19.What Does the Future Hold? 411 While the substantial improvement of physical properties during the past 40 years is certainly impressive,it probably would be wrong to assume that a similar sharp rise would continue in the next decade or two.Indeed,certain limitations exist when,for example,atom- istic dimensions are reached.This may stifle further progress as long as the same conventional methods are applied.In other words,new, innovative concepts are needed instead and probably will be found. One may only speculate what kinds of discoveries might be made by the next generation of scientists and engineers if they would let their imagination roam freely into yet unexplored realms.Among these discoveries may be: A completely different family of materials which are not de- rived from already existing substances but are instead newly created by modifications of genes,that is,by gene technology. These biologically generated materials could possibly be custom-designed with respect to their physical properties,sta- bility,and their recyclability.They may be created from re- newable,inexhaustible resources or by bacteriologic transfor- mations of already existing products. The energy of the future may not be generated by burning wood, coal,or oil,or by involving fissionable or fusionable elements, but by exploiting hitherto unknown"disturbances"that are nei- ther electromagnetic nor of particle nature.This energy source may be tapped,should it exist,and it is hoped that mankind will have developed at that point a high degree of morality so that it may not be misused for destructive purposes. We are presently quite fixated on the concept that matter con- sists exclusively of atoms built from protons,neutrons,electrons, and a handful of other particles.Is it not possible that another type of matter does exist which is built of different particles be- yond our present imagination?Maybe this alternate form of mat- ter will be discovered in the next 50 years,should it exist. The abundance of radioactive waste surely will be a burden to future generations.New techniques may be found which are capable of manipulating the ratio of protons and neutrons in radioactive elements which will transform them into nonradi- ating isotopes. The transition temperature at which superconduction com- mences may again be substantially raised by employing new materials which have a striking similarity to fibers spun by an- imals or which are otherwise created in the body of animals or humans such as in nerve cells. Smart acoustic materials may be discovered which compen- sate incoming sound with a complementary sound,thus elim- inating any noise.In particular,the acoustical properties ofWhile the substantial improvement of physical properties during the past 40 years is certainly impressive, it probably would be wrong to assume that a similar sharp rise would continue in the next decade or two. Indeed, certain limitations exist when, for example, atom￾istic dimensions are reached. This may stifle further progress as long as the same conventional methods are applied. In other words, new, innovative concepts are needed instead and probably will be found. One may only speculate what kinds of discoveries might be made by the next generation of scientists and engineers if they would let their imagination roam freely into yet unexplored realms. Among these discoveries may be: • A completely different family of materials which are not de￾rived from already existing substances but are instead newly created by modifications of genes, that is, by gene technology. These biologically generated materials could possibly be custom-designed with respect to their physical properties, sta￾bility, and their recyclability. They may be created from re￾newable, inexhaustible resources or by bacteriologic transfor￾mations of already existing products. • The energy of the future may not be generated by burning wood, coal, or oil, or by involving fissionable or fusionable elements, but by exploiting hitherto unknown “disturbances” that are nei￾ther electromagnetic nor of particle nature. This energy source may be tapped, should it exist, and it is hoped that mankind will have developed at that point a high degree of morality so that it may not be misused for destructive purposes. • We are presently quite fixated on the concept that matter con￾sists exclusively of atoms built from protons, neutrons, electrons, and a handful of other particles. Is it not possible that another type of matter does exist which is built of different particles be￾yond our present imagination? Maybe this alternate form of mat￾ter will be discovered in the next 50 years, should it exist. • The abundance of radioactive waste surely will be a burden to future generations. New techniques may be found which are capable of manipulating the ratio of protons and neutrons in radioactive elements which will transform them into nonradi￾ating isotopes. • The transition temperature at which superconduction com￾mences may again be substantially raised by employing new materials which have a striking similarity to fibers spun by an￾imals or which are otherwise created in the body of animals or humans such as in nerve cells. • Smart acoustic materials may be discovered which compen￾sate incoming sound with a complementary sound, thus elim￾inating any noise. In particular, the acoustical properties of 19 • What Does the Future Hold? 411