The document provides an overview of emerging technologies across several fields including energy, computing, materials science, health and medicine, and space exploration. It discusses various nuclear, solar, wind, and biofuel energy technologies. In computing, it mentions quantum computers, DNA nanotechnology, brain emulation, and programmable matter. It also outlines advances in gene therapy, stem cells, biomakers, and life extension. The document predicts major breakthroughs and the convergence of technologies between 2009-2025 that could have significant worldwide impacts.

1. High Impact Technology Update By Brian Wang Nov 15, 2008

2. Overview Energy Nuclear, Wind, Solar Computers Quantum Computers, Supercomputers, Optical Nanotechnology DNA Nano, Synthetic Bio, Mechanosynthesis, APM Claytronics, Programmable Matter, Brain Emulation Gene Therapy, Stem Cells, Transgenics, Synthetic Biology Biomarkers, Medicine Life Extension, Enhancement Robotics, Communication, Cameras, Sensors Space Putting it all Together Tech Controversy, Plans and Predictions

3. Energy Tech Nuclear Fission Mass produced, Annular Fuel Nuclear Fusion Biofuels Energy Efficiency Wind – Kitegen Solar –Concentrated solar Coolearth, SunRGI, MIT Blacklight Power

4. World Energy 26 Trillion to be spent on energy infrastructure 26 billion tons of CO2 going to 40 billion tons in 2030 Unless changes are made More economic growth and more wealth needs more energy and resources $60 billion for California alone to get to 33% renewables (solar, wind, geothermal etc…)

5. Mass Produced Deep Burn Nuclear Fission Hyperion Power Generation China’s High Temperature Reactor AP1000 Factories Fuji Molten Salt Reactor Russian Breeder Reactor Power Uprating, 80 year life [small ball baseball] New build mainly in China, Russia, India, Brazil 373 GW + 350 GW conventional + 150 GW 2025 + 60GW uprates

6. Nuclear Fusion Inertial Electrostatic Fusion Focus Fusion General Fusion Colliding Beam Fusion Laser Fusion 80% on IEC and Colliding Beam 2014-2020 Tough to meaningfully scale for impact before 2025 but could start impact on space access

7. Biofuels from Seaweed, Algae, Fungus, Weeds and Waste Regular Crops Seaweed (Japan, Indonesia) Algae Weeds Jatropha (India) Camelina (Canada) Fungus Waste (Coskata and others) E10 blend wall Biobutonal Bu16 (up to 22 billion gallons) More E85 flex fuel and flex in general 36 billion gallon US target 2022, 140 billion gallons US, 600 billion gallons worldwide

8. More Efficient Engines and lighter vehicles Diesel ecomotors Free Piston Engine Reduce weight by 60% and improve fuel efficiency 30% Hybrids and Electrics Ultracapacitors

9. Superconductors and Thermoelectrics Industrial engines coming from South Korea Smaller and more efficient Actual deployment for electric grid Prospects for room temperature superconductors Thermoelectrics utilize waste heat. Better AC, refrigerators, up car efficiency 10-30% gain in overall efficiency of entire energy infrastructure Capturing waste heat for aluminum and industrial processes would be big

10. Faster Computers –Exaflops/Zettaflops Tensilica GPGPUs Onchip Photonic Communication All Digital Radios Trigate/EUV/CNT FET 3D stackable chips New Memory

11. Quantum Computers Scaling up to thousands of qubits in 2009. 2007 was 16 qubits. This qubit implemention not fully connected (may need to square the number of qubits) What are the quantum algorithms? How much better are the answers ? What are the answers without Ok approximations – Relates to AGI. We have better answers now that go unimplemented Major impact would be faster molecular nanotech development from bigger and better quantum simulations

12. Transformation Optics Transformation optics is a field of optical and material engineering and science embracing nanophotonics, plasmonics, and optical metamaterials. The list of possible breakthroughs includes a cloak of invisibility; computers and consumer electronics that use light instead of electronic signals to process information [optical computers]; a "planar hyperlens" that could make optical microscopes 10 times more powerful and able to see objects as small as DNA; advanced sensors; and more efficient solar collectors.

13. DNA Sequencing $5000 for a genome available early 2009 (already announced) $1000 or less 2009-2011 $100 or less 2011-2014 Over 99% of bacteria not identified (dirt, oceans, our bodies – does not grow in petri dish) Faster and cheaper sequencing helps synthesis Totally synthetic life: 582,000 BP California Institute of Technology, led by biomolecular engineer Niles Pierce , has created a DNA-based fabricator.

14. DNA Nanotechnology Structural DNA (3D patterns) DNA assembled one million 15nm gold nanoparticles DNA optical wires IBM: DNA make CNT grid Building other stuff with DNA DNA Nanotech device projects Sensors, antennas, surgery Turning cells into DNA nanotech factories (trillions of copies) DNA robotic arms DNA Sewing machine

15. Atomically Precise Manufacturing and Mechanosynthesis Zyvex APM Perfect quantum dots (hundreds to millions) Micro Automation Parallel micro-assembly Molecularly Precise Tools Patterned Atomic Layer Epitaxy Single atom layer with precise removals as needed before next layer Philip Mortiarty funded Verify Freitas and Merkle Mechanosynthesis

16. Claytronics and Programmable Matter/Avogadro Computers Intel’s and CMU Claytronics MIT Avogradro Computing

17. Brain Emulation Brain emulation roadmap Rat brain simulation using 30 teraflops We have 1.3 petaflops sustained Human scale level 4 emulation needs about 36 petaflops

18. Materials – Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene, Diamond Carbon Nanotubes Meter long strands Multi-thousand ton factories ~2012 Graphene Strong Higher volume production Diamond Kilocarats 1.5 Billion tons of steel (2009) 2.5 billion tons of concrete carbon fiber 46,000 tons 2009  88,000 tons 2015 New states of matter

19. Gene Therapy, Stem Cells, Transgenics, Synthetic Biology Gene Therapy All muscle cells in a dog Could be used to transfer Aids/HIV immunity Transgenics Higher Food production Stem Cells Synthetic biology

20. Biomarkers, cheap tests and real cures Canary Foundation goal: early detection tests for solid tumor cancers by 2015 Effective early cancer tests could save over $50 billion (out of $89 billion) per year in medical costs and 400,000 lives each year in the USA and 5 million lives around the world. 7 million cancer deaths/yr worldwide. Proven with pap smear ($8) and cervical cancer (70% reduction) Other cheap blood and other biomarker test devices (other diseases and medical threats)

21. Life Extension Resveratrol, sirtuin Telomerase SENS project

22. Human Enhancement Immune System Enhancement DARPA Work Curing Obesity Regeneration Tissue Engineering from scaffolds Brain Computer Interfaces

23. Robotics, Prosthestics, Exoskeletons, UAVs, Robotic Cars Needed for safe flying cars and to correct safety flaws of automobiles and fix transportation Blood Stream Robots – pill to Bacteria size from several research groups and nanoparticles and macroparticles Heartland Robotics – Rodney Brooks I want to effect a powerful evolution in the world's labor markets, and my current focus is to develop low-cost robots that will empower American workers

24. High Speed Communication White space modems 100 Mbps Wireless 1 Gbps + Free space lasers 60Ghz 5 Gbps Taiwan chip <$1 Better encoding go to 20 Gbps Terabit optical internet

25. Better Video, Still Cameras and Holograms Red Camera Company

26. Controversial Technology EmDrive Blacklight Power IEC Fusion Focus Fusion Dwave Systems Molecular Nanotech AGI

27. Space Solar Electric sail Vasimr SpaceX Virgin Galactic Lunar Concrete Fuel Depots Portable nuclear Telescopes

28. Technology to Change the World is Hard What we think should be amazing may only effect a niche Need to have something that has good economics and rapidly scalable deployment Functionality for you personally Scaling for world impact Micro/Macro future Complete solutions Resist adoption because of world-view, self-image, image that others have, old way good enough etc…

29. You Get What You Pay For Vast waste is a problem (It is easy to piss away trillions and years on nothing) Individuals buying movies, books, toys will get better or more of the same Over one trillion spent on “space” but how much on actually flying stuff and how much on building infrastructure to make things cheaper or to have real space industry Assume we have to better plans, work to get it, find a way to improve odds of good result and faster results

30. Choices and Better Systems Anti-growth, anti-technology and anti-business, over-regulation and corruption can still slow development Even for greater than human intelligence – stupid and wrong are powerful opponents Beat the variable cost including the cost and effort to change out the old stuff

31. Revamping Manufacturing and Construction Contour Crafting Rapid Manufacturing and Prototyping Reel to Reel Production Business choices and processes and training, city zoning and policies, architects, construction industry

32. Better Strategies for Dealing with Problems Energy CO2 and global warming Water Pollution Tougher construction – nails, better concrete, domes, future materials Robust Civilization – can’t let vulnerabilities and problems fester Get tough and spread out to space

33. How Much ? 1. Economic abundance 2. Radical life extension 3. Physical and Cognitive enhancement 4. Automation, Robots, exoskeletons 5. Super-materials 6. Open Access to space 7. Pollution elimination 8. Computer/Intelligence Advancement 9. Towards programmable matter

34. General Predictions 2009-2015 Perfecting of the now and old, prototype breakthroughs Billion super-iPhones Walking around Internet browsing, voice-text blogging Terascale with gigabit per second networking Power Harvesting from regenerative braking on human walking and thermoelectrics 2016-2025 New tech breaks out with big impact

35. Convergence Scavenge energy from the body Efficient devices could always be on using 9-20W Functionalize the microbes of the body Engineered microbes could generate power or store power or could have compute capabilities