Dateline: February 7 2033
A revolution is taking place in the manufacturing industry, and it’s all thanks to carbon. Scientists and engineers have discovered that carbon and its nanoforms, such as graphene, nanotubes, and graphene oxides, can replace many metals used in industry, including copper, zinc, platinum, indium, silver and chromium.
This breakthrough has far-reaching implications for hi-tech manufacturing. Carbon nanoforms are lightweight, flexible, and incredibly strong, making them perfect for use in everything from electronics to aerospace and transport. They are also highly conductive, making them ideal for use in batteries and solar cells.
The benefits of using graphene oxides are not limited to industry, however. The shift away from traditional metals means a significant reduction in mining and extraction, which is not only better for the environment but also for communities that are adversely affected by mining. It is a double-edged sword for workers, as jobs shift from mining to rehabilitation and technology.
Until now, replacing electrical wiring and conductors — typically copper and silver alloys — with graphene and carbon nanowires has been prohibitively expensive, but recent breakthroughs in 3D printing at the nanoscale, coupled with rocketing metals prices, have made carbon the cheapest choice. Power electronics and electric car motors have never been so efficient and lightweight.
The implications of this technology are not limited to manufacturing. Carbon nanoforms are also being used in the construction industry, replacing traditional materials such as steel and concrete. The result is buildings that are stronger, more energy-efficient, and more sustainable.
The future of manufacturing is here, thanks to carbon. With the ability to replace industrial metals, this breakthrough technology is a game-changer that is set to revolutionise the way we think about raw materials, and heralds the eventual demise of the metals mining industry as we know it.
Mining giants that made the shift from gold and silver to lithium and copper now have to reinvent themselves once again.
- First published on Mindbullets February 9 2023
The Age of Extraction is dying
Will your business survive the transition?
Dateline: February 29 2032
The age of extraction has served our civilisation well. We began by taming wild grasses and domesticating animals, to provide us with the things we needed, such as food, clothing, and energy. Then we discovered mineral resources such as coal and iron, and agriculture and industry blossomed. Extraction and exploitation of natural resources became the primary means of production, and spawned a virtuous circle of technology innovation, scientific discovery, and resource development.
Our ability to harness resources and develop new technologies at an ever-increasing speed has enabled our species to dominate nature and provide a higher standard of living for billions of people — all thanks to extraction. We have an abundance of materials and chemicals, and technology has allowed us to displace natural products such as wood and leather with synthetics such as plastic and steel.
But that same disruptive, exponential boom in technology is causing the demise of extraction. Not because of a lack of resources — exploration continues to reveal new reserves — but because of a lack of need. We have already developed more efficient — and more socially acceptable — ways of producing animal protein than slaughter, and novel materials, constructed at the nuclear scale, such as graphene and 2D-polymers, are making aluminium and plastic look positively prehistoric.
There are still rare earths and unique elements such as helium, for which we rely on extraction, but eventually we’ll be able to make superior synthetic molecules to replace them. Whichever way you look at it, the age of extraction is dying, and will ultimately be replaced by something new.
And with the death of extraction will come the disruption of industries, displacement of businesses, and possibly the reinvention of entire economic systems. Will your business survive, and thrive?
- First published on Mindbullets February 24 2022
• Despite appearances to the contrary, Futureworld cannot and does not predict the future. The Mindbullets scenarios are fictitious and designed purely to explore possible futures and challenge and stimulate strategic thinking.
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