Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell FRS, centre in the photograph, spoke on the above topic at our London Centre on 15 February.
Imagine ten months from now, it is the morning of the 21st
December the last Friday before Christmas, schools are breaking up and
people are frantically doing their last minute shopping.
The
clock turns to 11:11 it does not turn to 11:12 because the World has
been destroyed and we are all dead! Many people believe this will
actually happen, in fact an industry has sprung up publishing books and
releasing a blockbuster film to cash in on this ‘prophesy’.
If
there is the remotest chance that such a catastrophe could occur then
why are crisis meetings not being held at the UN? Why are underground
shelters not being excavated under mountain ranges?
Why are food,
fuel and medicines not being stockpiled? Why are survival colonies not
being constructed in orbit or on the Moon? The answer is simple: It is
all complete nonsense!
On 15 February the branch was fortunate
enough to have Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell speak to a packed
Rutherford lecture theatre about this so-called prophesy of doom.
Her
lecture came about because while lecturing in the United States
somebody would always ask her ‘Is the World going to end in 2012?’ Being
a responsible scientist she decided to research the subject.
It
all has to do with an ancient civilisation called the Maya that
flourished in what is now Mexico in the two millennia before Christ.
They were accomplished mathematicians and astronomers. They produced
calendars that spanned long periods of time.
Their last calendar
which started on 11 August 3114 BC will end on 21 December 2012 AD. Some
people have speculated that the Maya did not extend their calendar
beyond this date because they somehow ‘knew’ the World would end on that
day - that’s it!
Dame Jocelyn made it very clear that there is no
historical or archaeological evidence that the Maya intended the end of
their calendar to mark the end of the world.
She believes the
Maya would have treated it in the same way we celebrated Millennium
Night - with a party and a day off! She believes 11:11 AM 21st December
2012 was chosen because it is the northern hemisphere winter solstice
when the Earth is at full tilt and the Sun is at its lowest point in the
sky.
This makes sense, a precise astronomical event that you can
use to start the next calendar. The Mayan calendars were also inscribed
in stone, they may simply have not had a rock big enough to go further
into the future!
As the calendar ends with an astronomical event
Dame Jocelyn decided to survey geophysical and astronomical threats that
could befall the Earth. These include:
Geomagnetic Field Reversals
Solar Storms
Asteroid Impact
The planet Nibiru
Planetary alignments perturbing the Earth’s orbit
There
is evidence that in the past the direction of the Earth’s magnetic
field has changed direction - flipped. Towing a magnetometer across the
Atlantic sea floor has revealed mirror images of alternating directions
of magnetisation either side of the mid-Atlantic ridge. A crustal
construction zone, magma swells up and spreads creating new sea floor.
As the magma cools and solidifies it is magnetised by the geomagnetic
field leaving a record in the rock of the direction of the Earth’s
magnetic field.
From this we see that the geomagnetic field
reverses on average every 300,000 years (the last was 750,000 years ago
so we are well overdue). Many living things, including birds, can sense
the geomagnetic field and use it for navigation.
They would
obviously be affected by a reversal but a flip does not occur overnight,
it takes about 5,000 years to complete, giving animals time to adapt.
As Dame Jocelyn points out, there have been eleven reversals since our
tool making ancestors H.habilis evolved two and a half million years ago
- and we are still here!
Our Sun also has a magnetic field which
periodically reverses but despite being a much more massive body a solar
field reversal occurs in much less time.
The interval between
maxima (when the Sun’s magnetic field is at full strength) is
approximately eleven years. Maxima are also when sunspots and solar
storms are most numerous. A solar storm is a jet of protons and
electrons emitted from the Sun.
When these particles strike the
upper atmosphere they give rise to beautiful auroras. The last maxima
was in the year 2000 the next will be in 2013 (not 2012). Dame Jocelyn
reminded us that a solar storm has never killed anybody or caused a
building to collapse although they can disable satellites and we are now
more dependant on satellite services such as GPS. She produced a chart
of number of sunspots against date.
The peaks corresponding to
maxima were very clear but also noticeable was that the peaks were in
groups of lower and higher amplitude. It is predicted the 2013 maxima
will be the lowest in a hundred years.
A threat we are very
familiar with is asteroid impact. A massive impact 65 million years ago
is believed to have caused an extinction event that wiped out the
dinosaurs. Dame Jocelyn produced an image of Barringer crater in
Arizona.
This mile wide crater is believed to have been made by
an object 50 metres in diameter. The object that exterminated the
dinosaurs is believed to have been a kilometre across. The Earth is
struck by an asteroid this size every 50 to 100 million years so again
we are due for another impact.
Last October a small asteroid
passed between the Earth and the Moon. Around the globe several
telescopes are dedicated to Near Earth Object Monitoring.
The
speaker showed a photograph of the Pan Starrs telescopes under
construction in Hawaii which will scan the night sky for objects under
200m in diameter that come close to the Earth.
Interestingly Dame
Jocelyn stated that the technology to deflect an asteroid is already
available. She said the worst thing we could do is to try and blow it up
using a nuclear weapon - a la Bruce Willis - this would create millions
of objects to track.
A better way is to coat the object with a
white deposit or erect a solar sail on it and use the radiation pressure
of sunlight to push it out of harm’s way. The only NEO astronomers are
concerned about is an asteroid called 1950DA which will come
uncomfortably close to the Earth in 2880. Nibiru is a planet that
was supposed to have been discovered by the ancient Sumerians about 2500
BC. The pseudo-science community have suggested this planet will
collide with the Earth in December. There are many problems with
Nibiru: Why did not other stargazing civilisations such as the
Mesopotamians, Babylonians and the Chinese also discover it? Nibiru is
said to have an orbital period of 3600 years (Pluto 248 years) this
means it has a very large orbit but to collide with the Earth its
perihelion point must lie inside the Earth’s orbit. This can only come
about if Nibiru’s orbit is unbelievably eccentric. At the time of ‘discovery’ Nibiru would have been ten times the distance to Pluto against a very crowded starfield background.
Assuming
the Sumerians had not discovered the telescope then to be a naked eye
object at that distance Nibiru would have to be 150 times the size of
the Sun and have a mass of 3.3 million Solar masses - we are not taking
about a planet! Dame Jocelyn did mention the possibility that Nibiru
could be a brown dwarf - a star that did not quite make it.
The
Sun is unusual in that it is solitary, most stars are in multiple
star-systems. Our nearest stellar neighbour, proxima centauri, is part
of a trinary star system. However a brown dwarf would be a daylight
object even at four astronomical units.
Occasionally the planets
line up in what is called a conjunction where they can all be seen in a
small area of sky. Venus and Jupiter will be in conjunction on the 13th
of March.
Could the combined gravitational pull of the other
planets pull the Earth into a different orbit? The speaker produced a
pie chart showing the relative gravitational influence of the other
bodies on the Earth. Nearly all the chart was due to the Sun with a thin
sector representing the Moon.
The combined contribution of the
other planets is one two hundredths of the Moon and could not be seen on
this scale. In 2000 five planets and the Sun where in conjunction with
the Earth. In 1962 five planets, the Sun and the Moon were in
conjunction. There are no major conjunctions in 2012. At the
centre of all galaxies lies a monster - a supermassive black hole. The
speaker showed a clip of stars orbiting an invisible object at the
centre of our galaxy. It can be viewed below:
One
star can be seen to describe a complete orbit. Another star, designated
SO-45, moves in a straight line. When asked about this Dame Jocelyn
suggested its orbital plane is edge-on to our line of sight. Could
an alignment of the Sun and the black hole at the centre of the Milky
Way throw the Earth out of the Solar System? Coincidentally the Sun and
Black Hole are in conjunction on the 21st December. As supermassive
black holes go the one at the centre of our galaxy is a tiddler,
weighing in at a mere four million solar masses.
The galactic
centre is also 26000 light years away. In short the gravitational pull
of the Sun on the Earth is one hundred billion times stronger than the
black hole.
Surprisingly the one threat the discoverer of pulsars
did not discuss was supernovae. The red supergiant Betelgeuse is
regarded as a potential supernova and astronomers have recently noticed
an unusual variation in its light curve indicating it is becoming
unstable. Fortunately it is 640 light years away so when it does go off we will get an impressive light show but no damage.
Dame
Jocelyn concluded her lecture by asking what was going on? Why do so
many people choose to believe in the most fantastic, unsubstantiated
theories? As she says we are not rational beings.
She showed us
one of her favourite websites www.manyendings.com. This site lists doom
prophecies that were going around in various years and there are a
surprising number of them. In 1954 a cult predicted the end of the
World.
The American psychologist Leon Festinger used his graduate students to infiltrate the cult in order to study them. They
patiently waited for the appointed hour and waited and waited and
waited until at two in the morning the cult leader announced he had
received a revelation that God was so happy with the devotion of the
group he had decided to postpone the apocalypse! To the psychologists surprise this did not undermine the faith of the cultists, the opposite happened, it reinforced it!
This
was a laughable example of cults others have been very tragic. In 1997
comet Hale-Bopp was visible from Earth, a UFO cult in California
believed a spacecraft was in the tail that would take them to a new
planet but they would first have to surrender all their worldly
possessions including their bodies. Police later found the remains of 39
cult members. Dame Jocelyn reminded us the Internet can be used
to disseminate misinformation. One site, belonging to the ‘Institute of
Human Continuity’ makes several references to the Columbia Pictures film
‘2012’ and is believed to be a subtle form of advertising for the
film.
The speaker said one way you could recognise it was not an academic site is that it is too professional!
She
recommended people should receive their information from real academic
sites such as iop.org and look for sites ending in .ac.uk and .edu.
Finally Dame Jocelyn said that to stop people believing in doom
prophesies we must improve our teaching and communication of science. So don’t use the Maya as an excuse for not doing Christmas this year, get the turkey on order!
“Our defensive power has been
created on the basis of our defensive strategy and the presumption
ruling our defensive strategy is that we will enter an massive battle
with a US-led coalition.” Brigadier General Hossein Salami, IRGC Deputy
Commander, September 2012)
* * *
Both the US and Israel have threatened to implement a preemptive
first strike attack against Iran, the consequences of which would be
devastating.
Responding to these ongoing threats, Iran’s Commander of the Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) General Amir Ali Hajizadeh has warned
that a US-Israeli military attack against Iran could lead to the
outbreak of a Third World War. He also intimated that Israel cannot
launch a war without the green-light from the US.
If such a war were to be launched, according to General Hajizadeh, a
scenario of uncontrolled military escalation is likely to occur. If
attacked, Iran would retaliate against both Israeli and US targets
including US military facilities in neighboring countries (ie. Iraq,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Gulf States):
Commander of the Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force General Amir Ali Hajizadeh warned
the US and the Zionist regime [Israel] that an attack on Iran will
likely trigger World War III.
Speaking to the Arabic news network, Al-Alam on Sunday, General Hajizadeh said the US
and the Israeli regime may not enter war with Iran “independent from
each other, meaning that either one of these two starts the war, it will
be joined by the other one”.
“We see the US and the Zionist regime standing fully on the side of each other and we cannot imagine the Zionist regime initiating a war without the US backup. Due to the same reason, if a war breaks out, we will definitely wage battle on both sides and will definitely be engaged with the US bases,” he said.
“In case such conditions arise, a
series of incidents will take place which will not be controllable and
manageable and such a war might turn into a third world war. That means, certain countries may enter the war for or against Iran,” added the general.
The IRGC commander warned that in case such war is waged on Iran, the US bases in “those countries around us and inside the neighboring countries will be targeted and they will even be threatened by the nations of these very states”. (Fars News Agency, September 23, 2012, emphasis added)
The World is at a dangerous crossroads. The statement of General Hajizadeh must be taken seriously.
Active war preparations against Iran have been ongoing for the last
eight years. Since 2005, the US and its allies, including America’s NATO
partners and Israel, have been involved in the extensive deployment and
stockpiling of advanced weapons systems. The air defense systems of the
US, NATO member countries and Israel are fully integrated. Israel
cannot act without the support of its allies.
This is a coordinated endeavor of the Pentagon, NATO and Israel’s
Defense Force (IDF) directed against Iran. Several non-NATO partner
countries including the frontline Arab states (members of NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative) are also involved.
Media Disinformation
Public opinion, swayed by media hype is tacitly supportive,
indifferent or ignorant as to the likely impacts of what is upheld as an
ad hoc “punitive” operation directed against Iran’s nuclear facilities
rather than an all out war.
The war on Iran is presented to public opinion as an issue among
others. It is not viewed as a threat to humanity. Quite the opposite: it
is viewed as a humanitarian endeavor.
Retaliation
The Western media is beating the drums of war. The purpose is to
tacitly instil, through repeated media reports, ad nauseam, within
people’s inner consciousness, the notion that the Iranian threat is real
and that the Islamic Republic should be “taken out”.
Iran has significant military capabilities. The fact that an attack
on Iran could lead to retaliation and escalation which could potentially
unleash a “global war” is not a matter of concern.
While the Islamic Republic does not constitute a threat to the
security of Israel, Iran’s military brass has emphasized that in the
case of an attack on Iran, retaliation against Israel is contemplated,
with potentially devastating consequences:
On Saturday, IRGC’s top Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said an enemy invasion of Iran is possible, but such a war would put an end to the life of the Zionist regime of Israel.
….
“War may break out, but if Zionists
[Israeli government] start something, that will be the point of their
annihilation and the endpoint of their story,” he added.
Jafari, meantime, underlined that “no one dares to wage an extensive ground assault on Iran”.
The General said if the enemy
were wise, there wouldn’t be any problem, “but the problem is that there
is no guarantee for this rationality and we should be prepared too.
Later yesterday, his deputy, Brigadier
General Hossein Salami, cautioned that any possible attack on the
Islamic Republic of Iran by the Zionist regime would provide an
opportunity for Tehran to wipe the regime off the earth.
“If the Zionists embark on attacking
Iran, it will provide a historical opportunity for the Islamic
Revolution to wipe them off the world’s geographical history,” Salami
said on Saturday night on the state-run TV.
“We are now through with concerns about
the Zionist regime’s threats,” he said, adding that Israel has bitter
memories of its last-decade wars with the regional allies of the Islamic
Republic, including Hezbollah and Hamas Movement.
“(Given the above-mentioned failures) how
does it (the Zionist regime) want to be a threat against the Islamic
Republic of Iran?” Salami asked.
He, meantime, underlined Iran’s preparedness to confront any aggression against the country, and said, “Our
defensive power has been created on the basis of our defensive strategy
and the presumption ruling our defensive strategy is that we will enter
an massive battle with a US-led coalition.”
On Friday, Chief of Staff of the Iranian
Armed Forces Major General Seyed Hassan Firouzabadi also warned that
Tehran would reciprocate any aggression against the country with an
“immediate” and “non-stop” response, stressed.
“We do not feel threatened by the
boastful remarks of Zionist leaders, because they are creatures with
deep fright who continue crying out since they know that Iran’s response
to threats will be readymade, immediate and non-stop,” Major General
Firouzabadi told reporters on the sidelines of September 21 military
parades marking the anniversary of the Week of Sacred Defense here in
Tehran on Friday morning.
“The Zionist regime officials have
declared in their (military) estimates that military operations against
Iran neither can be done by Israel nor is useful for them,” he added.
He also stated that Iran’s armed forces
today are unpredictable and their strategy and actions cannot be
foreseen by the enemies.
The Sacred Defense Week, commemorating
Iranians’ sacrifices during the 8 years of Iraqi imposed war on Iran in
1980s, started on Friday with nationwide parades by various units of the
Islamic Republic Army, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Basij
(volunteer) forces in Southern Tehran. (Fars News Agency, September 23, 2012, emphasis added)
Reverse the Tide of War
We call upon our readers to spread the message far and wide.
We call upon people across the land, in America, Western Europe,
Israel, Turkey and around the world to rise up against this military
project, against their governments which are supportive of military
action against Iran, against the media which serves to camouflage the
devastating implications of a war against Iran.The people of Israel are largely united against Prime Minister Netanyahu’s resolve to attack Iran.
A protocol of non-aggression should be reached between Israel and Iran.
The first video game is, by definition, highly influential. Pong was not the very first of its kind, but it was the first arcade game to reach a massive audience, to make the format seem like something that might actually catch on. It was two paddles and a ball – literally a 2-D version of Ping Pong (hence the name) – but in 1972, it changed the world. In 1975, Atari released a home version of Pong that foreshadowed the day when kids would no longer need to beg quarters off their parents, or leave the house, to rot their brains playing video games.
What it got us: Pretty much every other game in existence, with a special shout out to the arcade classic Arkanoid.
2. Super Mario Brothers
Mario did more for video games and Italian stereotypes than any other single pop culture icon. There’s almost nothing about the original Nintendo game that isn’t memorable. I bet you’re humming the theme song right now. And the text that appeared at the end of every level, when Mario invariably failed in his ultimate mission – “But our princess is in another castle.” – is hard wired into the brain of everyone who ever owned the original NES. The game spawned numerous sequels that became the flagship of future platforms – they even busted out of their own genre, with the immensely popular Mario Kart series. There was even a point in the 90s where Mario became a doctor, but that’s best left in the past, where it belongs.
What it got us: Other than the billion sequel and spin off spawns of Mario, gems like the Sega Master System’s Alex Kidd in Miracle World owe their lives to that determined little plumber.
3. Pac Man
You can hear the wokka-wokka-wokka sound right now, can’t you? Also, have you ever gotten to triple banana? If the answer is yes – wow, you have not dated much, have you? Whether anyone else will admit it or not, you aren’t alone. Pac Man spawned a generation of little yellow half moon lovers and split people into two distinct groups: the type who try to hit the 1600 bonus number by chomping all the ghosts up before they stop flashing blue, and the type who try to make their way through as much maze as possible before the ghosts get pissed all over again. Choose your fate.
What it got us: Pac Man begat Ms. Pac Man, one of the first of many female heroines in video games.
4. Tetris
Tetris became so influential that it was one of the first applications to be banned on PCs in offices because people were wasting so much time trying to stack those blocks just so. People who had never played video games before, played Tetris – and loved it. It was also one of the first games that actually excelled once it was shrunk down to a smaller format, such as the original Nintendo Gameboy, and later, the PC screen. Also, to date, that has never been a long line piece when you really needed one.
What it got us: Besides fired, Tetris is the blueprint by which most timed puzzle games are based. None have come close to capturing the spirit of the original.
5. Grand Theft Auto
GTA is one of the most revolutionary games of its time. It’s transcended just being a game – it’s a lifestyle. Realistic fantasy is the best classification – you get to be a criminal, carrying out tasks for the local kingpin. Multiple sequels and a legion of devoted criminals in training testify to the awesomeness that has all the fun of a racing game, the challenge of a mission task game, and the fun of a role play game. Plus, you know, who doesn’t want to smack a bitch when she be mouthing off?
What it got us: GTA: San Andreas holds the record as the most successful game in the history of Playstation 2.
6. Space Invaders
If you’ve ever enjoyed a game involving blowing things up in space, Space Invaders would like to give you a sincere you’re welcome with a special shout out to Galaga and Missile Defense. It is also possibly responsible for the movie “Alien” though that remains an unsubstantiated rumor.
What it got us: Galaga and Missile Defense, for sure, but Space Invaders was so revolutionary that nearly any game on this list owes at least a tip of the hat to the original invasion team.
7. Wolfenstein 3D
What, you may be asking, is Wolfenstein 3D, and how can it be on this list if I’ve never played it? Well, Wolfenstein 3D is the first game that ever allowed you to take on a POV without seeing your character on screen, yet still kill things. Sound familiar? First Person Shooter games are now so popular we take for granted that for a very long time the idea of playing a character you couldn’t see was unheard of. Wolfenstein 3D is the reason you’re playing Halo on Xbox Live right now. I’d say you’re welcome, but you’re in a trench with a 13 year old kid in Denver and aren’t really paying attention to anything I’m saying right now, anyway.
What it got us: If you’ve ever played a First Person Shooter, you should get down on your knees to Wolfenstein 3D. Halo, Doom, Max Payne, Half-Life – all Wolfenstein, baby.
8. The Legend of Zelda
Few games are able to sustain and reinvent themselves quite so thoroughly without sacrificing the integrity of what made the game so memorable in the first place. The original Zelda game was a simplistic puzzle game with limited action – its sequel, A Link to the Past, for the Super NES, remains, to this day, a template for what a game should be. Zelda is now so popular that Nintendo often launches new platforms with a brand new entry in the franchise. Enterprising fans even wrote a song about how awesome they are: Legend of Zelda on YouTube
What it got us: Popular titles like the Professor Layton series and even massive roleplay games like Blizzard’s World of Warcraft owe more than a cursory thank you to the Princess Zelda.
9. Resident Evil
RE is responsible for the “survival horror” genre taking off big time. You start off in a dangerous location have to make it out alive. There’s a mystery and lots of dead bodies, which may not sound like much, but the simplest games are often the most addictive. Resident Evil brought the survival horror genre into the mainstream. It also spawned a series of movies starring Milla Jovovich, who is, unarguably, super hot.
What it got us: Besides the super hot Milla Jovovich movies, it completely revived the survival horror genre, inspiring a host of sequels, among them Resident Evil 4, which re-revolutionized the way this genre was played, prompting mega-franchise Gears of War to adopt RE’s over-the-shoulder view.
10. Call of Duty
CoD is one of the earliest FPS success stories. It began as a PC game and as popularity grew, so did its availability. Soon, Call of Duty and its sequels were being prepped for their close-up on the Xbox and Playstation systems. Of all the spawns, the Modern Warfare series of CoD is the most powerful, and was the first of the series not set during World War II. Semper Fi!
What it got us: A gaggle of sequels, a comic book, and countless action figures. It’s also become the template for military games.
Born in 1944 and U.S. Air Force-trained, Draper became a legendary phone phreak and an iconic figure in the world of computer programming. It all started while working as an engineer for National Semiconductor when he witnessed two blind kids using a modified toy whistle from a cereal box to make free phone calls through the payphone system. Using the mantle Captain Crunch, Draper popularized the use of the whistle and a host of other phreaking techniques. Although his crimes are not spectacular, his lasting effect on the computing world is.
9. Kevin Mitnick
Depending on who you ask, Mitnick is one of the greatest hackers to ever live or he was a poser simply in the right places at the right times. While at large and committing a coast-to-coast hacking spree, Mitnick received a great deal of media attention, and the FBI even labeled him “the most wanted computer criminal in United States history.” However, when convicted, the crimes did not seem overly notable, and Mitnick served less than six years in prison. Many consider this proof of his brilliance.
8. Adrian Lamo
Today, Lamo is a high-profile public speaker and an award-winning journalist. At the turn of the century, Lamo was a hacker exploiting the networks of companies like Microsoft and the New York Times. However, what made is accomplishments most impressive and earned him the moniker the “homeless hacker”, is that he used Internet cafes, libraries, and Kinko’s, to hack during the day, and squatted in abandoned buildings at night.
7. Sven Jaschan
The German Jaschan was just a 17-year old teen when he unleashed Sasser and Netsky on the Internet. These two viruses exposed a vulnerability in Windows, and the effect was more dramatic than we expected possible. It disabled the networks of businesses throughout the world, which even included shutting down airlines and entire satellite systems. Charged as a minor by the German government, Sven got off light, and we will feel his effect on Windows security for years to come.
6. Dmitri Galushkevich
In 2007, Estonia and Russia locked up in a conflict over the removal of Soviet-era statues. Therefore, when Estonia suffered the worst hacker attack in their history at that same time, it was easy to blame the Russians. The attack overloaded servers throughout the country shutting down all forms of commerce. In the end, the culprit was Galushkevich, a 20-year old ethnic Russian living in Estonia. Some still suggest that Galushkevich was a Russian pawn, but there was never any evidence to support that claim.
5. Robert Tappan Morris
The son of former NSA scientist Robert Morris became the very definition of Black Hat hacker when he unleashed the first computer worm on the Internet. To this day, Morris asserts that he built the Morris worm simply to evaluate the size of the Internet. However, it was clear that he had other plans for this excessively replicating worm that brought the Internet to its knees.
4. Kevin Poulsen
Known as Dark Dante and labeled the “the Hannibal Lector of computer crime” by law enforcement, Poulsen pulled off some of the most visible hacks in history. This included winning a Porsche from KIIS-FM radio station by taking over their phone lines, and even shutting down the phone lines of the America’s Most Wanted television program when he was the feature.
3. Raphael Gray
Also known as Curador, Gray, a Welsh teenager, insists he was trying to help by drawing attention to lax security systems. However, actions speak louder than words, and what he did was steal 26,000 credit card names and numbers of American, British, and Canadian customers in 2000. Then, rather than use them, he exposed all of that information online. Whatever his motives, it remains one of the most impressive network compromises to date.
2. Jonathan James
Perhaps James’/c0mrade’s greatest claim to fame is that at 16, he became the first juvenile hacker sent to prison. However, his offenses were legitimate and serious. His highest-profile crime occurred when he compromised NASA computers and stole software worth $1.7 million. Another major offense came when he installed backdoor access into the servers of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which is responsible for monitoring biological, chemical, conventional, nuclear, and special weapon threats to the U.S.
1. Gary McKinnon
Known widely as Solo, the Scottish conspiracy theorist McKinnon entered the networks of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Department of Defense, NASA, and Navy. What did he come for? He sought evidence of alien spacecraft, which he could use to solve the global energy crisis. McKinnon’s case is still ongoing, and his lawyers claim that he deserves special consideration because he is afflicted with Asperger’s Syndrome. However, the U.S. believes these excuses to be a ruse.
The combination of nanotech fuel cells, maglev wind power, hyper-efficient solar and 4th generation nuclear is relegating the traditional fossil fuels to obsolescence. The latter are, in any case, dwindling in availability - and have been for some time. Fusion power is also close to being perfected now.
Fusion power is nearing commercial availability
A prototype commercial fusion reactor is entering its final phase of operation.* DEMO (DEMOnstration Power Plant) is the successor to ITER and has built on the success of that project, achieving a number of major breakthroughs. Among the earlier problems which have now been solved are: containing the plasma at high enough temperatures, maintaining a great enough density of reacting ions, and capturing high-energy neutrons from the reaction without melting the walls of the interior.
Constructed from 2024 to 2033, DEMO is now close to being perfected - having undergone several years of testing, expansion and upgrades. Later this decade, it will be capable of producing a sustained output of 2 gigawatts (GW), making fusion commercially available for the first time.*
Claytronics are revolutionising the consumer market
Claytronics - also known as "programmable matter" - is enabling a host of new products to be developed. This revolutionary technology involves billions of tiny devices known as catoms (claytronic atoms). Joined electrostatically, these work in concert to produce dramatic changes on the macroscale.
Objects made of these catoms can be radically altered in form and function within a matter of seconds. Furniture can be morphed into new types, for instance. A bed could suddenly become a sofa, or a large table. Chairs can be instantly "moulded" to precisely suit the individual.
Walls, carpets, ceilings, doors and other surfaces can modify their colour or texture on demand.
Electronics are featuring this exotic material. They can be more adaptable to their environments, for instance - altering their structure to cope with dust and heat in a desert, then later shifting to resist humidity and moisture in a jungle, or even becoming completely waterproof. Screens can be physically enlarged for better viewing, or shrunk for greater portability. Devices worn on the head or ears can mould themselves to fit the individual. A keyboard or other interface can suddenly materialise on what was previously a blank surface.
Certain vehicles are making use of claytronics. Car interiors can be reconfigured for a particular journey, depending on the passengers or luggage. Tyres can be instantly adapted for different terrain or weather conditions.
Claytronics are especially popular in children's toys.
Various other everyday objects are now highly configurable and morphable.
Further into the future, programmable matter will enable the creation of entire simulated humans.*
Breakthroughs in carbon nanotube production
New processes have been developed for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes, which promise to revolutionise the fields of engineering, architecture and materials science.
Having been limited to a few centimetres, these structures can now reach potentially thousands of miles in length.* Combined with purification techniques ensuring maximum tensile strength (hundreds of times greater than steel), this means the technology for a space elevator is now available. Political and financial will are the only remaining obstacles for such a project.*
The graph below is based on United Nations population estimates.*
Water crisis in Europe
Due to global warming, the Alps are becoming largely devoid of snow for the first time in millions of years.*
Having served a vital role as the "water towers of Europe", this is having a catastrophic effect on water supplies. Major rivers such as the Rhine, Rhone and Danube have until now relied on snow and glacial melt from the Alps. Switzerland is being especially hard hit, with much of its electricity based on hydroelectric power.
In addition, record heatwaves are causing gigantic wildfires, the likes of which have never been seen before. At the foot of the mountains, rockfalls triggered by melting permafrost have caused widespread destruction to villages and towns.* Meanwhile, the tourist industry has been decimated, with skiing impossible in most areas.
Nanotech robot swarms are the latest in military hi-tech
In addition to larger machines, a new class of miniature robots is now appearing on the battlefield.* These are so small that they are barely visible to the naked eye, measuring less than a millimetre across. Viewed through a microscope, they would appear like tiny insects equipped with metallic wings and armed with diamond-sharp claws and teeth.
Individually, they are relatively harmless. However, the strength of these robots lies in their terrifying numbers, and their ability to work in autonomous networks guided by remote computers. Released from capsules dropped by UAVs, these machines are deployed in colossal swarms – often consisting of many trillions of individuals. At full spread, they can sometimes cover an area the size of a small town.
Collectively, they would appear like a diffuse, greyish cloud. For a potential enemy, the first warning sign of their approach might be a glittering of reflected sunlight in the distance. This would be followed by a high-pitched buzzing or humming sound, at the edge of the human auditory range. The next indicator would be the crumbling of trees, buildings and other nearby objects. Then the robots would attack... engulfing their victims like a swarm of locusts, eating through flesh within seconds and reducing organic material to dust.
Even those hidden within bunkers or underground shelters are vulnerable – the swarms dissolve all but the most heavily reinforced armour and can easily penetrate cracks, air vents, keyholes and the like.
In addition to their offensive capabilities, nanotech robot swarms can serve in a defensive role. By floating at low altitude in the sky, they can provide cover to advancing ground forces, acting as a shield or “buffer” against incoming projectiles.
This form of technology is so deadly that it has been placed in the same category as nuclear, chemical and biological weapons by the UN. A number of international treaties are signed over the following years, limiting its use. Safety mechanisms are also introduced, minimising its potential for adaption. Self-replicating variants, for example, are flat-out banned, as these could potentially consume the entire biosphere in a worst-case scenario. Fears are growing of a potential terrorist incident (or "nanocaust").
Manned missions to Phobos and Deimos
A decade after the Mars landings, follow-up missions to its satellites are being undertaken. Due to the low gravity and lack of atmosphere, these missions are actually easier (and cheaper) than going to Mars itself.
These tiny moons are found to contain pockets of water ice, along with carbon and silicates - greatly increasing their potential for colonisation.*
On Phobos, a series of habitation modules are subsequently built, together with small experimental mining facilities and a solar parabolic reflector. This allows the basics of carbon nanotube (CNT) production, as well as conversion of water into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel. Over the next few decades, the base is expanded further, eventually becoming self-sufficient.
Both moons are colonised, but Phobos in particular will play a key role in the development of Mars, being much closer to its parent planet than Deimos. As well as supplying raw materials, it will act as a stepping stone for astronauts arriving from Earth.
Above: Phobos (click to enlarge)
Floating hotels in the sky are heralding a new era in luxury transport*
Giant, vertical airships powered by a combination of hydrogen and solar energy are now a common method of holiday travel for the rich and famous. These ships are nearly 900ft tall when docked. They are capable of lifting 400 tons of payload, in addition to ferrying over 100 passengers and 20 crew to their destination.
Cruising at a maximum altitude of 12,000ft, the ships drift at a leisurely 60-90mph, depending on wind conditions. Popular routes include London to New York (37 hours) and Los Angeles to Shanghai (four days).
Huge internal spaces offer plentiful room for living, dining and relaxing. The lower deck contains a glass bottom floor, enabling passengers to view the land and sea beneath.
Safety is ensured thanks to self-sealing lifting bags. These are made from nanotechnology materials that minimise any potential for skin rupture.*
2044
Personal storage devices reach the zettabyte scale
Personal storage devices are now available with capacities of more than a zettabyte (1 billion terabytes). This is greater than the entire contents of the Internet in 2010. The data can be stored in a form factor measuring a few millimetres in size and costing under $100.
This capacity might seem excessive to observers from previous decades. It has become necessary in today's world, however, due to the exponential growth of information technology.* The day-to-day experiences of the average person now involve a staggering amount of data collating, analysis and dissemination - especially for those using biotechnology implants, Augmented Reality or neural interfaces.
The last veterans of WW2 are passing away
During this decade, the last surviving veterans of World War II are passing away. A small number of them reach their 120th year, allowing them to attend the 100th anniversary commemorations of D-Day, on 6th June 2044.
On this date, a time capsule is opened at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, close to the site of the Normandy landings which claimed so many lives. This contains press articles from the time - including a message from President Eisenhower to future generations.*
Humans are becoming intimately merged with machines
In some fields, the pace of technology has become so fast that humans can no longer comprehend it - unless they augment their own intelligence. This is particularly true of computing, nanotechnology, medicine and neuroscience, all of which have seen exponential progress.*
The typical desktop PC of today has an integrated AI system equivalent to over a billion human brains. This machine can think for itself, improve itself and generate information in ways that surpass even the greatest minds on Earth. Due to the flood of incoming data from the Internet and elsewhere, such computers receive literally millions of emails, status updates, news reports and other alerts each day.*
The only way for a user to interpret this avalanche of information is to merge their consciousness with the machine. A growing segment of society is now turning to on-person hardware to achieve this. The most popular method involves the use of microscopic, wireless, implantable devices linking neural activity directly to electronic circuitry. Such "nanobots" have already been used in full immersion VR and certain medical procedures. These latest versions are capable of marrying AI with human intelligence in ways that combine the best aspects of both.
No monitor or projector of any kind is required for today's computers. The nanobots instead generate a virtual image of the screen which is augmented in the user's field of vision. This operating system is controlled by their thoughts - and those of the AI - running at speeds vastly greater than a real time physical version would allow. Thousands of individual actions can be initiated within the space of a second, all thanks to the robust wireless connections between the nanobots and neurons.
If necessary, the user's entire sensory experience can be instantly shifted to a full immersion virtual reality. This is a popular choice for gaming and entertainment, but also has many practical applications in the world of business. Meetings and conferences can be hastily scheduled between vast numbers of participants from around the globe - sometimes with barely a few second's notice - and lasting only a few seconds in duration. Communicating at this speed is no longer possible using conventional means, which is creating an enormous divide between those who have the technology and those who don't.
For many people, nanobot implants are becoming permanent and essential - rather than temporary and optional - due to the bewildering speed and level of information now being encountered in day-to-day situations together with the explosive growth of AI. Military personnel, scientists and medical staff were among the first to take advantage of them, but mainstream society is now following.
People are merging with machines in various other ways, too. Nanobots can boost immune systems, for example - helping to exterminate pathogens. They can also regulate blood pressure, or repair some of the damage caused by the ageing process, or accelerate the healing of wounds. Cybernetic organs are now available that almost never fail and can filter deadly poisons. Brain-computer interfaces are increasingly used in middle class homes to open doors, control lighting and operate everyday appliances.
The most extreme cases of enhancement involve people opting for "decentralised" circulatory systems - along with a form of synthetic blood - reducing physical vulnerability still further. This particular option is only available to the rich, as it involves a highly complicated procedure that radically alters their internal anatomy. The end result is that a person can survive multiple gunshot wounds or other damage relatively easily. Certain politicians are taking advantage of this - especially those in unstable regions - along with gangland bosses and career criminals.
The line between man and machine is starting to blur. Later this century, there will no longer be a clear distinction.
The demand for food and fresh water is far outstripping the supply. Climate change is devastating entire regions, turning vast areas of farmland and forest into arid desert, creating literally tens of millions of refugees. There is a great deal of conflict across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the southern states of America, South America, and parts of southern Europe during this time.
Faced with growing social unrest, China transitions towards a Russian-style democracy. The ongoing internet/IT revolution and the resulting decentralisation of communication has brought down many of its former barriers.
Major extinctions of animal and plant life
By the end of this decade, many well-known animal species are going extinct, or else have declined in such huge numbers that only those in captivity now exist.
Off the eastern coast of Australia one of the world's most beautiful natural wonders - the Great Barrier Reef - has been virtually destroyed by climate change, with less than 2% of coral remaining.* Rising levels of greenhouse gases have made the water too acidic for calcium-based organisms to grow.* Most of the colourful fish for which the reef is famous have also disappeared. On land, more than 50% of the continent's 400 butterfly species have died out, as well as numerous reptiles including Boyd's forest dragon, a rare and colourful lizard.
In Europe, an astonishing 50% of amphibians have disappeared due to pollution, disease and loss of habitat caused by climate change. This includes many previously common species of frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians.* On the same continent, more than 20% of bird species have been lost, and around 15% of plants.
In South Africa's Kruger national park, a major conservation area, nearly 60% of the species under its protection have been lost. In the same region, 35% of proteaceae flowering plants have disappeared - including the national flower, the King Protea.*
In South America, nearly half of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed, with more than 2,000 native tree species becoming extinct.
In Mexico, nearly 30% of animal species are either extinct, or critically endangered.
In Southeast Asia, the Indian elephant is on the brink of extinction. Once a common sight in this part of the world, it has declined in huge numbers due to poaching for the ivory of its tusks, loss of habitat, and human conflict.
In the Arctic, nearly 70% of polar bears have disappeared due to the shrinking of summer ice caused by global warming. By 2080 they will disappear from Greenland entirely, and from the northern Canadian coast, leaving only dwindling numbers in the interior Arctic archipelago.
Many other well-known species of fish, bird and mammal become critically endangered around this time.
This period is often referred to as the Holocene extinction event. As a direct result of human influences, the rate of species extinctions this century is between 100 and 1000 times the natural "background" or average extinction rates in the evolutionary time scale of Earth.
The near-Earth asteroid 2007 VK184 makes a close pass
This object - measuring 130m in diameter - has a 1 in 3,000 chance of hitting the Earth on this date. It was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey in 2007. Ignoring the acceleration of the asteroid due to the Earth's gravity, its velocity relative to the Earth at the intersection of their orbits would be 15.63 km/s.
If such an impact were to occur, it would likely break into several pieces in the atmosphere. However, these individual chunks of rock may still be large enough to cause widespread devastation, if landing in populated areas. For comparison, the Tunguska event of 1908 was thought to have been caused by an object measuring 30-50m. This was large enough to produce an airburst equivalent to thousands of Hiroshima bombs.
Robots are a common feature of homes and workplaces
Though human-level sentience has yet to be fully realised, robots are now appearing in mainstream society in a wide variety of forms and functions.*
Mobile, humanoid androids are popular amongst the elderly, widowed, and those who are disabled or incapacitated in some way - in which role they serve as excellent companions, guides and carers. They are also popular amongst the lonely and socially anxious, who can develop relationships without the fear or hang-ups normally found with human company.* Those seeking "alternative" lifestyles are also making use of androids.*
Sports enthusiasts are making use of robots - as running partners, for example, on squash and tennis courts, and in certain fighting/fencing games where they can simulate world-class players. Countries such as Japan and Korea have even started broadcasting their own "Robot Olympics", attracting millions of viewers.*
The cheapest android models are available for less than $1,000 now, and are stocked by many high street retailers - including hardware stores, department stores and electronics shops.
The robots are customised in the factory beforehand - decorated with skin, clothes, hair and other desired features (pictured above is a bare generic model before this process has occurred). All of the personal information required to cater for their "owner" is pre-programmed into the android's brain.
Government legislation regarding these machines is complicated - and requires years to be fully implemented - but in every country, without exception, the machines adhere to three basic laws. These were postulated almost a century earlier by the science fiction writer, Isaac Asimov:
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm 2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law
In urban locations, robots are usually powered by wireless energy transfer. In more remote outdoor environments they can utilise internal super-batteries and photovoltaic polymers coated on their bodies. Piezoelectric meshes in their skins - which generate small amounts of electricity through movement - provide a tertiary source of power.
Practically every warehouse and factory in the developed world now has operations run entirely by robots - which can navigate their way through aisles and shelves, identify products and load them onto delivery vans with little or no human intervention (and at speeds and efficiencies which far outpace the latter). Even most delivery trucks are now automated, thanks to advanced AI and road traffic systems, with robots unloading goods when the vehicle has reached its destination.
One particular fad at the moment is for robot cats, dogs and other domestic pets with highly realistic movements and behaviour, often indistinguishable from the real thing. These have a number of advantages - such as never getting sick or dying, never requiring food or water, never scratching or biting their owners, and never leaving a mess around the home. Certain species of tropical fish are also popular in robot form, especially those which have recently become extinct. In museums and outdoor exhibitions, breathtaking recreations of dinosaurs and other prehistoric life are now on display.
Almost every large office and corporation features robots now - from wheeled models which distribute post, to those in reception-based roles which meet and greet visitors and assist with queries, to more advanced models capable of handling security and maintaining facilities.
In hospitals, delicate procedures involving nanotechnology devices are given over exclusively to robot machinery, capable of far greater precision than human hands.
Agriculture and food production is heavily reliant on robots. With much of the world's arable land turning to desert, hydroponic "vertical farms" are a common feature of urban centres. These carefully controlled environments are tended by robots and automated systems, and often require the analytical skills of machines rather than humans.
The physical side of military operations is handled extensively by robots now - on land, in the air, and at sea. Formidable humanoid machines equipped with a plethora of devastating firepower can be sent deep into enemy territory, left to operate autonomously for months at a time if necessary, and serving in a wide variety of roles; from solitary patrol and scouting missions, to offensive strikes involving thousands of machines working in unison. Human enemies stand little to no chance against this kind of onslaught, which is giving developed nations an overwhelming advantage over terrorist renegades.
In space, robots have probed and explored hundreds of moons in the outer solar system, and are playing a key role in the Mars colony.
