In 1975 Ernest Callenbach published Ecotopia (revisited by NY Times here), a novel which quickly gained cult status (see also video). Three years later, fascinated by the book, architect Craig Hodgetts (of Hodgetts+Fung Design) crafted a set of amazing drawings depicting some of the scenes and concept envisioned in the book, eager to produce Ecotopia for the big screen. Imagine retro-yet-ever-so-futuristic balloon generators over San Francisco Bay, solar-powered high-speed mag-lev trains, helium-filled mylar balloons to lift and orient a wind-powered generator, … Join discussion...

A proposed city in South Korea, Gwanggyo, will feature hill-shaped buildings, with hedges planted on the terraces and roofs, to improve ventilation and reduce energy use. The design will be one of two centres envisioned for the future new town, a self sufficient city of 77,000 inhabitants located 35 km south of Seoul. Join discussion...

The ‘green movement’ has swept the world and architecture is at the forefront of the new industrial revolution - buildings being by far the biggest energy-sappers in the world. Many contemporary architects are limited by the confines of budgets, time tables and constricting clients. Some industrious innovators, however, are breaking convention and collaborating to launch our imaginations into the future of green design. A surprising number of the following projects are even slated to be built. Join discussion...

A lump of rock more than 40 meters in diameter speeding through space at 28,000 mph, once considered the most dangerous object in the universe, is about to become the site for humanity’s next “giant leap for mankind.” NASA engineers have selected asteroid 2000SG344 – which in 2000 was given a significant chance of slamming into Earth with the explosive power of 750 Hiroshimas – as the perfect space object to study. The operation would take place before the 2030 Mars journey, a speculative trip bandied about ever since the first President Bush mentioned in 1989 that America should send men to the red planet. The asteroid mission represents a crucial step for America’s space program. A report to be published next month in the journal Acta Astronautica describes plans to use the soon-to-be-developed Orion space ship for a three-to-six month round-trip to the asteroid, with two explorers spending up to two weeks on the rock’s surface. As well as providing experience for longer Mars trips, samples taken from the rock could help scientists convert sub-surface ice into drinking water and breathable oxygen, understand more about the birth of the solar system, and how best to defend Earth against dangerous asteroid collisions. Join discussion...

At the end of the year 2008 we will see a lot of new predictions for the upcoming years. Of course Extend Limits will also give it’s future predictions for 2009 and further. For now it’s IBM with five key developmens for the next five years. Developments which will change our lives according to IBM. Join discussion...

Ian Neild, BT Group Chief Technology Office, for his big predictions for the year 2017. “Thinking of what the next generation of game consoles and the way we interact with them, the rise of big high definition displays and the uptake of broadband means it is going to be a fun 10 years. Join discussion...

Senior SETI astronomer Seth Shostak’s prediction that ET intelligences will be discovered within “two dozen years” seems to have the proviso “if we get the funding:” Join discussion...

1. Everything you say and do will be recorded by 2030. By the late 2010s, ubiquitous, unseen nanodevices will provide seamless communication and surveillance among all people everywhere. Humans will have nanoimplants, facilitating interaction in an omnipresent network. Everyone will have a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. Since nano storage capacity is almost limitless, all conversation and activity will be recorded and recoverable. -Gene Stephens, "Cybercrime in the Year 2025," July-Aug 2008, p. 34 2. Bioviolence will become a greater threat as the technology becomes more accessible. Emerging scientific disciplines (notably genomics, nanotechnology, and other microsciences) could pave the way for a bioattack. Bacteria and viruses could be altered to increase their lethality or to evade antibiotic treatment. Another long-term risk comes from nanopollution fallout from warfare. Nanoparticles could potentially cause new diseases with unusual and difficult-to-treat symptoms, and they will inflict damage far beyond the traditional battlefield, even affecting future generations. -Barry Kellman, "Bioviolence: A Growing Threat," May-June 2008, p. 25 et seq.; Antonietta M. Gatti and Stefano Montanari, "Nanopollution: The Invisible Fog of Future Wars," May-June 2008, p. 32 Join discussion...

Mobile phones will be equipped with 12 MP to 20 MP cameras with full HD capability by 2012 via 100Mbps transmission, according to Jonas Lundstedt, Director of Ericsson's Product and Portfolio Management. Join discussion...

Understanding Consciousness Getting Closer By Dick Pelletier Researchers at the Allen Institute for Brain Science have successfully mapped the genome of a mouse spinal cord and made the data freely available to scientists around the world. Howard Hughes Medical Institute created the Janelia Farm Research Campus which will eventually be staffed by 300 of the world’s top neuroscientists with goals to unravel the mysteries of the human brain. One of their projects includes observing neuronal activity at the moment thoughts are created and record those details. Some say this could one day lead to the transfer of human consciousness (mid-2030s or so). Join discussion...