22nd century: strong bodies, meeting aliens, capturing starpower

By Dick Pelletier

      

    What will life be like in the 22nd century? Of course, no one can predict the future this far ahead with 100% accuracy, but by tracking expected technology breakthroughs and adding a dash of imagination, we can create a plausible scenario of how life could unfold in the 2100s.

    Future citizens possess minds with intelligence multiplied a trillion-fold over 2009 brains. By 2050, advances in science and technologies have eliminated aging, death, and poverty. In 2100, everyone enjoys life in a powerful non-biological body immune to dangers.

    Those who remained "biological" found themselves struggling and often disadvantaged. By 2075, nearly everyone had switched to the stronger, but still considered human, nano-enhanced body. Conservatives who resisted eventually all died out.

    The world was astounded in 2030 when NASA/EU telescopes discovered intelligent lifeforms on a planet five light-years away. Inhabitants of this faraway world were sending similar probes to Earth during this same time. Each planet detected the other’s signals and both civilizations experienced first contact with intelligent alien life.

    Using recently-harnessed wormholes, we were able to send and receive messages with our new friends from planet "Darth." We discovered common interests as each world had just experienced huge intelligence advances and both had recently transformed their species into non-biological beings. It became obvious that cooperation would yield benefits; thus Earth and Darth were first to join what history would one day refer to as "The Federation."

    The first physical meeting with Darthenians took place in 2100. Each planet launched fusion-powered ships in 2090, with five citizens aboard, to rendezvous halfway. Nanobots morphed bodies into images attractive to both species.

    Although the meeting place was 2.5 light years away, wormhole communications, developed from collaboration between the two worlds, allowed transmitting live pictures of the event without delay to enthusiastic populations.

    From 2100 to 2150, combined searches by Earth and Darth discovered many new life forms, but none that warranted visits.

    In 2090, humanity achieved Type I Civilization status, able to capture all planetary energy and eliminate violent storms and earthquakes. And in 2160, while nearing Type II Civilization status, scientists began constructing the "Dyson Sphere," a concept proposed by astronomer Freeman Dyson as a way to access our entire star’s energy. Nano-replicators created special tiles, and space faring nanobots arranged them to encompass both the Earth and sun.

    Completed in 2180, the Dyson Sphere captures all of our star's energy, filters out harmful space material by changing its atomic structure, and provides 252 quadrillion square miles of habitable space inside the sphere for colonization.

    Type II Civilizations can also create anti-matter drive systems that allow faster-than-light travel. Many now dream of achieving Type III status when understanding superstring theory will help harness "dark energy" allowing travel, not only to parallel universes, but also to different times.

    Will the future unfold like this? Positive futurists believe it's possible. If people become enthused with these bold scenarios, our "magical future" could become reality in this timeframe. However, a more important question is, will this writer still be alive to celebrate his 270th birthday in 2200? If life extension gurus have their way, I have a shot at it. Comments welcome.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.