Man's Synthetic Future 1 



By Roger Adams 



Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois 



The present uncertainties facing the peoples of the world, and 

 the startling discoveries in science during the past few decades, have 

 stimulated many to prognosticate about the future. Numerous and 

 various forecasts have been made as to national groupings, forms of 

 government, celestial transportation, sources of food, new building 

 materials, and modes of living. Some predict communization of the 

 world, others that there will be internal revolutions against commu- 

 nism and fascism, bringing about the return of freedom of speech and 

 action to all people. 



William J. Hale forecast the gradual regroupings of nations into 

 four units, each of which would embrace peoples of more or less the 

 same biological traits, but which would not be influenced by common 

 languages and customs. The groupings would be based on physical, 

 chemical, and biological considerations in areas which never lack self- 

 sufficiency of any type. The smaller nations, technologically unsuited 

 to a future in a strictly chemical world, would have to be grouped 

 with the greater powers, which through two centuries have shown an 

 innate ability to advance against all opposition. 



The line may not yet be forming for the first trip to the planets, 

 but the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural 

 History is accepting reservations for the first interplanetary flights. 

 The rough timetable assumes rocket ships that will reach the moon in 

 91/2 hours, Mars in 75 days, and Jupiter in 666 days. This may lead to 

 new terms in timetables when a trip is almost two years in duration. 

 The dining compartments will necessarily be enormous in size, even 

 if food concentrates are used, and even if it be assumed that people 

 will require less food under gravity-free conditions. Perhaps there 

 will be celestially anchored hot-dog stands along the way. 



Some rocket engineers have boldly predicted space flights within 

 the next decade. Many, many decades seem more likely before rocket 



1 Based on the address of the retiring president, delivered at the annual meeting of the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science, December 28, 1951, Philadelphia, 

 Pa. Reprinted by permission from Science, vol. 115, No. 2981, February 15, 1952. 



217 



