Welcome to Backstory, a weekly newsletter turning global technology shifts into a three-minute read. This week, we’re thinking about how to understand future technology trends – Mary Ames, Director of Strategy

THE BIG TAKE

It’s time to read more Science Fiction

How often have you heard someone describing a new trend in technology as something “out of a work of science fiction”? If you are a long-term reader of Backstory, you have likely found that phase in this very newsletter. While it might be overused, there has never been a better time to jump into the world of science fiction as a way of thinking about future trends in technology. Quality science fiction is no longer confined to western writers. Some of the most exciting books on the market are coming from the non-West. Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem is the perfect example of this exciting trend. 

A peek at the future: At first glance, The Three-Body Problem is a classic alien visitation saga (which will soon become a Netflix series). During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, scientists contact an alien civilization that is remarkably close to Earth. Throughout three books, Liu outlines the various technologies at play in shockingly accessible detail. The concepts he outlines are borrowed from theoretical science and feel like peeking into the future of technology and space exploration. For example, a great deal of effort is given to explaining how nano computing and nanomaterials operate (don’t worry, we aren’t giving away any of the plot).   

The near future: Liu’s work, like other great science fiction tales, transports the reader to the near future. Through his writing, we can see how society might change due to radical scientific advancements or an encounter with an alien civilization. There is perhaps no other area of literature that is so stimulating and useful for society today. As our technology continues to grow exponentially, it’s critical to look through the ideas of visionary authors to get their perspective on what’s coming down the pike. It’s a perfect time to jump into science fiction.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“An old friend of mine, a journalist, once said that paradise on earth was to work all day alone in anticipation of an evening in interesting company.”

– Ian McEwan, writer

OUR VIEWS THIS WEEK

Expo 2020 is around the corner: The countdown is on! Expo 2020 is less than 100 days away, and Dubai is gearing up to welcome the world. The world, however, is a much different place than we thought it would be when the Expo was originally envisioned for Dubai. Instead of shying away from the changed realities we all face, the UAE is embracing them for this Expo. In fact, the country is showing its leadership in the post-pandemic landscape having just secured its position as the world’s most vaccinated country. The UAE is demonstrating through action that it is ready to lead in the post-pandemic world. 

Taking flight:Some parts of the world are opening up (finally!), which means that more of us are jumping on airplanes. To say that the airline industry had a rough year would be an understatement, but now that people are flying again, we decided to take stock of the sector and chart where the next innovations will take shape. Here’s a hint: we are about to see supersonic airplanes running on clean biofuel. Exciting times ahead!

SPOTTED ELSEWHERE

The power of AI: What if artificial intelligence could bring back a deceased loved one? That might seem like a pipe dream, but movements are happening. The San Francisco Chronicle published a must-read story about a man who used a GPT-3 chatbot to, in some sense, speak with his long-dead finance. The future is closer (and weirder) than you think. 

The economics of your diet: There are many reasons why someone might consider eating less meat, ranging from environmental to ethical, but the recent spike in food prices is driving some to adopt vegetarianism purely for economic reasons. Axios published data last week that shows vegetarian food staples are much cheaper than meat during the current wave of inflation hitting the global economy. Something to consider.

QUICK HITS

• Which Olympic national teams are the most vaccinated against Covid-19?

• A real-life bear saga in Alaska.

• The tyranny of spreadsheets.

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