The Air Force in 2030

Forecasting technology is a notoriously tricky business. In spite of all the predictions, we still don’t have fusion power or flying cars, but in 2010 you can kick around a virtual soccer ball using a handheld camera phone, and who saw that coming?
It’s the job of the Air Force Chief Scientist and his colleagues to [...]

Brainwave-controlled machines, just one of many changes on the way.
Forecasting technology is a notoriously tricky business. In spite of all the predictions, we still don’t have fusion power or flying cars, but in 2010 you can kick around a virtual soccer ball using a handheld camera phone, and who saw that coming?
It’s the job of the Air Force Chief Scientist and his colleagues to look around periodically, see what technology is current and what lies just ahead, and try to extrapolate as best they can. The last such planning exercise was in 1995. Now, after a year-long study, the Chief Scientist has come out with a new “Technology Horizons” report, a roadmap to navigating the technological landscape the Air Force can expect between now and 2030.
There are enough visionary gizmos in the 171-page report to make any gadget freak’s heart ...