Technology (Terra Futura)

Welcome to the Technology page for the Terra Futura project.

Ever since the development of stone tools, humanity has been inventing progressively more advanced forms of technology which would also change society. In the future, technology will become more advanced, and society will change even farther eventually becoming alien to modern man. Also, technology will cause humanity to turn something that is completely different from humanity today.

Technology Levels
This technology level scale is a modified version of the one that was created by technology enthusiast Paul Lucas for his website, orbitalvector.com. The modifications are based on Michio Kaku's Physics of the Future. Here it is: (Note: Levels 13-15 are purely arbitrary and depend on how science plays out in the future.)

Materials

 * Steel (TL 7-10)
 * Concrete (TL 8-10)
 * Kevlar (TL 9-10)
 * Gorilla Glass (TL 9-10)
 * Silicon (TL 9-10)
 * Carbon Fiber Composites (TL 10)
 * Carbon Nanotubes (TL 10)
 * Spider Silk (TL 10)
 * Silicon Nanowires (TL 10)
 * Graphene (TL 10)
 * Rare-Earths (TL 10)
 * Samarium/Cobalt Alloy (TL 10)
 * Nanoparticles (TL 10)
 * Lithium (TL 10)
 * Hydrogen (TL 10)
 * Bioplastic (TL 10)
 * Liquid Glass Spray (TL 10)
 * Sharklet (TL 10)
 * Self-Healing Plastic (TL 10)
 * Magnetorheological Fluid (TL 10)
 * Synthetic Gecko Skin (TL 10-11)
 * Synthetic Chameleon Skin (TL 10-11)
 * Piezoelectric Ceramics (TL 10-11)
 * Artificial Muscles (TL 10-11)
 * Metamaterials (TL 11-12)
 * Room-Temperature Superconductors (TL 12)
 * Monomolecular Wire (TL 12)
 * Island of Stability (TL 12-13)
 * Metastable Allotropes (TL 12-13)
 * Exotic Materials (TL 13-15)

Post-Silicon

 * Tri-Gate Transistors (TL 10)
 * Carbon Nanotube Transistors (TL 10)
 * Graphene Transistors (TL 10)
 * Memristors (TL 10)
 * Spintronics (TL 10)
 * Photonic Computers (TL 10-11)
 * Plasmonic Computers (TL 10-11)
 * DNA Computers (TL 10-11)
 * Quantum Computers (TL 10-11)

Automation

 * Driverless Vehicles (TL 10-11)

Ubiquitous Computing

 * 5G Mobile Phones (TL 10)
 * Virtual Retinal Displays (TL 10)
 * Teleconferencing (TL 10)
 * Telepresence (TL 10)
 * Electronic Paper (TL 10)
 * Brain-Computer Interfaces (TL 10-11)

Virtual Reality

 * Virtual Reality (TL 10-11)
 * Full Immersion Virtual Reality (TL 11)
 * Augmented Reality (TL 11)
 * Universal Translators (TL 11)
 * Holodecks (TL 11)

Robots and Artificial Intelligence

 * Heuristics (TL 10)
 * Reverse Engineering The Brain (TL 10-11)
 * Modular Robots (TL 11)
 * Artificial Sentience (TL 12)
 * Artificial Synthetic Life (TL 12)

Merging With Robots

 * Powered Exoskeletons (TL 10-11)
 * Cyborgs (TL 10-12)
 * Surrogates and Avatars (TL 12-13)
 * Mind Uploading (TL 12-13)

Mind Over Matter

 * Mind Reading (TL 10-12)
 * Tricorders (TL 10-12)
 * Portable MRIs (TL 10-12)
 * Photographing A Dream (TL 12)
 * Telekinesis (TL 12-13)

Genetic Engineering

 * Genomic Medicine (TL 10)
 * Replacing Organs (TL 10-11)
 * Cloning (TL 10-11)
 * Curing Genetic Disorders (TL 10-11)
 * Supersoldiers (TL 11)
 * Designer Babies (TL 11)
 * Expressive Augmentation (TL 11)
 * Eternal Youth (TL 12)
 * Jurassic Park (TL 10-12)
 * Synthetic Life (TL 10-12)

Nanotechnology

 * Nanomedicine (TL 10)
 * DNA Chips (TL 10)
 * Nanotech Clothes (TL 10-12)
 * Programmable Matter (TL 11-12)
 * Nanofabricators (TL 12)
 * Picotechnology (TL 12-13)
 * Femtotechnology (TL 13)
 * Replicators (TL 13)

Fossil Fuels

 * Coal (TL 7-10)
 * Petroleum (TL 8-10)
 * Natural Gas (TL 9-10)

Biofuels

 * Biomass Fuels (TL 10)
 * Cellulosic Ethanol (TL 10-11)
 * Algae Fuel (TL 10-11)

Solar

 * Photovoltaics (TL 9-10)
 * Masdar City (TL 10)
 * Artificial Photosynthesis (TL 10)
 * Solar Thermal Power (TL 10-11)
 * Solar Power Satellites (TL 11)

Geothermal

 * Dry Steam Geothermal Power (TL 9)
 * Flash Steam Geothermal Power (TL 10)
 * Binary Cycle Geothermal Power (TL 10-11)

Wind

 * Horizontal Axis Turbines (TL 8-10)
 * Vertical Axis Turbines (TL 8-10)
 * Super Wind Turbines (TL 10)
 * Inflatable Wind Turbines (TL 10)
 * Flying Wind Turbines (TL 10)
 * Drum Turbines (TL 10)
 * Windbelts (TL 10-11)

Hydroelectric

 * River Current Power (TL 8-10)
 * Tidal Power (TL 10)
 * Wave Power (TL 10)

Batteries

 * Lithium-ion Batteries (TL 10)
 * Fuel Cells (TL 10)
 * Ultracapacitors (TL 10)
 * Compulsators (TL 10)
 * Flywheel Batteries (TL 11)
 * Explosive Power Generators (TL 12)
 * Superconducting Batteries (TL 12)

Nuclear

 * Fission Power (TL 9-10)
 * Fusion Power (TL 11-12)

Antimatter

 * Antimatter Injection (TL 12)
 * Antimatter Traps (TL 12)
 * Antimatter-induced Fusion (TL 12)
 * Matter-Antimatter Annihilation (TL 13)
 * Antimatter Factories (TL 13)

Quantum

 * Zero-Point Energy (TL 14)

Cars

 * Gasoline Cars (TL 8-10)
 * Diesel Cars (TL 9-10)
 * Natural Gas Cars (TL 10)
 * Hydrogen Cars (TL 10) (Note: This is for internal combustion engine cars only.)
 * Biofuel Cars (TL 10)
 * Hybrid Cars (TL 10)
 * Plug-in Hybrid Cars (TL 10)
 * Electric Cars (TL 10-11)
 * Fuel Cell Cars (TL 10-11)
 * Maglev Cars (TL 11-12)

Buses

 * Diesel Buses (TL 8-10)
 * Bio-Diesel Buses (TL 9-10)
 * Natural Gas Buses (TL 10)
 * Hybrid Buses (TL 10)
 * Plug-in Hybrid Buses (TL 10)
 * Electric Buses (TL 10-11)
 * Fuel Cell Buses (TL 10-11)
 * Maglev Buses (TL 11-12)

Trains

 * Steam Locomotives (TL 7-10)
 * Diesel Locomotives (TL 8-10)
 * Electric Locomotives (TL 8-10)
 * Multiple-Unit Trains (TL 9-12)
 * High-Speed Rail (TL 9-12)
 * Maglev Trains (TL 10-12)
 * Vactrains (TL 11-12)

Other

 * Hyperloops (TL 10-11)

Airplane Design

 * Conventional Aircraft (TL 8-10)
 * Wing-In-Ground Effect Aircraft (TL 9-10)
 * Forward-Swept Wing Aircraft (TL 9-10)
 * Flying Wing Aircraft (TL 9-10)
 * Box Wing Aircraft (TL 10)
 * Blended Wing Body Aircraft (TL 10-11)
 * Ornithopters (TL 11-12)
 * Oblique Flying Wing Aircraft (TL 11-12)

Airplane Engine

 * Turbofan Jet Engines (TL 9-10)
 * Ramjet Engines (TL 9-10)
 * Pulse Detonation Engines (TL 10-11)
 * Precooled Jet Engines (TL 10-11)
 * Scramjet Engines (TL 11-12)

Helicopters

 * Conventional Helicopters (TL 9-10)
 * Tip-Jet Helicopters (TL 9-10)
 * X-Wing Helicopters (TL 9-10)
 * Tiltrotor Aircraft (TL 10)
 * Canard Rotor-Wing Helicopters (TL 10)
 * Mono Tiltrotor Aircraft (TL 10)
 * Compound Coaxial Helicopters (TL 10)

Airships

 * Hybrid Airships (TL 10)
 * Advanced Airships (TL 11)
 * Stratellites (TL 11)
 * Stratostations (TL 11)
 * Orbital Ascender Airships (TL 11)
 * Vacuum Airships (TL 12)
 * Helicarriers (TL 12-13)

Diving Equipment

 * Monofins (TL 10)
 * Atmospheric Diving Suits (TL 10-11)
 * Liquid Breathing Rigs (TL 11)
 * Artificial Gills (TL 11)
 * Extreme Depth Atmospheric Diving Suits (TL 12-13)

Surface Ships

 * Advanced Aircraft Carriers (TL 10)
 * Air Cavity Hulls (TL 10)
 * Semi-Submerged Yachts (TL 10)
 * Kite Assisted Ships (TL 10)
 * Sea Orbiters (TL 10)
 * Megaships (TL 11)
 * Mobile Modular Seabases (TL 11)

Submersibles

 * Underwater Gliders (TL 10)
 * Subsea Crawlers (TL 10-11)
 * Concrete Submarines (TL 11)
 * Mobile Underwater Habitats (TL 11)
 * Mobile Drilling Platforms (TL 11)

Oceanic Habitation

 * Artificial Islands (TL 10-11)
 * Underwater Hotels (TL 10)
 * Underwater Bases (TL 11)
 * Energy Islands (TL 11)
 * Underwater Cities (TL 12)
 * Underwater Colonies (TL 12)
 * Extreme Depth Habitats (TL 13)

Orbital Spaceflight

 * Spaceports (TL 10-13)
 * Spaceplanes (TL 10-12)
 * Aerospikes (TL 10)
 * Suborbital Passenger Travel (TL 10-12)
 * Single-Space-To-Orbit Spacecraft (TL 10)
 * Dropships (TL 10-12)
 * Inflatable Reentry Shields (TL 10)
 * Launch Rails (TL 10)
 * Launch Guns (TL 11-12)
 * Inflatable Launch Towers (TL 11)
 * Lightcraft (TL 11-12)
 * Tether Propulsion (TL 11-12)
 * Space Elevators (TL 11-12)
 * Space Fountains (TL 12)

Interplanetary Spaceflight

 * Interplanetary Superhighway (TL 10)
 * Ion Drive (TL 10)
 * Magnetoplasmadynamic Thrusters (TL 10)
 * Nuclear Thermal Rockets (TL 10-11)
 * Interplanetary Cyclers (TL 10-11)
 * Solar Thermal Rockets (TL 11)
 * Lorentz Propulsion Microprobes (TL 11)
 * VASIMR Rockets (TL 11)
 * Nuclear Pulse Propulsion (TL 11-12)
 * Solar Sails (TL 11-12)
 * Metastable Helium Rockets (TL 12)
 * Metallic Hydrogen Rockets (TL 12)
 * Fusion Rockets (TL 12-13)
 * Impulse Drive (TL 13-14)

Interstellar Travel

 * Generation Ships (TL 11-15)
 * Sleeper Ships (TL 12)
 * Interstellar Lorentz Microprobes (TL 12)
 * Seed Ships (TL 12-13)
 * Stepping Stone Colonization (TL 12)
 * Self-Replicating Probes (TL 12-13)
 * Interstellar Shielding (TL 12-13)
 * Interstellar Cyclers (TL 13)
 * Antimatter Rockets (TL 13)
 * Interstellar Light Sails (TL 13)
 * Bussard Ramjets (TL 13)
 * Photon Drive (TL 13)
 * Zero-Point Rockets (TL 14)
 * Inertialess Drive (TL 14)

FTL

 * Quantum Entanglement Communicators (TL 13)
 * LeGuin Ansible (TL 13)
 * Hyperdrive (TL 13)
 * Hyperwave Communicators (TL 13)
 * Subspace Communicators (TL 13)
 * Tachyon Communicators (TL 13-14)
 * Interdimensional Drive (TL 13-14)
 * Warp Drive (TL 13-14)
 * Wormholes (TL 14-15)
 * Stargates (TL 14-15)
 * Starslip Drive (TL 14-15)
 * Infinite Improbability Drive (TL 14-15)

Gravitics

 * Artificial Gravity (TL 12-13)
 * Gravity Pulse Projectile Drive (TL 13)
 * Gravity Neutralizers (TL 13)
 * Gravity Enhancers (TL 13)
 * Gravity Repulsors (TL 13)
 * Point Source Gravity Projector Drive (TL 13)
 * Gravity Displacers (TL 13)
 * Combined Gravity Drive (TL 13-14)

Misc. Transportation

 * Teleportation (TL 13)
 * Time Travel (TL 14)

Space Structures

 * Advanced Satellites (TL 10-12)
 * Space Stations (TL 10-11)
 * Spin Gravity Habitats (TL 11)
 * Orbital Hot Labs (TL 11-12)
 * Statites (TL 11)
 * Space-based Sunshades (TL 11-12)
 * Lagrange Point Structures (TL 11-12)
 * Space Colonies (TL 12)
 * Gravity Lens Structures (TL 12-13)

Space Equipment

 * Rescue Balls (TL 10)
 * Pressure Tents (TL 10)
 * Individual Maneuvering Units (TL 10-11)
 * Advanced Spacesuits (TL 10-11)
 * Biosuits (TL 11)
 * Portable Airlocks (TL 11-12)
 * Suitports (TL 12)
 * Casual Wear Spacesuits (TL 13)

The Moon

 * Lunar Rovers (TL 10-12)
 * Lunar Hoppers (TL 10)
 * Moonbase (TL 10-12)
 * Moonbase Modules (TL 10-12)
 * Moonbase Surface Structures (TL 10-11)
 * Farside Observatories (TL 11)
 * Lunar Dumping Grounds (TL 11-12)
 * Lunar Colonies (TL 12-13)

Mars

 * Unmanned Mars Missions (TL 10)
 * Manned Mars Missions (TL 11)
 * Martian Colonies (TL 12)
 * Terraforming Mars (TL 13)

Asteroids and Comets

 * Manned Asteroid Missions (TL 10-11)
 * Redirected Asteroids and Comets (TL 10-12)
 * Diverted Asteroid Satellites (TL 11)
 * Hollowed Asteroids and Comets (TL 12)

Venus

 * Venusian Airships (TL 12)
 * Venusian Floating Bases (TL 12)
 * Venusian Floating Colonies (TL 12-13)
 * Terraforming Venus (TL 13)

Terrestrial

 * Megacities (TL 10)
 * Cyberpunk Sprawls (TL 11)
 * Arcologies (TL 11)
 * Continent Cities (TL 12)
 * World Cities (TL 13)

Planet-Scale

 * Asteroid Rosettes (TL 12-13)
 * Satellite Halos (TL 13)
 * Planetary Halos (TL 13)
 * Moon Rosettes (TL 13)
 * Megastations (TL 13)
 * Balloon Worlds (TL 13)
 * Planet Rosettes (TL 14)

Ringworlds

 * Forerunner Halos (TL 13)
 * Gossamer Rings (TL 13)
 * Orbitals (TL 14)
 * Ringworlds (TL 14) (Note: This refers to a ringworld like the one in Known Space by Larry Niven.)

Dyson Spheres

 * Dyson Swarms (TL 13-14)
 * Dyson Shells (TL 14)
 * Solid Dyson Spheres (TL 14-15)
 * Sunken Dyson Spheres (TL 15)

Sun Movers

 * Skhadov Thrusters (TL 14)
 * Stellar Flare Jet Generators (TL 14)

Other

 * Topopoli (TL 13-14)
 * Alderson Disks (TL 14)
 * Stellar Rosettes (TL 14-15)
 * Megastructure Rosettes (TL 14-15)

Cosmic

 * Pocket Universe Accessors (TL 13)
 * Pocket Universe Gateways (TL 14)
 * Pocket Universes (TL 14-15)
 * Pocket Universe Generators (TL 15)
 * Xeelee Rings (TL 15)

Weapon Ammunition

 * Bullets/Gunpowder (TL 4-13)
 * Plasma (TL 12-15)
 * Electricity (?)
 * Dark Matter (TL 14-15)