Top 10 Scientific Advancements That Could END THE WORLD

Black holes are central to understanding quantum physics and general relativity. In 2022, to further this knowledge, researchers at the University of Amsterdam created an artificial black hole. As a general rule, this type of experiment isn’t inherently dangerous. The creation of a dangerous black hole would require a massive amount of energy. The amount of energy, say, created by a fusion reaction. But, in November 2022, scientists at Livermore National Labs took a big step in that direction. They achieved fusion ignition, producing more energy than they put in. We are years, maybe decades away from sustainable fusion power. Still, the day may soon come when scientists perfect this technology that could easily consume the planet.

The discovery of penicillin in 1928 was one of the greatest achievements in medicine. For almost a century, doctors have treated formerly deadly infections with a simple drug. But overuse of antibiotics, especially in the U.S., has led to more and more strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These ‘superbugs’ surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists are in an arms race with bacteria, struggling to keep up with resistance. The good news is that there was a huge breakthrough in 2022. Scientists used algorithms to unlock new formulae for novel antibiotics to fight resistance. But will that lead to newer, even more resistant superbugs? Is an arms race with bacteria doomed to fail?

The first synthetic plastic was invented by a Belgian scientist in 1907. In the century that followed, plastics have become a central pillar of modern life. But there is a real danger. The Great Pacific Garbage patch is a startling example of the spread of plastic waste. Plastic particles pollute the entire world, from the peaks of Mount Everest to the depths of the ocean. It’s infiltrated the food chain, threatening the biodiversity of marine life. Scientists in 2022 discovered the spread of nanoplastics in donated blood. Plastics have been connected to various types of cancer, diabetes, and can affect organ function and the neurological and reproductive systems. Plastic contributes to climate change, pollutes the air, and permeates our food supply.

Fracking is a method of harvesting oil and natural gas by injecting pressurized water and chemicals into the ground. It was invented in 1947, but its use has surged in the last few decades. Fossil fuel companies go into communities from Pennsylvania to Wyoming, buying fracking rights to your land. They pitch it, now, as clean energy (it’s not) and an easy way for landowners to make extra cash. They forget to mention the methane and chemicals leaching into the water supply. Videos of flammable tap water have gone viral for years. In drought-stricken western states, fracking wastes a dwindling resource. Oklahoma, a big fracking state, has suffered fracking-induced earthquakes. In almost innumerable ways, fracking degrades our already-deficient infrastructure.

Humans have been experimenting with genetic modification since Gregor Mendel in the 1800s. Today, GMO crops have become a larger proportion of the foods we eat as Big Agg adapts to a growing population. While the public tends to catastrophize the health risks, the long term effects are not yet clear. Some studies have linked GMO crops to a rise in food allergies, the compromise of immune systems, and antibiotic resistance. One definitive danger is seed monopolies. As time marches on, fewer and fewer companies control the food we eat. The ‘big four’ agriculture companies, including Monsanto, control 80 percent of the US corn market. Crop biodiversity is shrinking, making the global food supply chain vulnerable to an ecological disaster.

The debate over the origins of COVID-19 has renewed fears of a world-ending viral lab leak. While evidence of COVID coming from a lab is thin, the fear is real. The 1977 Russian flu, H1N1, may have leaked from labs in the Soviet Union and China. Today, many governments have stockpiles of dangerous diseases. Some of this research is completely unnecessary except to weaponize viruses. For example, researchers in 2011 discovered a way to spread bird flu to mammals. Had that leaked, it could have created a lethal global pandemic. As we have seen, COVID spread quickly and killed millions around the world. Biolabs have layers upon layers of protection, but it only takes one human error to lead to disaster.

Nanotechnology is an exciting field of research. Microscopic robots can be used in multiple fields. They have applications in genetics and medicine, space travel, 3d printing, AI. Nanotechnology is on pace to become ubiquitous, which makes it dangerous. One website provides DIY instructions for a $500 nanotech DNA lab. Nanotech can be used for bioterrorism and the development of widespread chemical or biological weapons. Worse, nanotechnology is unpredictable. With advances in self-replication, it could be catastrophic. In his book Engines of Creation, a pioneer of nanotech described what he called “The Grey Goo Problem.” An industrial accident, he explains, could lead to self-replicating nanobots spreading ‘like blowing pollen,’ which could decimate the biosphere in days.

The internal combustion engine is, arguably, one of the most important inventions in human history. First invented in the 1700s, it effectively shrank the world. Distances that once took weeks or months to traverse now take hours or days. Globalization is only possible because vehicles allow people and goods to quickly travel around the planet. But it all came down to a choice made in the early 19th century: electric and gas-powered cars were invented at the same time. Electronic vehicles were popular in cities while gas vehicles were prevalent in more rural areas. Ultimately, the power of big oil and the lack of electric infrastructure led to the supremacy of gas. Unfortunately, the burning of fossil fuels has led to cataclysmic climate change.

AI technology takes huge steps forward year after year. In 2022 and 2023, AI art and chatbots spread like wildfire on social media. The applications of AI are endless - in 2020, for example, AI helped make huge leaps forward in protein folding. But we are also seeing the dangers in real time: AI as it currently operates reflects our own biases. Use of AI is replete with sexism and racism. If this isn’t addressed as it evolves past human intelligence, AI could become an existential threat. Combined with advances in deepfake technology, a sentient AI could trick us into destroying ourselves. When combined with advanced robotics, we could be looking at a real-life Skynet.

When Robert Oppenheimer witnessed the Trinity nuclear test in 1945, he famously quoted the Bhagavad Gita: "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." When the Cold War ended, the world breathed a sigh of relief as fears of nuclear armageddon receded. Unfortunately, that relief was premature. A nuclear North Korea may push South Korea and the U.S. to the brink. Several U.S. generals and congressmen have predicted all-out war with China before 2030. Kashmir is a powderkeg between India and Pakistan. Russia has threatened to use nukes in Ukraine. There are fault lines all over the world that could lead to nuclear conflict. And, in a global nuclear war, there can be no winners.