Civilized discussion on hard topics -- There seems to be a large amount of shouting matches going on right now. We need to be able to discuss things in a calm and respectful manner even when we strongly disagree with the other side. There are a lot of buzz words that get thrown out that to me have lost meaning (racist, sexist, etc.). These words do have meaning and there are absolutely people doing these things that need to stop. However, lets stop name calling and start sharing our stories with the intend to do just that, share. When the only goal is to get everyone to believe what you believe, it likely won't be a productive conversation.
Decentralized social media, decentralized chat platforms, decentralized almost everything that we depend on the Internet for. Users of the platform have more control over which provider to use, can freely move around and even start things on their own to connect into well defined interoperable systems and protocols.<p>This is more of a pipe dream than a hope, but I would be ecstatic to see such a world. Like Peter Sunde of Pirate Bay said recently, it looks like we can do only some damage control now. [1]<p>[1]: <a href="https://thenextweb.com/eu/2017/06/09/pirate-bay-founder-weve-lost-the-internet-its-all-about-damage-control-now/" rel="nofollow">https://thenextweb.com/eu/2017/06/09/pirate-bay-founder-weve...</a><p>Edit: Added interoperability for the sake of clarity.
Renewables to destroy the fossil fuels industry on price. A win for the environment, and some of the oil states will descend into utter irrelevance. Cheap, clean energy will be utterly transformative to the planet and will dramatically raise living standards globally.
I'll take a liberty to answer it in two ways, one thing for tech and one thing for non-tech.<p>Tech - Fixing Battery/Energy<p>This is one of the most important breakthrough we absolutely need. Current situation is like of ancient age, where civilisations used to be near/along the water sources like rivers, sea, etc. Same thing is happening today due to our energy dependencies. It limits the geography where a person can dare to live or explore without worrying or sacrificing the safety of communications. there are some ways currently, I agree, but we need more widely adopted solution. Energy consumption should not be co-related to the guilt! :p<p>There are two things about this:
1) Better energy backup in relatively portable size
2) Quick recharge ( or maybe disrupt the recharge concept:p ?! )<p>Non-Tech - Understand humans better, physiologically.<p>If we achieved this, it will be an amazing achievement for our species. Currently, healthcare system works on trial and error method. Most drugs don't really work without any side effects. We haven't understood our own defence mechanisms completely. Maybe using our own killer T-cells to do a targeted strike on aliens in our body will be more useful for our species than hunting aimlessly for aliens in outer space. I don't mean to undermine the importance of ET search efforts and it's implications, but from value proposition point of view, I'll favour human health system. Well, I'm deliberately avoiding to list why health is SO lagging even in 2017, it's better to assume that it's about time to solve health related problems inclusively rather than just keeping it exclusive filed for the health professionals and pharmas.<p>Disclaimer: No offence to anyone! :)
No more first past the post in the UK and US as it makes politics partisan and uninteresting hysterical carping from wing to wing. There isn't enough centerism and pragmatism.
Information: Decentralized telecommunications. Removal of centralized mobile carriers in favor of alternate mesh and private (micropayments-based?) local wireless access rental popularization. The major technical barrier at present is the user experience around default mesh support on phones (startup anyone?)<p>Social: Non-government reputation systems worth their salt finally enter commerce and sociopolitics to automate supply chain management, RFQ processes, SLAs, incident handling, direct political representation, etc. A revolution in education, international sociopolitical movements bypassing national political systems to address global challenges, increased respect for the environment.<p>Physical: Reformation of global logistics with distributed manufacturing and laws and the requirement for commercial product part designs to be published with every sale for independent consumer repairs.<p>Food: At least one city feeds itself largely from automated rooftop farming.
It is really hard to say just one thing but if I could only name one I would say find a cure for cancer. That in and of itself would have wide impact on families who are emotionally and financially devastated as a result; should help reduce the cost of healthcare overall given that cancer treatment is exorbitant; and would allow researchers to focus on other illnesses or worldwide problems.
I'd feel a lot better about moving into the suburbs if autonomous vehicles (with wifi so I can work in transit) actually became a widespread thing
Find a cure for death, a cure for aging and bio-replacements become as good as the original.. or better.<p>It's what I've been dreaming about ever since CRISPR.
Custodial land assignments. Instead of selling lots, which you'll never fully own as allodial titles no longer exist, set up a system which qualifies individuals and families to be awarded land. The idea that we are thrust into this world which requires us to follow a fairly strict path of hurdles just to have a home is a sadly maligned truth plaguing our existence.
Universal health care. Including dental.<p>The rest of people's lives, and their quality of life, is based on good health.<p>We may not all end up in the same place, nor even wanting the same things. But good health can help each person achieve their personal maximum.<p>And, if you don't believe human life is a zero sum game, as I don't, then that increases humanity's overall wealth -- cultural, not just material.<p>P.S. There is also the opportunity to leverage much greater advances. Putting money towards treatment instead of profit-taking including a significant amount of rent-seeking.<p>And I, for one, would be much more willing to share my medical data were I assured it would not be used against me, neither in denying me treatment nor in denying me work nor other participation in society. The types of research and advances such data mining might produce, could be both profound and readily at hand.
Discussion where people don't selectivly choose which facts to talk about. I'm seeing this a lot right now with all the hot topics, both sides will take the moral high ground and pretend that they have never said or done the same thing when the shoe was on the other foot, most notably Trump: Obama; Charlottesville:Dallas.
- Batteries that last longer (in general).<p>- 100%, 4G coverage wherever I am in the world.<p>- Consistent and reliable internet speeds around the world.
Law being described in very precise, verifiable terms, such that "in the spirit of the law" is an executable test and assumptions made are automatically verifiable.
This means that irrelevant laws can be identified much faster and law can keep up with technology.
No more authoritarian, liberty-limiting governments anywhere in the world...forever :)
I'm aware that the trend seems to be in the opposite direction, but one can always wish.
Commoditised high-bandwidth quantum-entanglement (i.e. no latency) communication devices. This will change everything from securities trading to interplanetary communication.