2018 timeline contents2018-2048 Uganda is an oil-producing nation2018 A missile defence shield is deployed in EuropeThe first private supersonic jetThe African Central Bank is establishedEast Africa's largest ever infrastructure projectRussia hosts the FIFA World CupThe first manned flights from Russia's new spaceportThe James Webb Space Telescope is launchedThe Japanese Hayabusa-2 probe arrives at 1999 JU3Universal flu vaccinePolio has been eradicatedA drug to prevent obesityCrossrail opens in LondonThe City Circle Line opens in CopenhagenThe Transbay Transit Center is completed in San FranciscoMany complex surgeries are performed by robotsRobot insect spies are in military useUbiquitous internet nodes connect appliances, vehicles, etc.Consumer devices with 100 Gbit/s transfer speedsPortable, long-range 3D scanningScientists drill into Earth's mantleThe Mackenzie Valley Pipeline is completed in CanadaThe market for biofuels is experiencing a period of rapid growthThe last of Nigeria's rainforests have been felledLatest prediction 2095 Global fertility has stabilised at below 2.0 children per woman

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2018-2048Uganda is an oil-producing nationCommercially viable oil in Uganda was discovered in 2006, with an estimated 3.5 billion barrels of reserves. However, it would take over a decade for production to start, due to a series of political, social, economic and technical issues. These included a lack of transparency in the planning process, corruption among officials, intimidation and poor compensation of local residents, sluggish progress in determining the best infrastructure, and general bureaucracy.By 2012, a total of 77 wells had been drilled and investigated, with 70 showing potential for profit. In 2013 the government finally reached an agreement with Tullow Oil of the United Kingdom, Total of France and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), to build both the oil refinery and pipeline. Uganda also partnered with the neighbouring countries of South Sudan, Kenya and Rwanda to take up ownership in the planned oil refinery. Once the remaining issues were worked out, construction would begin in 2014, with first production in 2018.*Most of the oil was located in the Albertine Graben region, a 45 by 500 km stretch of lush green vegetation, home to about half of Africa's bird species, along with baboons, antelopes and elephants. Serious concerns were therefore raised by environmentalists, but these were dismissed by the government. With at least 30 years of production capacity, Uganda would undergo an economic boom bringing electricity to the 90% who had lived without it, boosting its education and healthcare systems, and shifting the nation into the league of upper-middle-income countries.This new-found wealth could not last, however. In the longer term, serious environmental problems would plague not just Uganda, but much of the African continent. Landlocked and lying directly on the equator, Uganda was exposed to extreme climate risks, including substantial changes in rainfall and humidity.*Click to enlarge

Uganda oil map. Credit: Heritage Oil 2018A missile defence shield is deployed in EuropeEurope is now protected by a continent-wide missile defence system, developed and deployed by the US military.This has been established in phases between 2011 and 2018.Phase 1 saw the deployment of a land-based early warning radar which Turkey agreed to host as well as ships in the Mediterranean equipped with proven SM-3 interceptors.Phase 2 saw the creation of a land-based SM-3 interceptor site in Romania in order to expand the defended area against short- and medium-range missile threats.Phase 3, the most significant phase, added a more advanced SM-3 interceptor (Block IIA) and a second land-based SM-3 site, which Poland agreed to host. This would counter short-, medium- and intermediate-range missile threats. The system is located at Redzikowo military base, close to the Baltic Sea and Lithuania, roughly 50 miles from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.*An additional fourth and final phase will be completed in 2020 with missiles being upgraded.*Initially, this defence shield resulted in a cooling of relations between the US and Russia. The latter expressed concerns over the presence of missiles so close to its border, which it viewed as a security threat. This was despite assurances from the US that the shield was for potential threats from Iran and the Middle East and was neither designed nor capable of threatening the numbers and sophisticated ability of Russia's strategic forces.*

The first private supersonic jetWhile commercial airliners typically cruise at Mach 0.85 (567 mph), the Spike S-512 uses advanced engine and airframe technology to reach speeds of Mach 1.8 (1200 mph). Holding up to 18 passengers, it can fly from NYC to London in 3.5 hours instead of 7 hours; or from LA to Tokyo in 8 hours instead of 16 hours.* This private jet, costing $80 million, is aimed at the richest business executives and celebrities, but supersonic and even hypersonic travel will become more affordable in future decades. A competitor, Aerion, delivers their own supersonic jet in 2021. This is followed by hypersonic commercial airliners in the 2030s.

Credit: Spike Aerospace The African Central Bank is establishedFollowing many years of diplomatic talks, a unified African Central Bank has been established.* This represents a crucial step towards a more stable and developed Africa.Though international efforts made in recent years, mostly as part of the UN's Millennium Development Goals, the continent still had numerous problems to deal with. Despite medical advances and socio-economic progress, famine and disease were on-going issues. In the north, residual tensions and instability remained, following the protests and uprisings that raged earlier in the decade. The Horn of Africa was plagued by drought and civil unrest, while piracy off the coast of Somalia had only increased as oil and other commodities rose in value.It became clear in recent years that a lasting and meaningful prosperity could only be achieved by the entire continent working together as one. Following the 2011 overthrow of its main proponent, Muammar Gaddafi, the plan for a United States of Africa came to be regarded as a dead proposal. However, countries were working together in other ways. The East African Federation, for instance, was established in 2015.** This was a full political federation of five member states Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda creating the second most populous nation in Africa (after Nigeria).The growing need for a larger, more unified and far-reaching financial institution, in order to be fully integrated with the global economy, has led to further progress in developing the African Central Bank. Finally established in 2018, the benefits of this continental bank are immediate and substantial. Now acting as the banker for the African Union (consisting of 54 individual states), the Central Bank is able to regulate trade standards and currency value supporting both public and private banking while setting interest and exchange rates.The next step will be creating a pan-African single currency known as the "Afro" on schedule to take place in the early 2020s.* It is hoped that this development will be the keystone to helping each nation in the long term, especially the poorest, with value fluctuations and inequality becoming less and less rampant. The free movement of goods, persons, services, labour and capital will do much to improve the regional economy. A human rights court and monetary fund will also be set up. In addition, Africa finds itself in a uniquely advantageous position, in that it can learn from the past mistakes of Europe and the Euro. A prosperous and stable Africa now appears within sight for the first time.However, true economic prosperity is still a far-off goal for most of the people of Africa, whose population has swelled to over 1.3 billion.* The looming threat of climate change will be the continent's biggest challenge of all.

East Africa's largest ever infrastructure project This year sees a major rail network completed in East Africa.** Built by a Chinese state-owned firm and part-funded by China's government, the $14bn Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is the largest infrastructure project in the region's history. The SGR connects a number of major cities greatly boosting trade and investment while reducing the times needed to move people and goods across borders. The cost of sending a tonne of freight one kilometre is slashed from $0.20 to $0.08, with a typical journey between Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa cut from 12 hours to just four. Until now, the region had relied almost exclusively on road transport.

Russia hosts the FIFA World CupThis is the first time Russia has hosted the World Cup. Some $10 billion are spent on the tournament, which is spread over 14 venues including Moscow and St. Petersburg. As of 2010, there were no stadia in the country with 80,000+ capacities, but Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow is expanded to 90,000 seats in time for the games.The first manned flights from Russia's new spaceportDespite being a major space power, Russia for decades lacked its own proper independent space launch facility for manned flights. Instead it was reliant on the Baikonur Cosmodrome in neighbouring Kazakhstan leased from the government of that nation until 2050, at a cost of $115 million per year.In 2011, construction began on the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a new spaceport located in the Amur Oblast region in Russia's Far East. This was intended to reduce Russia's dependency on Kazakhstan, enabling most missions to be launched from its own soil. The area devoted to this new infrastructure would be nearly 100 sq km (39 sq mi) with four separate launch pads, an airport, train station, academic campus, training and space tourism facilities, business centres and a town of 30,000 capacity for housing workers and their families.* Unmanned launches would commence in 2015, with the first manned flights in 2018.*Roscosmos had suffered a number of setbacks and launch failures in the years prior, including the loss of its Phobos-Grunt probe. To address this issue and restore the nation's reputation in space, Vladimir Putin announced a dramatic boost in funding; with a budget of 1.6 trillion rubles ($51.8 billion, or 39 billion euros) for 2013-2020, a far greater increase than any other space agency in the world. In addition to the new Vostochny spaceport, longer term plans were made for a Moon base in the 2030s that could serve as a platform for flights to Mars.*

Credit: Roscosmos The James Webb Space Telescope is launchedThe long-awaited successor to the Hubble Space Telescope is launched. Its primary mirror has a collecting area six times larger than Hubble. The telescope is situated in an L2 orbit approximately 1.5 million km from Earth. Originally planned for 2014, it was delayed until 2018 due to budgetary constraints.*

The Japanese Hayabusa-2 probe arrives at 1999 JU31999 JU3 is an Apollo asteroid a group of asteroids whose orbits take them into the main belt, before drifting back towards Earth's vicinity. In 2018, this kilometre-sized rock is investigated by Japan's space agency, JAXA. The mission involves a probe, Hayabusa-2, launched in July 2014 and arriving four years later. The spacecraft is equipped with a "cannon" that fires a 7 kg (15.4 lb) explosive projectile at a velocity of 2 km/s. This impacts the asteroid's surface with such force that a new crater is formed, with a camera filming the event from above. Hayabusa-2 then lands in the crater, scooping up samples which are returned for analysis back on Earth. It is hoped that water and organic materials in these samples may help to explain the origin of life.*

Universal flu vaccineInfluenza, commonly known as "the flu", is a serious disease that causes between 250,000 and 500,000 worldwide annual deaths, rising to millions in pandemic years. It can sometimes lead to pneumonia, either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia, even in persons who are usually very healthy. Because of the way it can modify proteins on its outer surface, influenza is constantly evolving. This means that vaccines quickly become useless and new versions are required each year.However, researchers found that material on the inside was common to many strains of the virus. By targeting this core region that never changes, even in new strains it was hoped that a universal flu vaccine could be developed that would be effective against all current and future outbreaks.A type of white blood cell known as CD8 part of the body's immune system was found to recognise proteins in the core. Using blood samples from human volunteers, taken during the 2009 pandemic, it was discovered that patients with higher levels of CD8 T-cells had milder symptoms and less chance of developing flu. By identifying the exact subtype of the immune system giving protection and which components of the virus it was attacking, researchers were able to develop a "blueprint" for a vaccine that could stimulate production of these T-cells.* Following further years of research, the vaccine is made publicly available by 2018.*

Polio has been eradicatedPolio is a disease caused by a virus that enters through the mouth. Spread by poor sanitation and exposure to infected human stools, it can damage the nervous system, leading to paralysis and eventual death. During the first half of the 20th century, there was a dramatic rise in cases. Epidemics became regular events during summer months, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. It was especially prevalent among young children.This provided impetus for a "Great Race" towards the development of a vaccine. Developed in the mid-1950s, polio vaccines began to reduce the global number of cases per year. The last naturally occurring cases in the United States were reported in 1979 and the Western Hemisphere was declared free of the disease by 1994.However, it continued to affect countries in Africa, Asia and elsewhere.* Vaccination efforts were stepped up led by Rotary International, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. New commitments were made by governments and philanthropists including Bill Gates,* enabling over a billion children to be vaccinated. By 2018, polio has been eradicated from the world. New knowledge about the viruses, new technologies and new tactics to reach the most vulnerable communities have consigned it to history.* This is only the second time that a human disease has been completely wiped out; the previous instance was smallpox in 1979.*

A drug to prevent obesityA drug that lets people eat whatever they want without gaining weight is being developed.* This works by "switching off" the fat insulin receptor gene. Though initially expensive, there is enormous demand for this product, which leads to a rapid drop in obesity levels throughout the developed world especially in countries like the USA, which until now had been experiencing a crisis in this regard. Average life expectancy is increased as a result, since there are less people dying of heart-related illnesses.

Crossrail opens in LondonIn development since 1974, Crossrail is finally opened this year. One of Europe's largest ever transport projects, this boosts London's subway capacity by over 10%, bringing huge regenerative benefits.The line is 120 km in length (including 42 km of tunnels) and runs from Berkshire in the west, to Essex in the east, linking together all the main economic hubs in the capital Heathrow Airport, the West End, the City of London and Canary Wharf. Ten-coach trains, 200 metres long, run at frequencies of 24 trains per hour in each direction during peak periods.The original planned schedule was for the first trains to run in 2017. A Comprehensive Spending Review in 2010 saving over 1bn of the 16bn projected costs meant that the first trains to run on the central section would be delayed until 2018.*The City Circle Line opens in CopenhagenCopenhagen's Metro was first opened in 2002. Back then, only two lines were operational running from Vanlse to Vestamager and Lergravsparken. The next phase commenced in 2007, with an extension of the existing line to Copenhagen Airport. This meant that journeys from the city centre of Copenhagen to the airport could be achieved in just 14 minutes. The fourth phase of the Metro called Cityringen opens in 2018.* This new line is a substantial upgrade, with 17 new stations covering major parts of the city centre as well as the sterbro, Nrrebro, and Vesterbro districts and the Municipality of Frederiksberg previously not covered by the S-train or Metro line service.

Credit: Arsenikk / DavidArthurThe Transbay Transit Center is completed in San FranciscoThe population of California has continued to grow and grow. This has created some of the worst urban traffic problems in America. One of the places most badly affected has been the San Francisco Bay Area.The main transport hub in downtown San Francisco had since 1939 been the original Transbay Terminal, located in the South of Market Neighborhood near the Financial District. In 2010, however, to address increasing stresses on the transportation system, this old station was demolished to make way for a new, high-tech development something which had been in planning since the 1960s.Demolition began in 2010, with a temporary station built to handle traffic over the seven year construction period. The first phase of the $4bn project would be completed in 2017. This would include a five storey, 1,400 foot long, million square foot transit centre, complete with numerous bus terminals, each with ramps connecting the stations to a new off-site bus storage facility and the nearby Oakland Bay Bridge. A 5.4 acre park would be included on top of the transit centre. The highly efficient re-design of the bus ramp system opened up parcels of land for a series of buildings which together with the transit terminal would make up San Francisco's grand urban renewal project. This part of the project would cover 40 acres and consist of townhouses, low to mid-rise buildings and skyscrapers, along with parks and recreation, overall providing 2,600 new homes, three million square feet of office space and over 100,000 square feet of retail space. The centrepiece of this development is the Transit Tower. Soaring to over 1,000 feet, it is among the tallest towers on the American West Coast, second only to the Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles.The second and final phase completed in 2018* is the Downtown Rail Extension. This 1.3 mile long, primarily underground rail line connects the California commuter rail line, Caltrain, to downtown San Francisco, linking the city to the Peninsula, San Jose and Silicon Valley. This major extension opens the doors for new jobs and very rapid commutes in and out of the city. It is also made to accommodate the future California High Speed Rail Line, scheduled to open by 2025. Overall, the project connects Caltrain, Greyhound, Golden Gate Transit, Muni, SamTrams, AC Transit, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), WestCAT and Amtrak.The development is designed with the environment in mind, too. Its open design allows for natural light, low-energy ventilation and passive cooling. LED lights are used extensively, while many buildings including the Transit Tower are outfitted with wind turbines. Another key feature is that the entire development is built to withstand earthquakes; a likely possibility in the Bay Area.Once completed, the Transbay Transit Center helps to accommodate the rapidly growing population of California predicted to rise from 37 million in 2010, to 51 million by 2030.*Many complex surgeries are performed by robotsBasic robotic surgeons have been around since the 1990s. In the first decade of the 21st century, they remained uncommon and relatively simple, though high-end companies began to develop their own more advanced models.*Surgeries were divided between supervisory-controlled systems, telesurgical systems and shared-control systems. Supervisory-controlled systems were the most automated requiring a human only to input directional data, and to supervise the operation to take control if anything went wrong. Shared-control systems were the least automated, in which human surgeons were physically present and did most of the work, but were aided by robots.Though yet to become widespread, many large hospitals and universities had their own automated systems in place by 2010. Continued tests and trials of these machines greatly improved their accuracy and reliability. The growing number of successful surgeries made patients more willing to trust in robotic procedures.By the mid-2010s, many cardiothoracic, gastrointestinal and orthopaedic surgeries could be handled almost entirely by remote-controlled robots. By 2018, the majority of large hospitals in the developed world use a robotic surgeon on at least a semi-regular basis. South Korea in particular is leading the way in this field, with almost every hospital in the nation using them routinely.* The latest models feature improved dexterity and multitasking, high quality incision tools and higher levels of automation. New ultra-small cameras are also in use, giving controllers an extreme close-up view of the operation.*

2011 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.Previously, it could take a dozen surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses to perform surgeries, with even more for certain complex procedures. Now, robots can remove some or all of this burden, performing the jobs of several different specialists at once and working around the clock without tiring.* Surgeries in 2018 often consist of just one or two human supervisors overseeing a robot's work. In the long run, this helps to reduce health costs. Additionally, robots offer much higher precision than humans, so patients are able to leave the operating table with less collateral trauma.Telesurgery is now being looked into as a way for doctors to conduct surgeries over long distances. This could allow a specialist surgeon in England to operate on a patient in Australia for example, using only remote-controlled robots. However, issues with latency will delay this practice from entering the mainstream for a while yet.Despite being another profession threatened by automation, hospital surgery remains a primarily human undertaking for now. Robotic operations are still in their infancy, requiring the presence and supervision of doctors and other personnel. It will be a long time before human medics are made entirely redundant by this technology.

2011 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.Robot insect spies are in military useThese "micro aerial vehicles", no larger than a common house fly, have been in development for over a decade.* One of the major hurdles was creating sufficient battery power in such a small object, as well as keeping them light enough to remain airborne.The robots are used in spying missions, where they quite literally serve as a "fly on the wall" recording and transmitting audio-visual information. An individual robot is equipped with miniature cameras, microphones, modem and GPS. Although strengthening national security, a number of privacy issues are being raised.

Ubiquitous internet nodes connect appliances, vehicles, etc.In developed nations, many of the day-to-day routines in the home are becoming automated. Fridges, for instance, can be programmed to order new food before they become empty.* RFID microchips smaller than grains of sand are printed on packaging labels. These connect wirelessly to the refrigerator, which sends an order via the Internet. New food is then delivered to the customer's door at a pre-arranged time.Boilers and other appliances can notify an engineer when they break down, while heat and lighting systems can be activated in real time as a person is on their way home from work (rather than being programmed for a fixed time).Devices are also being synchronised in various ways. They can even sense where you are in the home. A person can be listening to a football commentary in their bedroom, for example, then walk to the lounge and have the television activate itself, then walk to their car outside and have the signal "follow" them by turning on the appropriate radio channel.In addition to being linked with their user's home network, the majority of cars now have Internet access and speech recognition as standard.*

Consumer devices with 100 Gbit/s transfer speedsA new form of data transfer is now available for the consumer market. This is known as "Thunderbolt" and is replacing the Universal Serial Bus (USB) leads which have been the standard for many years. The USB 3.0 specification allowed transfer speeds of 4.8 Gbit/s. An early version of Thunderbolt (codenamed "Light Peak") achieved 10 Gbit/s. This latest version, however, can achieve 100 Gbit/s enough to transfer an entire Blu-ray movie in just three seconds.*The optical technology of Thunderbolt also allows smaller connectors with longer, thinner and more flexible cables. Additionally, it can run multiple protocols simultaneously over a single cable, enabling the technology to connect devices such as peripherals, workstations, displays, disk drives, docking stations and more.

Credit: IntelPortable, long-range 3D scanningRecent advances in time-of-flight (ToF) systems, based on extra long wavelengths, have enabled 3D scans to be obtained from up to a kilometre away using handheld devices. This range will soon be extended to 10 kilometres, with millimetre accuracy. Applications include the scanning of static, man-made targets such as vehicles, identification of objects hidden behind foliage, remote examination of the health and volume of vegetation and the movement of rock faces to assess potential hazards.* This is adding to privacy concerns over the explosion of security and surveillance emerging at this time.

Credit: Optics ExpressScientists drill into Earth's mantleIn 2018, the first successful attempt is made to retrieve samples from Earth's mantle, the part of the planet that lies between the crust and the outer core. What was once considered science fiction has now become possible thanks to advances in drilling technology.*The operation takes place in the Pacific, where the crust is much thinner, but still requires burrowing through some five miles (eight kilometres) of solid rock. Temperatures range from 500-900C (932-1,652F) at the upper boundary with the crust, while pressures exceed 4 million pounds per square foot (21 million kilograms per sq m). Seawater is pumped down into the hole at sufficient pressure that samples can be forced back up to the surface.Until now, little has been known about the mantle, since the only samples to arrive at the surface have come from volcanoes or ancient mountain belts. Now for the first time, scientists can analyse "pure" extracts directly from the mantle, untainted by time or geological processes. This data reveals much about Earth's origins and early history. In addition, it provides insight into how current mantle processes operate: highly important in understanding the plate tectonics which drive earthquakes, tsunamis and eruptions.Microbial life is also discovered at previously unexplored depths within the lower crust. These new forms of extremophile bacteria are found to survive at extraordinarily high temperatures increasing the probability of alien life elsewhere in the universe.

The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline is completed in CanadaLike its European cousin, Nabucco, the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline had to overcome numerous obstacles in order to be realised. This giant energy project had been at the planning stage for 35 years, the main barrier to completion being the opposition of native tribes whose land it was intended to run through.*By 2011, however, many tribes had dropped their opposition. This change of opinion was mainly a result of the Canadian government pledging billions of dollars to the aboriginal First Nations of Canada. Indeed, the Nations would eventually come to own one-third of the pipeline itself. With project approval given, work on the pipeline and the natural gas fields it would exploit began in 2014, with the first flow of gas starting in late 2018.*In total, Mackenzie Valley stretches 743 miles (1,196 kilometres), beginning at the Beaufort Sea and passing through the Northwest Territories, before connecting to existing pipelines in northern Alberta. Around 18.5 billion cubic metres of gas pass through the pipeline each year. The total cost of this project is almost $22 billion.Although much of the boreal forest the Mackenzie Valley runs through has been protected, concerns are still raised about the environmental impact. Many are worried about the increased development of the Canadian wilderness which the project's success encourages. Other huge gas and oil projects are underway in the region at this time. These include drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as well as the Alaska Gas Pipeline due for completion by 2020. The latter will be over twice as long as the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.

The market for biofuels is experiencing a period of rapid growthBiofuels have been generating enormous interest over the last decade. Spikes in fossil fuel prices, the urgent need for energy independence, government subsidies and concern over greenhouse gas emissions have all driven the growing market for fuels such as ethanol, propanol, butanol, biodiesel, biomass and organic oil-based compounds.By 2018, demand for alternative energy has spurred the industry to new heights. Ethanol production has been ramped up worldwide, now surpassing $100bn in value, compared to $35bn just a decade earlier.* Production from corn alone has jumped to over 20bn gallons.* Brazil remains a leading producer and user of ethanol, more than doubling its exports to 16bn gallons.* Due to its 40-year-old program, it retains the most advanced biofuel economy in the world, with ethanol easily surpassing fossil fuel use.Government subsidies have been particularly high in the USA, as the need to reduce dependence on foreign oil becomes ever stronger. A significant percentage of American cars now run on biofuel, with gasoline use having fallen by almost 20%. The US Navy has also turned to biodiesel, which has now reached a reasonable price range for the task. It is hoped this will lead to the world's first truly "green fleet."*The European Union has also increased its use of biofuel, which now makes up almost 10% of fuel use. The EU remains the second largest producer, following Brazil. Russia today is a leading biomass producer, as it alone holds almost 22% of the world's forests.Africa is now becoming a major exporter of biofuels through international corporations, particularly in Mozambique and Tanzania.* Jatropha cultivation in the area is producing over 40,000 tonnes of oil annually. India and China have significantly increased their production too.Despite these gains, biofuel remains controversial. The land required for production competes with that of food, at a time of increasing food demand worldwide. Ethanol production is blamed for numerous agricultural price shocks during this decade and the next. It also contributes to soil erosion, deforestation and water loss. Some solutions now emerging include the aquatic and algae biofuel market, along with a focus on non-food biofuel sources.**While biofuel is now making a noticeable difference in energy use worldwide, it is still too early to end the planet's reliance on fossil fuels.

The last of Nigeria's rainforests have been felledNigeria was once among the Earth's most ecologically vibrant places home to 4,700 plant types and 550 species of breeding birds and mammals. These included the forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) and rare primates such as the drill monkey (Mandrillus leucophaeus), Sclater's guenon (Cercopithecus sclateri), the red-eared guenon (Cercopithecus erythrotis) and the red-capped mangabey (Cercocebus torquatus).During the late 20th century, however, rampant deforestation took hold, with tree loss reaching nearly 4% per year. Between 1990 and 2005, the country lost over 4 million hectares of tree cover.* The most biodiverse ecosystems the so-called "old growth" areas were disappearing at an even faster rate, with an average of 11% being lost every year from 2000 onwards.Logging, subsistence farming, road building (often sponsored by oil companies), mining and dam construction all contributed to the damage. The carbon lost from the destruction of these rainforests was exacerbated by the amount released from gas flaring Nigeria flared more gas than any other country.Despite some attempts at preservation, a resource-hungry population and its growing economy were unable to halt the tide of destruction. The bulk of Nigeria's rainforests eventually disappeared, the last few pockets shrinking into insignificance by the late 2010s.*

2017

Foldable Notebook with Flexible OLED Screen!

May 2nd, 2011 By GloriaSt Posted in Computers, Concept future, Innovation technology now, product design Comments 10

Brilliant! The Feno is a folding notebook. Typically we expect a hinge between the display and keyboard, but the Feno has an additional hinge within the display! This not only makes the size more compact but also explores future use of flexible OLED screens. The pice de rsistance is the pop-out mouse! Just pop it out and you are good to go!

Designer: Niels van Hoof Touch screen displaysSystem of innovation.New Compufon smartphone!Latest innovation Monday, March 19, 2012

Software Architecture for the Car of the FutureThe global Siemens research department Corporate Technology is working with partners to develop new information and communications technology (ICT) for future electric cars. In vehicles built with this new technology, the driver assistance, safety, and infotainment features will mostly be installed as software instead of being managed in control units. This will reduce the current complexity of the ICT architecture and at the same time increase its power. The partners intend to demonstrate the benefits of a centralized ICT architecture with two electric car prototypes. The recently launched project RACE (Robust and Reliant Automotive Computing Environment for Future eCars) is scheduled to run for three years and is being funded by Germanys Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.Today, drivers and vehicle occupants enjoy improved performance, comfort, and safety thanks to functions like the anti-lock braking system, Electronic Stability Program, active parking aid, emergency brake assistant, lane departure warning system, and proximity-controlled cruise control. However, the associated ICT that has grown up in vehicles over many years is becoming increasingly complex. This is making the introduction of new features increasingly labor-intensive and expensive. The individual components are connected with many different data transmission systems, for example. It is hardly possible to upgrade cars with new functions that werent built in to the vehicles during the initial manufacturing process. Electromobility offers the opportunity to rework the ICT architecture and to quickly integrate new functions.To this end, the partners want to bring together all the functions in a few central computers with a single bus system. The advantage here is that new systems would be installed via Plug&Play technology like on a PC - extra control units and wiring would no longer be necessary. The new architecture should also enable the vehicle to communicate with a future intelligent power grid and transport system and allow the development of completely new functions - such as an autopilot that could steer the vehicle autonomously in the distant future.The ICT architecture is being implemented in two electric cars. For the Evolution prototype, the researchers will replace the existing vehicle technology step-by-step with new components for features such as autonomous parking or inductive charging. The Revolution prototype is being newly designed from the ground up. The project partners are Siemens, TRW Automotive, AVL Software and Functions, fortiss, Institut ILS at the University of Stuttgart, the departments Software & Systems Engineering and Real-Time Computer Systems at the TU Mnchen, Fraunhofer Research Institution for Applied and Integrated Security (AISEC), and the RWTH Aachen (ACS/ISEA).FWS Topics: The Future Military Technology of BLACK OPS: II

It was a good Xmas for me, my grandmother bought me Black Ops: II and another three months of XBOX Live. After an evening at the in-laws, I went home, cracked open Black Ops: II,and was more impressed with the campaign than the previous Black Ops game. For the New Year, I welcomed it in with a glass of Champagne and Black Ops: II online. While the original game was deeply flawed, and the on-line play was broken, this new MSF shooter had some real interesting gameplay, and cool near-future technology. After only a few hours, I decided that FWS should cover the 2025 military technology seen in the game.

The Bullet vs.BallisticArmor Contest

I could not help but realize that most of the weapons in Black Ops: II, are gear for defeating the advancement of body armor that exists in 2025. Either taking the path of high RPMs, or specially developed HV bullets, or even resorting to larger rounds, like the 7.62mm. Take the .45 ACP KAP-40 handgun and the fictional B23R for example. Fully automatic to deal with soldiers of the future using advanced body armor, allowing for the pistol to be effective when the shit gets close. This is the same theory behind such SMGs in the game like the CZ Scorpion EVO and the fictional PDW-57.

X-Ray Sniper ScopeX-ray scopes mounted to sniper rifles have seen in popular media since at least 1996's Eraser when an 'x-ray scope' was amounted to the handheld EM-1 railgun. And it seems like a good theory, x-rays allow you to the person behind cover, and then supercharge your gun and blow them away.Sounds good, but it is not possible. I've worked in a ICU for ten years, and most x-ray done in the room are done with massive machines on wheels like the one in the picture. While smaller x-ray machines are possible, dental scanners, and some new technology coming down the pipe, but nothing that would allow one to mount them to an M14. And besides, x-rays are the wrong technology. Thermal is much better and current technology, x-rays require closeproximityto be effective, something like a snake-cam would be a better example of use of handheld x-ray technology to view through walls.

The 'Gecko' Climbing Nano-Gloves

Black Ops II features a near-future technology that could alter how operators scale building, and there are two approaches to this technology that borrow both from nature. One borrows the millions tiny hairs on the pads of the Gecko, allowing for an adhesive microfiber that is strong enough to support weight and allow for smooth scaling. Prototypes of these gloves exist and I saw them in use on small robot on NOVA. The other method being explored is via an beetle fromFloridathat uses water to climb leafs that allows for the beetle to support its weight.

During the recentMission Impossible movie, Tom Cruise scales the Dubaiskyscraper using magnetic gloves and knee pads. According to most sources these gloves do exist, that includes former DELTA FORCE field commander Paul Blaber, who stated that DELTA had tested them out. The gloves featured in Black Ops: II seem to use an on/off electrical adhesive system to free-climb the rock face. This could allow Special Operations units to pack a simple pair of gloves rather than tons of gear.

The Flying Squirrel Suit

Wingsuits are already a reality, used by the military and extreme sports. There is military powered human-flight suit in development by the German company ESGis Gryphon single-man flying suit. In the game, these wing-suits seem to be more compact, allowing for soldiers to glide in, then take to combat immediately. From the in-game footage, it seems that the wings are next-gen material coupled with advanced HUD software. With wing-suits already in use, the ones in Black-Ops: II will be a reality soon...I just hope that are called the 'Rocky' suits by the military.

The TITUS-6 Flechette Launcher

One of the more HALO like weapons in Black Ops: IIis the TITUS-6 (not Caprica Six). This secondary weapon is a magazine-fed shotgun coupled with anexplosive flechette launcher. This technology was seen in some of theStar Wars videos as the FC-1 flechette launcher and in HALO has the needler. From my research, this is one of the 'outside' technologies that was being explored in the late 1980's when it was believed that flechettes could be the next leap in arms technology, but nothing came of it. The explosive package on the flechette would have to be compact and lightweight to not weight down the flightdynamicsof the dart. The advantage of the explosive-tipped flechette projectile would be planting the explosive, not allowing the target to dodge the explosion.

Laser DefensiveTurrets

The Tactical HighEnergyLaser are seen in the game onboard the USS Obama Aircraft Carrier and at the Singapore Port Strike-Force level. These are a reality, and will be soon part of the defensive system on US combat naval vessels, and function in a similar role has the Phalanx CIWS. These DEW system have proven their effectiveness in combat, shooting down mortars in live-fire testing, and the IDF is pushing for active units for knocking down incoming missiles and shells. By 2025, defensive DEWturrets will be a reality.

The Storm PSR Sniper Rifle

According to thewritingon the side of this next-gen sniper rifle, the 'Storm PSR'utilizesthe electronic launching system used by Metal Storm weapons. The ability of this sniper rifle is two-fold. One is to fire different types of rounds via the same barrel, similar to the Metal Storm weapons, and the electronic firing system can be modified to fit the tactical situation. Got a tango behind a wall? No sweat! Charge the electric firing system tomaximumand fire that sabot through the rock and kill that mother fucker! At the moment, this technology is fictional...there is no Storm PSR. And it is unlikely that the Metal Storm company will be around in 2025...they are already bankrupt.

The 'Taser' Galvaknuckles

In most of the 2025 levels, but not online, the player will melee with a set offuturistic brassknucklesthat seem to shock the hostile dead or just out...sort of the Black Ops: II Vulcan Nerve Pinch. Taser knuckles do exist, and you can buy them for self-defense, and they would make a cool less-than-lethal system...but could they kill? Yes, if set high enough, you could shock someone to death, and unlike a knife or tomahawk, the first blow would be the last. Rumors state that SOF prison grab operations have the operators outfitted with weapons like this.

The Silent Guardian SystemMicrowaves are just great for nuking popcorn and meatloaf, but also for driving off the bad guys and angry mobs. In militarylingo, it is called 'activedenial system' and it is a non-lethal DEW system, normally mounted on vehicles for breaking crowds and denying access to an area, like a FOB. These are a reality and appear in Black Ops: II has a killstreak reward and does damage the longer someone is in range of the microwaveheat-ray. Large scale application of this technology has been slowed by protest and they were pulled from duty in A-Stan in 2010.

The Target Finder Gun Slight

Okay...how the hell does this thing work? How does the tiny computer inside of the scope process the data to determine if a person is hostile? Does it read their minds like in Minority Report? My only guess is that the scope uses the user's local network to scan the area, and any that are using a known enemy signal aredeemed hostile. This is most likely a completely fictional piece of next-gen technology.

Unmanned Armed Ground Vehicle (UAGV

Several unmanned armed ground drone exist inthe world of 2025. The smaller automated ground robot (AGR) that can be dropped via helicopter and is lightly armed and armored, but fullyindependent. The AGRs are seen as a mobile support weapon platform and scout for the flesh-and-blood human soldiers.These AGRs are similar to the real-world UGVs under developed, which are tracked and armed with a LMG. These are not fully part of the US Military, but it is believed that within a few years, armed UGVs will be the norm.

The big brother of the AGR in Black Ops: IIis the CLAW (or cognitive land assault weapon) and is more akin to Japanese Anime Mecha than the trash-can sized AGRs. Armed with a 7.62mm (?) minigun, grenade launcher, and flamethrower. These are a walking tank and take the technology directly from the BostonDynamicsBigDog walker that is being developed has a walking flatbed cargo hauler for troops in the field. This legged squad support system could led to the CLAW of 2025.

Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS)

A few of these are seen in Black Ops: II, and in for killstreak on multiplayer. Currently, Boeing has the X-45 and the Navy carrier-based X-46 (see right) unmanned combat air system drones. These diff from the smaller Predator drones in ability and mission. While the Predator is designed for intel gathering and direct strike against specific targets, the X-45 is more akin to the B-2 bombers. A squadron of these could be stationed onboard a carrier and used for bombing campaign, all without risking pilots.

The Hypersonic (MACH 7+) Cruise Missile

Mentioned in the 'Shipwrecked' Strike-Force mission, these over MACH 7 missile systems are coming reality. These would be uses as a defensive measureagainst incoming missiles or taking out threats. It is best to think of the hypersonic missiles has a global missile defense shield or even patriot missile system. These could be a different path to a defensive shield that met with such heated debate by the global community, instead of a base in Alaska, how about every single US submarine armed with these things? At the moment of launch of nuclear missiles from North Korea, a US sub in the pacific could launch an interceptor missile that runs faster than the hostile missile. These are rumored to be in development coupled with ramjet engines.

The TacPad

This is the tricorder of Black Ops: II. It is seen in the hands of David Mason and Mike Harper, and is the electronic jack-of-all-trades is seeneavesdropping, controlling drones, making calls, surfing porn, and getting fresh intel from command. Could these things exist? With the major advancement in computer since the 1990's, there is no reason to believe that powerful wearable computers with a variety of functions will be used in 2025 by soldiers.

Already today, ruggedized computer are on the battlefield, from Iraq to the cold mountains of A-stan that feed intel directly to the soldiers and allow for data to flow back to HQ on the progress of the mission. One of the similar computers to the tacpad is the GeneralDynamics Itronix GD300 that has touch-screen technology and allows for access to mission data, updated intel. For the real-world tacpad to function has seen on-screen, I imagine it would have to tap into a larger system, like a wearable network. However, for the most part, the tacpad of 2025 will be a reality...can I get one in tiger stripe?

ActiveCamouflageSuitsScience fiction has always wanted to design ainvisibility suit, and have been the stuff of ancient lore, but today, we seem to be one of the edge of this being a real technological marvel.Games like Black Ops: II and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier featureinvisibilitymateriel, making them close to the Predator.One company, Hyper Stealth Biotechnology has working prototypes of material that can mimic the local surrounds, making the wear 'invisible'. This bending light metamaterialsis so effective that it even renders thewearerinvisibleto NVDs. Thecompanyhas said that the US andCanadiangovernmentsare taking the technology to the next level. There were rumors, fueled by anunusual video from Iraq, that the US military has these suits already in combat.Here that is that video:

Unmanned Aerial Armed Vehicle (UAAV)

Unmanned drones are a reality of modern warfare today, the war on terror could have be waged in the way it is without these robotic warriors. UAVs are not just for hovering over a target and gathering intel, they are also for offensive operations. In Black Ops: II, smaller UAAVs called MQ-27 'Dragonfire' are armed 40mm machine gun and are verymaneuverable. These are used fro escort duty, protection, and direct-action missions. Given their small size, they are limited ammo, range, and armor. Robotic vehicles like the MQ-27 are fully possible, and most likely will exist has an vehiclesandwichedthe larger unmanned aircraft and the unmanned armed ground vehicle.