the most difficult challenges we face is to improve our
quality of life. Clean energy, disease prevention, and access to clean water are some of the most
important aspects of this challenge, according to a group of leading experts at a recent world conference
on technological advancement.
Earth’s growing population is consuming its resources too quickly, experts say. Scientists have
emphasized the need to develop new sources of energy, while at the same time protecting the
environment. Economists predict that oil prices will likely continue to rise, and consumers, especially
large corporations, retailers, hospitals, and schools will be looking for cheaper sources of energy, such as
solar power. The sun gives off more energy in one hour than the entire world population consumes in
one year. However, the challenge for inventors is to convert solar power into useful forms, and to store it
inexpensively.
As more and more people live longer, there will be a greater demand for medical treatments that
are effective, cheap, and available to everyone. Scientists are finding new ways to understand how the
body works, and this new understanding could well lead to more personalized treatment. Personalized
medicine will undoubtedly have enormous benefits to public health because it will help doctors and
therapists to identify a patient’s health problems earlier and treat them successfully. This should also
reduce medical costs to patients.
Climatologists and ecologists predict that a change in weather patterns will inevitably affect the
planet in significant ways. Some areas will likely experience severe droughts, whereas others will see
heavy flooding. Drought and floods can both lead to a shortage of clean drinking water and flood and
create an increase in refugees and migrants as people move to new areas in search of food or clean
water. More investment in new technologies will undoubtedly be needed to make water safer in difficult
times.
The above challenges cannot be met without economic support. All too often, cheaper
technologies that pollute the environment are still preferred over cleaner, more expensive ones. On the
last day of the conference, one expert concluded by saying, “If industries and governments don’t invest
in new technologies, we’re going to destroy our planet and the people who live here. Earth’s resources
won’t last forever and we might well become victims of our own lack of planning. Spending millions
now might well save billions later.”