Based on the current standards of human civilization, many people are concerned with what will happen in our futuren; they are hypothesizing a decline in the quality of our lives. Since the dawn of human civilization, issues like energy, water, and disease have continuously threatened our existence. Now however, the world's population is increasing exponentially and humans are consuming more and more of earth's natural resources. Today, scientists and inventors are driven by the desire to improve human living quality for the future. Advancements made through scientific discovery will yield new and powerful technological innovations, ultimately securing an abundance filled, prosperous future. Major technologies are converging and advancing exponentially fast. Vivek Wadhwa, Vice President of Academics and Innovation at Singularity University, says, "These exponential technologies will help us solve many of humanity's grand challenges." We are innovating at an unprecedented rate; in this and the next decade, advances in a multitude of fields will give rise to a positive future of energy abundance, clean and unlimited water, and cure for disease.
The development of Graphene is one large advancement that could revolutionize human energy consumption for the future. Major corporation, Tesla Motors, has been rumored to be one company developing new Graphene batteries. The new design will substantially increase the range of Tesla's electric vehicles. Simultaneously, the new car could potentially draw people away from gasoline-powered vehicles, improving CO2 emissions. Researchers Chen Xiaodong, a NTU professor, and Tang Yuxin, a Ph.D. student of the University, concluded that refueling times for the electric vehicle would match those at the pumps. Also, the cost of maintaining these vehicles is drastically lower than the cost of gas powered cars. Chen says "Electric cars will be able to increase their range dramatically, with just five minutes of charging, which is on par with the time needed to pump petrol for current cars.