Approaching the future from an interdisciplinary profile such as that of the physician and historian José Manuel Sánchez Ron allows us to predict the future of the scientific scenario from a unique perspective. The combination between science and history is the trademark of his latest article for OpenMind, The past is prologue: the future and the history of science.
According to Professor Sánchez Ron the future of science will rest on three fundamental pillars: interdisciplinarity, hyperconnectivity and energy.
The first, interdisciplinarity, puts an end to the boundaries between the different disciplines of knowledge. For the professor: “ interdisciplinarity is something which has always been present in nature. It is us who have established the boundaries, for practical reasons”. The disappearance of these boundaries will turn the present laboratory into a technological-scientific laboratory, where researchers from very different disciplines such as chemistry, genetics, nanotechnology, physics and biology, will coexist.
The second pillar is hyperconnectivity, which, together with intelligent technology, will penetrate all scientific and technological disciplines and the spheres of social life. Thanks to technology, a new globalized and interdependent world has been born and is here to stay. Here, Sánchez Ron warns that although we have to promote technologies and globalization, we must ensure that these technologies do not break down the most basic human relations.
Lastly, the third pillar on which humanity’s efforts will rest in the coming decades is energy. The problem regarding the availability of energy in a world in which, fortunately, more and more countries are able to claim energy consumption on a par with what other nations have enjoyed for some time, will mean it is necessary to redirect some of the scientific and technological efforts of humanity.
In OpenMind, we encourage you to be optimistic because, despite the difficulties and challenges we face in the future, we are sure that a better future is possible. For further details, don’t miss our latest book “There is a Future: Visions for a Better World”.
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