What the Future Looks Like

April 1, 2018

This collection of essays edited by quantum physicist Al-Khalili (Paradox: The Nine Greatest Enigmas in Physics) focuses on domain futurology; where discoveries in rapidly changing industries appear to be taking us. The contributors consider both the promises and perils of new discoveries in their respective fields, from biology to energy, demography to genomics. The increasing overlap among these fields, and the complexity and rate of change within them, make accurate long-term predictions extremely difficult. Several chapters, such as those on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and transport are intensely topical and describe environments that have recently exploded into the public consciousness following various technological synergies. Other chapters, such as those on climate change and apocalypses, explore preexisting existential threats that are no less worthy of coverage despite their greater familiarity. VERDICT The focus on sincere, factual presentation of current and future possibilities by leading experts is particularly welcome in this era of fake news and anti-science rhetoric. Younger readers surveying career options in the sciences will find much inspiration here, while the most widely read science generalists will be sure to learn something new.--Ricardo Laskaris, York Univ. Lib., Toronto

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