What is coming next?

It seems that today, we are always on the verge of the next big discovery. Two that come to my mind are artificial intelligence (AI) and nuclear fusion.

With its potential to revolutionize our daily lives (and even eliminate human work), AI is a marvel that sparks both hope and fear. Some leading researchers speculate that AI could spell the end of humanity, while others envision the beginning of Utopia.

Regardless of the future AI holds, the prospect of such radical change is undeniably intriguing.

Nuclear fusion is a source of energy scientists have worked on theoretically for decades. But we are finally getting close to practicality, with international collaborations like ITER paving the way.

To harness fusion energy would be like creating our own Sun that we could use to power Earth. The energy produced would be immense and free of carbon emissions and waste products that plague energy methods like fossil fuels and nuclear fission.

If humanity figures out fusion, it would be a massive step towards solving our one of our most significant challenges: global warming.

Where are we going?

Often, depictions of the future are abstractions from the present. The classic example is flying cars. People saw cars and assumed the future would have a more "souped up" version.

But, in reality, tomorrow cannot be abstracted from yesterday because the inventions that shape humanity are unexpected.

In 1439, creating books was a painstaking process of physical copying.

In 1440, the printing press emerged, transforming everything.

Similarly, the advent of electricity in the 1800s revolutionized our relationship with darkness. And more recently, the internet exploded into our lives, reshaping nearly everything.

The question is, what will the next breakthrough be?

What technology, philosophy, or event will shape the 21st century?

It could be AI, fusion, quantum computers, or even medical nanobots that extend the average life expectancy far beyond 100 years.

Or it could be something entirely unpredictable. An invention I cannot fathom, let alone accept, due to its radical nature.

The next monumental leap may occur this century, and the most thrilling part is that we have no idea what it will be.