Which field of science holds the most potential in the coming century?

[yenom]

alright, i started a poll. someone should merge the thread.

 

[ygolo]

bump.

 

[01011010]

Molecular Medicine. It's the next frontier actually.

 

[Salomé]

i also hope that collaboration across disciplines will be supported by (further) improved analytics, data mining and data sharing

you can hope, but it won't be in this lifetime/politico-economic climate

we can hardly manage/exploit/secure the data we already harvest, what chance is their for inter-disciplinary/inter-organisational cooperation?

 

[Nonsensical]

Maybe chemistry..I have always felt that there is something that we're missing..some vital huge bit of information, that will tie up a lot of loose ends..maybe it's physics, but it ties in with chemistry.

 

[nozflubber]

The fact that you have physics only being linked to Engineering shows how unqualified you were to post such a question. The growing link between Biology and physics would be difficult to to exaggerate

 

[nightning]

Most of the interesting new developments are (not surprisingly) happening at the interfaces of the fields you list. For example, my own research combines nanotechnology, engineering, physics, and chemistry. Some of my associates are at the interface of nanotechnology, engineering, and biochemistry.

The boundaries between the fields are artificial and useless, except for taking classes. To excel in science, you've got to incorporate all kinds of techniques and technologies.

+1

Rhinosaur got it correct. Sciences are not discrete areas anymore... (actually they've never been... but we can pretend in the past)

Biochem = biology + chemistry
Physiology = biology + chemistry + physics
nanotech medical devices = biology + chemistry + physics
MRIs = biology + physics

And math and statistics is needed underlying all research.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I think they are all progressing fast and I don't see te point in limiting my answer to just one.

 

[Gamine]

Most potential? I can't wait to see.

Presumed to have the greatest effect on the most people?
- Information analysis. Businesses are trying to take as much stock as possible in who you are, your likes and dislikes. This is where their money is being increased, R&D with analysis technologies and firms.
- Anti-security and security technologies

 

[yenom]

I see huge potential in energy transfer in the future. Too bad, i am noty smart enough to get into that industry.

 

[CrystalViolet]

Something on the energy front.
Neurobiology and A.I. These two disciplines are incredibly interlinked in some respects.
Genetics in medical applications, this also goes for nanotechnology.

 

[Lozzy]

I guess looking at the near future the LHC at CERN has big potential. Y'know, when it stops being broken. Not just in particle physics (though finding the Higgs would be awesome), but the technological spin offs are difficult to predict. It was particle physicists who invented the internet, remember!

It really is hard to say what will take off, as people have said already. I do think that genetics and nanotech have scary potential though. If effective ways could be found to get fusion going, that'd be completely game changing. Who knows! It'll be amazing when we find out though.

 

[JocktheMotie]

I'm more excited about genetics and nanotech. While particle physics and the possibility of superunification are interesting from a knowledge and interest standpoint, human genetic tampering and nanotech applications hold better life improvements I think.

 

[laintpe]

neuro-engineering... now that would be a fun major.

I agree with ygolo... it will be a combination of sciences and most likely neuroscience related... something that we probably don't know about yet.

 

[Wild horses]

I'm going to go with one.. (How decisive of me I'll say robotics (due to our current Economic crisis) and (because I can't just pick one.. did try for like a second though) I'm going to add my own one and say meta-physics propelled by our fascination with the new age

 

[Eileen]

I don't know, but title fixed.